Hey Rusty! I did a Youtube search for you..."disbudding a goat". The whole proceedure takes about 5 minutes and then the little goat is off and running. Here is one link. FYI: The producer in this video is not using an electric disbudding iron so it takes longer. Not reccomended!
The producer in this video is not using a disbudding box. Using a box makes things alot easier, but it is not neccesary.
We are in the process of making our own video of how we like to do it.
Goaties do NOT tolerate general anesthesia at all. Something as relatively quick like a disbudding doesn't really call for it. Neither should banding for castration. Yes, a few minutes of pain for the goatie, but the risk of complications of anesthesia is great. (ie, like not waking up)
My 2 males were wethered at the vets under a local. They just cut them like a colt I guess, but it's more comfortable with the local. I don't remember if they even had any stitches. I kinda don't think so. There are 3 ways to wether goats that I know of. Banding, where the band is placed around BOTH testicles and they die and wither away, crushing the cords with a Burdizzo, or something like that, and having them cut. I guess if you cut your own colts, you could do goats the same way? I have no idea. If you have the time and money, I recommend a vet, mainly for your peace of mind!
The Elastrator is probably one of the cruelest things devised in the annals of animal husbandry. I have Dehorned many many goats but nothing so cruel as pictured here.
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Thanks for your opinion. However - this is not cruel when done correctly. There is minimal blood loss, and we do medicate as needed. This thread, as stated before, is for informational purposes only...not to open a debate on husbandry practices.
An update for those interested: 24 hours later the site is clean and the infection is abated. I will post update pictures tomorrow. Oreo is eating from my hands and I think this stall confinement for his antibiotic course will tame him the rest of the way down.