# When is it too late to try and disbud?



## 6e (Sep 10, 2005)

We have a little buck we picked up that is now about 3 weeks old and we want to disbud him. His horns have not come through the skin yet, but you can definitely tell that they're thinking about it. Is it too late to try and disbud him? Is there anything different I should think about instead? We have never disbudded a goat, but we have a Rhinehart X50 disbudding iron and a goat tip and a buck tip. Will this work?


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Use the buck tip if it's bigger. REALLY burn. 10 seconds, let it cool, do it again.

I have terrible problems with scurs on bucklings.:Bawling:


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## ozark_jewels (Oct 7, 2005)

You have the right equipment for such a big disbudding job, but not the right experience.
Do you know anyone anywhere near you who could do this job for you? Someone with at least a couple years disbudding experience??
It can still be done on a buck kid at three weeks(I am assuming this is a Nubian, Swiss breeds horns would likely be much bigger than you describe), but it is a real job and you are likely to end up with at least some scurs anyway. But scurs are better than full blown horns, and if the job is done right, you should have very minimal scurring.
I expect some scurring on my Lamancha buckling, Handsome. I got him when he was over two weeks old and he hadn't been disbudded yet. I did a thorough job on him the next day, but buck kids should be done at 3 days to one week and no later. So I expect scurring, but I expect it to be minimal.
Small scurs are quite common on bucks, as bucks are harder to properly disbud than does/wethers. Small scurs that barely grow do not bother me, though I strive not to have them. What you do not want are solidly rooted scurs that grow almost as big as regular horns, just mutated and twisted.


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## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

Get some help on the first go around with this...you don't want to accidently fry their brains


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## deineria (Aug 22, 2009)

Get help, please. You WILL end up with scurs if you try it yourself. Contact 4H leaders, the Extension office, put an add on craigslist.


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## 6e (Sep 10, 2005)

We've actually been shown a couple of times, but haven't actually done it ourselves. Unfortunately, there's no one around us that disbuds their goats, in fact, there's almost no one around us that has goats. All cows. 
Thank you for the tips. I'll see who I can find.


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

It seems like at 3 weeks his horns should already have broken through the skin & be up a little bit, are you sure he is not going to be polled? Just seems like 3 weeks he should have something up by now. What breed is he?


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## deineria (Aug 22, 2009)

3 weeks is old for horns to not be through. . .I'd think.


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## 6e (Sep 10, 2005)

He is a Nubian and no, he's definitely going to have horns, but no, they haven't come through yet, but are right there thinking about it. It won't be long now. We did find someone that might be willing to help.


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## QoTL (Jun 5, 2008)

I also want to say he might be polled.

I say this because I have two little doelings I bought at 2 weeks (nubianx). One we disbudded, but the other one I didn't because she had bumps and nothing else.

Now they are 3 months old. the one with the bumps still JUST has bumps. Someone mentioned something called 'giraffe polled' or 'rough polled' on here, although I couldn't seem to find more info on that. 

The people we bought her from assured us both of her parents had been disbudded, but it's possible they also only had 'bumps' and were disbudded anyway. Which made me wonder if we sometimes disbud goats who are actually polled... well, maybe the experts don't  but I know I would have if not for this forum.

If you post a pic of his head, maybe someone can say for sure?


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