Who disbuds their kids?

[Southern28Chick]

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Well 1-5 doesn't sound good to me.

I never said that I had knowledge and experience with goats. THAT'S WHY I'M RESEARCHING THEM AND I'VE BEEN ON THIS SITE EVERYDAY TALKING ABOUT GOATS SO I GAIN MORE KNOWLEDGE.

 

[Chatychick]

Well you can get a Hermaphrodite goat from 2 horned goats just like with cattle its the luck of the draw but the averages are stronger with polled. I disbud my babies and yes its a awful job but its something you have to do ...I dont like horns and have lost some babies because the horned goats butted the doe...the baby was born dead and the other survived. Yes fencing is a problem with horns and have had a goat tore up cause she got caught in the fence. So now I disbud all babies that stay here and even those that leave.
The hermaphrodite goats can come from horned parents and polled parents. Had a heifer that was this way...not here anymore either. It just happens. I have bred polled to polled and had no problems. So its just a matter of choice. I think the rumor was started just so more could sell disbudded goats. I know a guy here that only raises polled and if they were that bad they wouldnt be registered. I do breed horned to polled and get some polled and some not. Good luck in your decision and you can geta disbudding iron and you want to pay for the better 1. Teh 1 that runs about 30 dollars dont really heat well and get someone to show you how. Learn right and that way you wont have scurs. I had a vet do 3 of my girls and all 3 have scurs. The vet did it like cattle and you cant do it that way. Most want to surgicalily remove them and goas dont do well with anestisia...some do die from it. As I said before do them early and they will be fine and yes they do forget pretty fast when sent back to momma. Mine do

 

[greyfields]

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http://www.premier1supplies.com/detail.php?prod_id=23285&cat_id=0&

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

We had our vet debud our goats, but they were a little older than they should have been. My brother's goat never grew horns back in, but my goat did. The initial de-budding was not too bad. We had them castrated and de-budded at the same time, and they were fine later that afternoon, perhaps just a little sore.

I would just suggest that you are sure the goats are not too old to be de-horned/budded as the procedure to remove the horns that grow back is more painful and traumatizing for both goat and owner. Other than that, the first procedure is relatively quick and easy, even though the goats do scream bloody murder! Our tend to do that for everything though LOL.

 

[ksacres]

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Exactly what I would have said IF I had gotten here first

They really do forget about it in a matter of minutes, if not seconds. I wait to feed them their bottles until after I've disbudded and tattooed them, as soon as they get their milk, all is forgiven.

 

[ksacres]

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Almost all the disbudders sold at different outlets are exactly the same model made by the same manufacturer.

I use a rhinehart X30, you can comparison shop, just make sure you are getting the name brand, not a knockoff.

The "more expensive" disbudders in this case are calf disbudders and you will have to buy another tip to do goat kids, unless you want to burn half their heads

OH, AND! This is one thing you don't want to buy used, they do "burn out"

 

[muesky]

Is debudding really this popular? I have 9 goats, three pygmies (2 female, 1 male), a boar male (just had him and the pygmie male fixed), a boar/nubian? female and 4 boar/pygmies crosses (hence why my boar male was fixed). All have horns and I have never even considered it. We have never been hurt by any of their horns but admittedly they have used them to poke holes in some insulation but that was pretty minor stuff.
My male boar and I play all the time. I grab his horns and pull him around and he just loves it. Never had him butt me or hurt me aside from the occasional times he has stepped on my foot when passing out treats.
All my goats are very socialized and are friendly (probably too friendly since they will go up to anyone for affection or food). The biggest problem we have is them jumping up on the car and trying to steal dog food.
As for showing goats, boars especially males are supposed to have their horns. Although I do not and never plan to show goats I still love to go to goat shows and rarely seen any goats being shown debudded.
To each is their own but aside from spaying or nuturing an animal to control population I follow the oh naturalle road. Oh and I have field fencing that has the big holes in it and have never had a goat get it's head stuck.

 

[Southern28Chick]

Ok let me ask this then.

Who sells their kids? And who sells kids with horns? And who buys them, people who want to show them or people who want them for milking?

I've only thought about disbudding because I was scared that I wouldn't be able to sell kids if they have horns. And I plan on breeding my girls with bucks from a good line and have the kids registered.

I haven't made up my mind about disbudding yet. I'm just afraid I won't be able to sell the kids because people do want goats without horns.

 

[redhen]

well...if you are gonig to breed..you will know what babies you have coming..and i can bet people will be on a waiting list,for when they are born..than you can ask each individual buyer..what there preference is...if they say they want a disbudded goat..do it for them when the goat is still with you..a young baby...and if people dont want thier goat disbudded..you just leave it be...

....good luck with them!..sounds like fun to breed them!...and have all those cute babies around!

....have fun!...Wendy

 

[Wolf-Kim]

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This is why Karen(Nigerian Dwarf breeder) disbuds everything she has. She gets more bucks than does, so sometimes whethers end up getting eaten and sometimes they end up as pets. She knows not everything that hits the ground will be for show, but many of her culls end up as dinner, pets, or 4H. She explained the dairy goats are not allowed to enter the show ring with horns. So for her, it's better to just go ahead and disbud all her stuff, instead of her(or her buyers) wishing later(when it was older and disbudding is more traumatic)that she had done it while they were young.

-Kim