| Disbudding baby goats is a job nobody here likes to do but it really is much kinder in the long run for everyone concerned, especially the baby goats! Goats with horns are dangerous to themselves, other goats and their human handlers. Horned goats get caught in fences and wire and can injure themselves or strangle to death. They injure their horns fighting with other goats causing extensive pain and blood loss. They can cause severe eye injuries and goring injuries to their human handlers. Disbudding is a process that needs to be done between the ages of one to three weeks of age depending on the size and general health of the kid in question. Never disbud a sick or weak kid. Photos will be added this spring when we begin dis-budding. Here is our procedure. Our infection rate following disbudding is less than 1%. We have never lost a kid to disbudding using this method. We use a Rhinehart X50 Dehorner. Equipment Needed: Bottle of prepared warm "milk" or replacer. Dehorner Bottle Aloe Vera Gel - Pure. Tetanus Anti-toxin Scissors Large Towel for wrapping kid or holding box. Workbench area and two chairs. 1. Prepare your area. I spread out a large, clean towel and place my supplies on it. 2. Plug in the de-horner and allow it to heat until it glows red-hot. Test the dehorner on a piece of scrap wood. It is ready when it leaves a complete dark burn circle on the wood. 3. Wrap the kid in the towel and have your assistant sit opposite you holding the kid. 4. Trim excess hair away from both horn buds with scissors. Have the assistant turn the kid over and inject a dose (ask your vet for the correct dosage) of tetanus anti-toxin underneath the bare skin of the inner hind leg. 5. Place the disbudding iron firmly over the first horn bud, and count to seven, leaving about a second between each number. 6. If you have applied enough heat and pressure, you should be able to remove the 'cap' of the horn, exposing the softer inner tissue of the horn bud. If you cannot remove the cap, reapply the iron for two or three seconds, and try again. 7. Touch the tip of the iron to the soft tip of the horn, searing it. Then reapply the iron to the horn bud and this time count to seven while rotating the iron from side to side. 8. Remove the iron and put to one side. Immediately apply about a teaspoon of aloe-vera gel to the burn, being sure to cover the entire area. 9. Offer the kid a bottle. Most will gladly take it. Allow them about fifteen seconds of sucking and replace them in their pen. Photos coming soon! |
DisbuddingBaby Goats
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