Rhinehart X50 3/4" ID?

[newbiekat]

After much research and debate, we are going with the X50 as opposed to the X30... Now, most of the ones that I have found say "X-50A comes standard with 3/4" (inner diameter) tip". We have full size Nubians, and from what I've read it seems like the 1/2" tip would work best?

What does this Inner Diameter mean? Does this mean we need to get another tip?

 

[newbiekat]

Anyone have any idea...?

 

[Southern by choice]

Why did you choose the X50 over the X30?

 

[newbiekat]

From what I've read, it heats up faster, the interchangeable tips can be useful (I was thinking for the buck tip), it can do more kids in one sitting than the X30....


Southern- I may be reading it wrong but you ask like you're surprised I chose that over the X30. Is it not a wise choice?

 

[Southern by choice]

oh no... just gathering opinions. I just got off the phone with Rhinehart. Spoke with Tom. He gave a great deal of helpful very useful information.

As far as the Buck tip...that was one of the specific questions I asked. There is no insert or info on the proper placement and how to use the buck tip. There is no diagram or instructions anywhere! We discussed this and I recommended they do an illustration and insert. The tear drop face to the back of the skull... as though facing the tail. Not forward or to the sides. Also I have seen many people do the figure eight burns incorrectly. Again not toward the front but back, almost like a horseshoe. Figure eights may not be necessary if done at the right time, it is more for descenting.
He gave some other very important info. he was extremely helpful with all of my questions. My vet does a rocking motion but I have seen others just apply. The rocking motion is the correct technique. He recommended veiwing Fias co Farms website and watching the disbudding. He said it is the BEST video and they highly recommend this.

The x50 has a thermostat which will always keep it to proper temperature and you can use the different tips for different sizes and breeds of goats. So it sounds like the best choice.

This season we may do our own with our vet just giving a nerve block under each eyebrow. So I am learning as much as I can. New to this part of goat husbandry.

You already may know all of this . Hopefully it helps others... always something more to learn!

 

[newbiekat]

Thank you for explaining! That makes me feel a little better. I did not know that there weren't any written instructions for the buck tip! That's a good thing to know because I have no idea about disbudding in the least bit, and this will be our first year doing it. I'm nervous!! I will have to check out Fiasco Farms website.

I'm glad you agree with me on the X50! It makes me feel better
Now, for the nerve block, I've heard of people doing that, is that only something a vet can give? And how long does it last?

 

[Southern by choice]

This is a new frontier, so to speak, for me too!
I have horned, polled, and disbudded (by the original breeder) goats. I have only had one (a mini-mancha) dis-budded and it was done by one of our vets. The vet owns dairy goats and is obviously well experienced in disbudding and sedating. She gave her a mild sedation and a nerve block under each brow. The kid was a doeling so pretty easy. Recently I went to see someone disbud. It wasn't as bad as I thought and I did learn what a really good hold looks like.
As much as everyone says sedation is so dangerous I think it depends on the experience of the vet. In the UK, it is illegal for anyone other than a vet to disbud AND sedation MUST be given. So there ya go....
The nerve block would be by a vet, one of our vets lives next door so kinda convenient for us.

I am trying to educate my self thoroughly before attempting such a procedure. I watched my vet "rock" or roll the iron, yet many just apply straight on and count... the figure 8 is often done in the wrong way... and of course the methods used will vary from person to person. The more I learn the more I am beginning to understand how scurs are quite common but do not need to be.

It was very beneficial in contacting the manufacturer. I will continue discussing with my vet and will be witnessing another disbudding group in March by another vet doing the procedure for a friend.

I know I will be practicing on a board too! A LOT!

I am not sure the buck tip or the figure eight may be necessary IF the disbudding is done at the exact time. But still good for the descenting.

When will you be doing yours? What kind of things have you learned so far?

 

[Tiss]

I use the X30 and have no trouble with it. In my research, I thought I understood that the X30 will actually work better for goats because you don't have to add the smaller sized tip. On fiascofarm.com they posted that the X30 took less time per burn than the X50.

I'm also glad I did the figure 8 on my Alpine bucks. The Lamancha buck I bought this year only had his horn buds done and has grown some scurs in the middle. I plan to figure 8 any Lamancha bucklings I get this spring.

 

[Southern by choice]

I know Fiasco likes the 30 but it is a fixed tip... more like a soldering iron. From what I understand from talking to the manufacturer and my vet....the 50 can use different tips, which is better for me as I have different size goats. Also the 50 has a built in thermostat. The glowing red may actually be too hot (on the 30) and could be too much and overheat the skull. Faster burn time but possible more risk if doing small goats. Because of the temp regulation with the thermostat it doesn't need the time to come back up to temp when doing multiple disbuddings.

So you have been happy with the 30? My vet used the 30 on my mini mancha. I think it would be too big for my dwarfs.

Good post Tiss... more info the better!

 

[Tiss]

No problem at all with the 30. I was a first time disbudder last year and had never seen it done in person before. I think I looked at everything there was on the internet.

I highly recommend a box to put the kids in. Huge help.

I'm afraid that I would have less control with the length of the 50. I was already afraid I would "miss" my target with the length of the 30. I did 2 minimancha doelings, an Alpine doeling, and 3 Alpine bucklings.

I ended up disbudding the goats that I only burned to copper rings (and that would be all of them) again about 2 weeks later because they were growing scurs already. I'd read the whole copper ring vs white ring discussion online and the last thing I wanted to do was fry brains, so I followed the advice on fiascofarm and only went to copper and didn't bother to scrape caps off. It was not long enough.

When I went back 2 weeks later, I did each side 3 times rocking the iron in a circle for 8 grueling, seemingly never-ending seconds. I waited and blew in between for things to cool down then popped the little bit in the middle off. I still have one Alpine buck I wasn't able to get down to some white on (I didn't have anyone helping me hold on round two and he put up a good fight). That buck has much larger scurs than I'd like though he'll never have real horns.

This spring I will do figure 8 on all bucks. And burn everyone at 6-8 sec a go until I start to see a little white in places. I will not be so eager to get them out of the box and will keep going slowly until they're done enough the first time. It's no fun to do it again.