Disbudding

[BDaY]

So here's my dilemma. My babies are 6 weeks old tomorrow. Luckily my little fella is polled but it looks like my little doeling is going to have horns. The previous owner didn't disbud her after she was born. The horns are still tiny and haven't broken through the skin. Is it too late to disbud her? I know does grow horns slower than bucks like I said hers are still tiny. Am stuck with horns with my only milking goat? I've read that having a vet dehorn is pretty traumatizing and that most vets won't even perform the procedure.

 

[Goat Whisperer]

De-horning is different than disbudding.
We have De-horned a goat with a full set of horns (adult) and it isn't near as traumatizing as people make it out to be. I think it depends on the vet too. I'd have no problem doing a full dehorning if needed.

Disbuding is when you take the horns off of kids. 6 weeks is generally older than when most kids are dehorned but yours are a bit small so she might be able to be disbudded. You'd need an experienced vet or breeder to look at her to confirm. If you take her to a vet ask how they do the procedure.

This is SBC's thread on De-horning her adult goat...
http://www.backyardherds.com/threads/de-horned-2yr-old-doe-week-3-update.28257/

The doe had been (unknowingly been pregnant during this time too. She had two beautiful, healthy kids. Must haven't been too traumatic )

 

[babsbag]

Get someone to look at her and do it ASAP. They can go from not big enough, just right, too big in a week.

 

[samssimonsays]

I had a gal who does multiple farms in the areas disbuddings look at my 5.5 week old nubian buckling who was in the same boat. But he had tiny nubs poking through. She felt it wasn't too late and disbudded him. The horns fell off and he has scurs that grew in but not horns. Just my experience and how it worked out.

 

[BDaY]

Thats another thing scurs sound terrifying.

 

[Goat Whisperer]

Scurs IMO aren't terrifying.
I'd much rather deal with scurs over horns any day!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Scurs aren't a big deal in my opinion...and they're pretty easy to band too.

 

[Goat Whisperer]

Agree, although we tend to use a gigli wire saw to trim scurs when needed. I do know some have great success using a band.

 

[NH homesteader]

Yeah my wether has scurs. They've really not been an issue.

 

[BDaY]

Maybe terrifying wasn't the word. I guess they just don't look natural and knowing my luck I'll have them growing towards her little skill lol. I also imagine though just like people medicine when you lookup information of course you only find the worst of the worst cases documented and being in emergency medicine doesn't help with me being overly concerned about the worst than can happen.