Loose scurs

[AlleysChicks]

When I previously had goats about 15 years ago I had polled and natural horned goats. Over the last couple months I got 3 doe kids from the same lady, she dehorns them herself. 2 are perfectly dehorned but the brown one has small scurs. They were pretty solid but yesterday when I was trimming feet I noticed they were loose. Do I need to worry about them popping off and getting infected? Do they bleed or is that only when a solid scur breaks off?
I’m worried because flies are bad this year and I don’t want her having any extra problems.

 

[Donna R. Raybon]

Are they scurs or scabs from dehorning? If you can, I would take them to someone who could pop the scurs off (if they are scurs) and reburn. Would have to be someone who knows what they are doing, though.

Sometimes when dehorning more than two kids, the person does not wait enough time between kids for the iron to heat back up to maximum, so that third kids gets disbudded with an iron that is not hot enough to do the job. Added to that is mistake a lot of folks make in buying an iron that is for goats and it is NOT hot enough. A really, really, hot iron does the job fast and with much less stress, risk of brain injury, in getting that nice copper red ring around the horn bud.

 

[AlleysChicks]

Are they scurs or scabs from dehorning? If you can, I would take them to someone who could pop the scurs off (if they are scurs) and reburn. Would have to be someone who knows what they are doing, though.

Sometimes when dehorning more than two kids, the person does not wait enough time between kids for the iron to heat back up to maximum, so that third kids gets disbudded with an iron that is not hot enough to do the job. Added to that is mistake a lot of folks make in buying an iron that is for goats and it is NOT hot enough. A really, really, hot iron does the job fast and with much less stress, risk of brain injury, in getting that nice copper red ring around the horn bud.

Scurs. I’ll try to get pics tomorrow. She had about 15 kids for sale so that’s probably what happened. I’ll try to get ahold of my vet and see if he could take a look. I was just worried if they would get knocked off and bleed everywhere.

 

[Donna R. Raybon]

Yes, they can and will get knocked off, but as my vet is fond of saying, they will quit bleeding after a while. In summer when something happens to draw blood and flies, I use mineral oil based synergized Pyrethrin pour on that is labeled for cows as fly control. I have used it for over thirty years and never had any problems with it, even on newborns. I have it in a hand held spritzer bottle and when I see flies, they get spritzed. I have two doelings than are in need of disbudding now, and will spritz them afterward to ensure no flies bother them.

For bleeding the best thing is a hot iron. I keep a trigger pull soldering iron with my hoof trimming stuff so that if I quick a goat I can cauterize. Have had to use the disbudding iron on older goats when they knock a scur off and it bleeds too long in my opinion. Worst case I ever had was a huge almost three hundred pound very unhappy Nubian buck that had really done a number on his scurs doing battle with another buck. By myself, of course everyone was gone from home! I roped him to the side of the barn with halter at his head, lasso at girth and flank. By the end of that wrestling match I could not tell who was bleeding the most.

I have several does and a buck right now in need of having some scurs looked at, but am not able to do it. Maybe this fall when it gets cooler I will be able. About two weeks ago a cow stepped on my left foot and it looks like I am wearing a denim blue sock from all the bruising. Does not hurt to walk on, thank goodness, but a shoe touching the top of my foot is not comfortable.

If doing a lot of kids at once, you have to wait for iron to get good and hot again or you risk not only scurs, but also brain damage. A hot iron lets you get the job done quick and does not heat up bone and brain underneath bud. But, a cooler iron takes much more time to get that nice copper red ring that signifies job correctly done. That extra time means bone and brain get heated up and damaged. A week or two later you have a sick kid with neurological symptoms that will probably die.

 

[AlleysChicks]

Yes, they can and will get knocked off, but as my vet is fond of saying, they will quit bleeding after a while. In summer when something happens to draw blood and flies, I use mineral oil based synergized Pyrethrin pour on that is labeled for cows as fly control. I have used it for over thirty years and never had any problems with it, even on newborns. I have it in a hand held spritzer bottle and when I see flies, they get spritzed. I have two doelings than are in need of disbudding now, and will spritz them afterward to ensure no flies bother them.

For bleeding the best thing is a hot iron. I keep a trigger pull soldering iron with my hoof trimming stuff so that if I quick a goat I can cauterize. Have had to use the disbudding iron on older goats when they knock a scur off and it bleeds too long in my opinion. Worst case I ever had was a huge almost three hundred pound very unhappy Nubian buck that had really done a number on his scurs doing battle with another buck. By myself, of course everyone was gone from home! I roped him to the side of the barn with halter at his head, lasso at girth and flank. By the end of that wrestling match I could not tell who was bleeding the most.

I have several does and a buck right now in need of having some scurs looked at, but am not able to do it. Maybe this fall when it gets cooler I will be able. About two weeks ago a cow stepped on my left foot and it looks like I am wearing a denim blue sock from all the bruising. Does not hurt to walk on, thank goodness, but a shoe touching the top of my foot is not comfortable.

If doing a lot of kids at once, you have to wait for iron to get good and hot again or you risk not only scurs, but also brain damage. A hot iron lets you get the job done quick and does not heat up bone and brain underneath bud. But, a cooler iron takes much more time to get that nice copper red ring that signifies job correctly done. That extra time means bone and brain get heated up and damaged. A week or two later you have a sick kid with neurological symptoms that will probably die.

Thank you for all the info! It really helps! I have some livestock fly spray for the cattle downstairs on the shelf. I use it out by the chicken coop also. Flies are so bad this year because of the up and down temps this spring.

 

[OneFineAcre]

We typically do nothing and let them knock them out.
That is if they are loose.
If they are not and start to grow odd, then we will put a band on it.