Best disbudding iron

[Green Acres Farm]

That is a good all around.
What breeds of goats do you have again?

Mostly Nigerian Dwarfs, a couple Nubian Dwarf mixes, 3 Saanens and we are buying more Saanens this winter.

 

[Southern by choice]

Nubian Dwarf mixes

Are these Nubian mixes and dwarf mixes or are you talking about Miniature Nubians? Miniature Nubians are a breed... don't call them mixes.
Unless they are crappy animals then they are just mixes.


You should do fine with the 1/2" if you do the bucks timely!

Saanens

You may want to do 5/8 ... Saanen bucks will be iffy.

But then again every buck on our farm that was done by someone else has scurs. EVERY buck.

I don't think I'm that good... I think I'm just lucky.
Actually I know the mini alpine I did will have scurs... He was born with pointed nubs and I needed to do him at 3 days. I won't burn before then no matter what... but I had a family medical crisis happening in March and I got to him and the others when I could... so I was very late.

Bucks are so difficult

 

[Green Acres Farm]

Are these Nubian mixes and dwarf mixes or are you talking about Miniature Nubians? Miniature Nubians are a breed... don't call them mixes.
Unless they are crappy animals then they are just mixes.

Yep, they are mixes. Not sure how much of a ratio of a Nubian to a Nigerian Dwarf they are and those aren't the only breeds mixed in. We'll see how their udders turn out. If they are bad, they go.

And, yes our Saanen buck has awful scurs He came from a very reputable and experienced breeder, but...

 

[Southern by choice]

LOL

Yeah, honestly it has nothing to do with whether a breeder is good, or vet is good...

Vets get scurs just as often as breeders on bucks.

The base of the bud is huge.

 

[NH homesteader]

This has been helpful since I just got a buckling with serious scurs! Won't be so mad at the vet now!

 

[Green Acres Farm]

Speaking of Nubian mixes, how common now is G6S? Isn't testing like $40-50 plus shipping? I mean if these were purebred, registered, quality breeding/ milking goats, that would definitely be a must to get done, but mixes?
Do you think I should test, just sell them now, or hope for the best?

 

[Goat Whisperer]

I think many do not understand until they experience breeding, kidding, and disbudding for themselves. It's easy to be mad at other breeders or vets, but scurs happen. Once you are the one holding the iron your mindset changes a bit.

I always say that I'd rather scurs over a dead goat Most vets would rather that too.
I know of a vet that always did a great job, until he had several kids die… After that he had lots of goats with scurs, but the goats lived.

Being a highly reputable breeder doesn't have much to do when it comes to scurs. I've seen bucks with huge scurs come from reputable breeders. Doesn't make them a bad breeder.

You also need to remember that if the herd is large some are burning 30-40 kids at a time. It would be nearly impossible to feel each kid daily.

 

[Southern by choice]

More and more people are testing and it is best to do so if you are breeding them and selling kids.
Mine are negative by parentage but I will probably test and have results handy. I think once on your farm then you should test and keep those records, regardless of G6S or CAE, CL, Johnes.

@NH homesteader glad this gives you a little comfort.
WE ALL HATE SCURS! Sadly it is life with disbudded goats- especially bucks.

 

[Green Acres Farm]

I think selling is the best option, then. I don't think my parents will want to spend $100+ on testing mutt goats...

Okay, really off subject- I got McMasters slides maybe 3 weeks ago and have been trying to figure it all out.
I'm pretty sure I am getting it ready right, and I can see a few eggs under the microscope, but when I was looking at my reference sheet and my veterinary parasitology book, I realized like 5-6 different kinds look exactly the same to me. Also, I'm not seeing coccidia (I think).
Aren't you supposed to count only one kind of egg to get your EPG?
How high a power are you supposed to get down to? I can't focus on the highest power.
Are you supposed to see both blue lines on either side while you count, or go like from left to right making your way up till you get to the top of your first column?

This is the microscope I got:

https://www.amazon.com/AmScope-M150...0524217?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1471059402&sr=1-1

 

[Green Acres Farm]

I think selling is the best option, then. I don't think my parents will want to spend $100+ on testing mutt goats...

Okay, really off subject- I got McMasters slides maybe 3 weeks ago and have been trying to figure it all out.
I'm pretty sure I am getting it ready right, and I can see a few eggs under the microscope, but when I was looking at my reference sheet and my veterinary parasitology book, I realized like 5-6 different kinds look exactly the same to me. Also, I'm not seeing coccidia (I think).
Aren't you supposed to count only one kind of egg to get your EPG?
How high a power are you supposed to get down to? I can't focus on the highest power.
Are you supposed to see both blue lines on either side while you count, or go like from left to right making your way up till you get to the top of your first column?

This is the microscope I got:

https://www.amazon.com/AmScope-M150...0524217?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1471059402&sr=1-1

Maybe I should have posted this on a different thread...