One of my does just had twins this afternoon she is a pygmy who was bred when I got her by another pygmy. It appears she has had twin does. Hope I have that kind of luck with the next doe due as she was bred to my registered Nigerian dwarf buck. One of them is a lite gray and the other is black. Mom and kids seem to be doing fine.

Now for the questions. Number one how old should the kids be before I disbud them. I live in southwest missouri about 50 miles east of Springfield. I have a new electric disbuding iron. In its directions it suggusts up to a month old. I want to give them a little time like maybe a couple of days before I do it but want to do it before a month of age. My thoughts here are that with in reason the younger the less of a horn bud I will have to destroy.

My other question is at what age should a buck kid be banded for castration? I have a new bander and new bands have watched so don't think I will have to much of a problem but really need guidence as to what age I should do this.

I don't know why but I feel I am alot closer to being the homesteader I want to be with these new kids out there. Please note I said the homesteader I want to be as for some I think they can be homesteaders without animals or whatever.

-- gail missouri ozarks (gef@getgoin.net), January 25, 2002

Answers

Gail congrats. Cant help on the de horning but on the banding the younger the better. I like to band them at a couple of days.. as long as the testicles are droped. Be sure to get both below the band for a good job. God Bless and lots of success with the goats.

-- Charles Steen (xbeeman412@aol.com), January 25, 2002.

Hi Gail

I'm a nigerian owner and pygmies are a bit different, taking more time to mature. So I tread lightly here, but will give you my experience. You're on the right track: disbud early, as soon as the buds begin to appear. Does usually develop buds a bit later than bucks. With nigerians it's best to disbud at about a week. I don't know of any breed you would wait until a month! The sooner the better and easier! Also, if you have never used an iron, please have someone with experience help you. If you do too little, you will get scurs and have to repeat. Too much and it is possible to destroy brain tissue. With banding, this too, is open for discussion. In some circles it is believed that banding too early can result in urinary troubles. However, again, you don't want to wait too late. For nigerians, right around six weeks is the norm, though people have done it earlier and some a bit later. But you run into trouble trying to disband after two months. Be sure the testicles are descended and take care not to get the teats caught in the band. Hopefully, a pygmy owner can help even more, but this is a start.

-- Lynn (moonspinner@bluefrognet.net), January 25, 2002.

Hi Gail, You need to disbud as soon as there is a little nub there. This means that some of the pygmy bucklings will need to be done at even 2-3 days. The little doe's seem to grow thier buds slower and might not even get their buds for weeks. Just make sure that you disbud once they do appear. As far as banding a pygmy, most of us have our 4-H kids wait till the bucklings are about a month old. A great book to have if you have pygmy goats is 'Pygmy Goats, Management and Veterinary Care' by Lorrie Boldrick D.V.M. She covers the correct medication doses for the littler goats also.

Congradulations on your new kids.

-- shari (smillers@snowcrest.net), January 25, 2002.

What Lynn said. Definitely a week or under on the disbudding and DEFINITELY get someone who knows what they're doing to help you. Death from brain damage is not pretty, I've heard. Also, the kids will scream and struggle (quite disconcerting the first time you see it), and it's just a LOT easier with one person to hold the kid and one person to hold the iron. Not to mention this is easiest done straddling the kid while kneeling on the ground, which may be a consideration. Use a spray antiseptic after you finish.

I'm of the later castration school. I understand the urinary tract stops developing when you castrate, so if you do it at, say, one week of age, you eventually have an adult goat trying to urinate through a week-old-size urinary tract.

Anyway, good luck, gail, and have fun with your kids!

-- Laura Jensen (lauraj@seedlaw.com), January 25, 2002.

With pygmies, on average I disbudded the does at around 10 days and the bucks around 5 days. That is not hard and fast, and as was previously mentioned, the best time is when you can feel the horn bud. I usually want to err on the side of caution, so until I can definately feel a good horn bud there, I won't try. I disbudded one pygmy doe at 3 weeks with no muss or fuss and she was fully disbudded (no scurs). She was just a late bloomer. The kids are so small and have such a thin skull that I am always afraid of frying their poor little brains. This is one task where I'm glad I have standard size goats now!!!

-- Sheryl in ME (radams@sacoriver.net), January 25, 2002.

We have Dairy animals and i don't know if it's the same but...we disbud and band before they are 10 days old. sometimes you have to kind of feel and make sure the horn bud is protruding enuff to get the job done. congratulations on your babies, aren't they adorable!?

-- Susan (dsowen@tds.net), January 26, 2002.