Thaks everyone who has helped with some of my other questions on these two Saanen doelings. OK, here's a new one. This is my first season to disbudd, hubby always had that unlikeable job, now that he is deployed I get to do it. I do it like he did, 5 seconds on, cool a few seconds, then 5 more on. These Saanen girls had significant hornbuds at 2 weeks of age when I disbudded (yesterday). I did note in passing that the placement of their hornbuds on their heads seems "lower" than the Nubian kids. Anyway, things are different after this disbudding. Both "caps" fell off very soon after, with a small amount of bleeding and some serous fluid drainage. Today there is some swelling over their eyes, not major, but there. I am a nurse and I know the respose to injury. It just seems things are different with them than the Nubians I have done this spring. Anyone out there noticed a difference in the hornbuds and/or disbudding between breeds? By the way, both girls are less active today but eagerly take their bottles.... Thaks, Julie

-- Julie (okwilk213@juno.com), April 02, 2002

Answers

yes there is a diffrence, them saanens gals start out big and stay that way, personally, i dont know what iron you are using, i put it on, flip the hornbud cap off, and then burn for a second or two more...plus my saanen seems to milk me for sympathy. ohhh mommy it hurts..... and all ..... for some reason you dont have to do that with nubians.they seem to take it more in stride, but they scream a lot more during it too...

-- Beth Van Stiphout (willosnake@hotmail.com), April 02, 2002.

It doesn't sound like you even disbudded them. I burn for about 6 or 7seconds I have a Rhinehart 50 and it is smoking hot when we use it. Then I pick off the hair and flip off the cap. Then I reburn until I see a good copper ring, pushing in and rotating the iron around. If the cap has came off just days after burning than you need to reburn, because all you did was singe the top of the head, you have a burn and that is it. Sounds like you went a tad to far forward, and the reason so many folks shave the heads first. I didn't learn that way so I don't teach it that way either. With the swiss breeds you don't want to wait for 2 weeks like you do with Nubians. Lots of swiss boys need to be disbudded the day after be born, certainly before a week old with the girls, even the LaMancha's we had were like this. If you wait for 2 weeks the diameter of your burner can not reach all the way around the whole base of the horn, so you will get scurs. In a couple of weeks after a good burn and the cap really falls of you will get some thick blood, just like the scab on a childs knee looks. After this heals check all the way around your burn, reburn if you feel tiny little pointy scurs coming up. For your girls right now I would be spraying their heads with furox to dry up the ooze, or it may become infected. A good disbudding job doesn't ooze, doesn't bleed and the horn bud does not pop off for several weeks. Re-do them. Did you remember to vaccinate? Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (Nubians) (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), April 02, 2002.

Thank you for the suggestions. I didn't get the doelings until they were 11 days old, and couldn't get to my iron until day 14. I was definitely in the right place. I disbudded the same way we always have with the Nubians, and they have always turned out ok. I don't remember the brand of iron I have, but I always wait until it can instantly burn a black ring in wood. They did get vaccinated as well. Regards, Julie

-- Julie (okwilk213@juno.com), April 02, 2002.