| Author | Message | ||
     Maggie Leman Moderator Username: maggieleman Post Number: 1767 Registered: 07-2005 Posted From: 71.111.242.73  Rating: N/A |
Too late to band is when you can't get the band on, LOL! Scurs do not count in the showring. But it is better if they look like they are being "managed". Maggie Leman Goat 911 Capri Medic | ||
| Chrystyna Corpron New member Username: chrystynac Post Number: 30 Registered: 12-2006 Posted From: 198.203.175.175 Rating: N/A |
Thanks Maggie  I didn't feel quite right about banding her scurs now that she is preggo, so i wanted to ask for others' opinions. Her breeder said since she is young and in good shape, and her scurs are still soft and short that it wouldn't be a problem ( and said she had got two other bred does once that were older and had bad ones about 10 inches or so long, and didn't have a problem ) Honestly i was hopeing to hear it wouldn't be and issue, as i wanted to try showing her this spring/summer, and need to have it done before the bugs come - but oh well I have never pulled on her horns but i'm sure they aren't loose - but will check again. I have some pics of her that i can email if anybody is interested - i just don't know how to post them. Any bucks born will be pets, so i think i'll band around the 10 week mark - i've just heard so many different opinions on when the right time is, when is too early and when it's too late. Thanks again !!! | ||
| Maggie Leman Moderator Username: maggieleman Post Number: 1764 Registered: 07-2005 Posted From: 71.111.242.73 Rating: N/A |
Do not band the scurs this while she is pregnant or nursing. When teh bands are first placed they can be quite painful, when the horns are about to come off they can also be very sensitive. I just wire saw them off shorter, the effect is immediate the healing is fast, very little stress and you can do it anytime so long as you don't go too low and open the sinus. But still wait until after the kids are here. I just take off enough to keep it from growing back into the head. I sometimes have to do this yearly or so but the goat hardly reacts. You can get saw wire and handles from many livestock supply companies. SOme people use heavy hoof nippers like those used for horses and nip the scurs off. Scurs are easy to manintain if they have little bone in them, do these scurs wiggle or do they feel solidly attached to the skull? I am still an advocate of a disbudding iron used skillfully, I personally don't trust one of these in the hands of a vet, they don't get enough practice and tend to also overmedicate the kids. I have disbudding a couple hundred pygmy kids with very few problems, I have never killed one. I band at 10 to 12 weeks. Many vets advise waiting for the urethra to grow some before banding if the goat will be a pet and that's why I band later. If they are going to market you can band sooner. Maggie Leman Goat 911 Capri Medic | ||
| Chrystyna Corpron New member Username: chrystynac Post Number: 29 Registered: 12-2006 Posted From: 198.203.175.175 Rating: N/A |
I just have a couple questions - ok, first one, i have a Alpine doe that has scurs, now they also bend in toward her head and if they keep going will grow into it - so they need to be taken care of. I have been told to band them - More info about Gretta, she was born March 2006 and was bred Dec. 10th. she is a big healthy girl, and her scurs are only about 3-4 inches long max. The questions - I want to do this now so i get it done before the bugs get here, but, will it harm her at all with being bred ? should i give her a tetnus antitoxin ? How long should it take for them to fall off ? what are the chances they grow back ? And my other question is about debudding - i have to does bred for this spring, and don't want horns on the kids - what is the best method for taking care of it ? I have a friend that is experianced with the iron that would do it for me, but i've heard horror storys on this board about that killing kids - is it just pygmys or dairy kids too ? What age is good ? Oh, i thought of one more - what age is a good age to band/castrate any bucklings that may be born ? Well thats it ( for now anyways ) thanks again Chrystyna~ |