ARRGH! Is almost four weeks too old to disbud??? EDIT: not getting him

[haviris]

Most likely no. I've had a few late bloomers, just had one done at 5 weeks, her two sisters were done at 4 weeks, but that is very rare! Until this year I've never had one that I could wait longer then 3 weeks, but these were all does, bucks tend to need it done sooner.

 

[theawesomefowl]

I should have made the owners of him take him earlier! (They still have him.)

...

What other options could I do?

Find another goat?
Yes, or i may not get a goat just sheep in that case.

It's almost a for sure thing it's too late but not absolutely. Once in a while a kid will have such tiny horn buds that it could still be done at that age... it's not common or the usual though.

If a goat gets to 4wks of age and could still be successfully disbudded by the regular disbudding method with a regular disbudding iron, I'd still find another goat...prolly something wrong with that one.


The other option, of course, would be *not* to disbud him and just leave him with his horns..

Can't do that! Won't!

As for castrating...yeah...don't do that until he's at least 8wks of age or you increase the risk of UC.

Even if he isn't on rich feed?

 

[cmjust0]

As for castrating...yeah...don't do that until he's at least 8wks of age or you increase the risk of UC.

Even if he isn't on rich feed?

Yes, because castrating too young causes their urethra to stop growing too early in development.. If he were to ever develop some type of urinary tract infection or decide to go too long without water or something like that, he could still develop a few crystals that *normally* would pass right on out of a more-developed urethra..

 

[theawesomefowl]

He is too old. I'm not getting him.