Purpose of wethers?

[Willowynd]

Just curious. What are the purpose of wethers in goats? They can't be bred since neutered...can't produce milk...so just pets?

[goatsareus]

NOT pets. We eat them, just because they are there. I am after the milk from the does, but that means babies and that means bucklings/wethers. It just is an efficient use of the animals, and extremely tasty to boot.

[mwhit]

Peopole eat them, but they also make a good companion for a buck. We all know how lonely one goat is. I have a pair of wethers that will soon begin cart training.

Michelle

[fishhead]

I use them to eat weeds on the dikes of my commercial fish ponds. Plus they are fun to watch.

[gryndlgoat]

Same purpose(s) as steers (neutered cattle). Eat them, train them to carts, use as lawnmowers. They are easier to handle without all the testosterone, and way less smelly.

That said, we sell our baby boys at auction, unwethered, as soon as they are weaned, and use the proceeds for winter hay. Have never wethered anyone.

[Backfourty,MI.]

They are also good in with a lone horse to keep them company. They get along good & the goat is cheaper than another horse.

[topside1]

Yummy @ 4-8 months old.

[HazyDay]

companion for our buck. And Eat them, thats what is happening to our wether when we get another buck

[MB]

AND they are cute!

[DocM]

My son trains pack goats, and gets as much for a good pack wether as most do for a registered dairy goat. Very popular with hikers and hunters (they'll pack meat without spooking, and their scent doesn't scare off game). I used to go backpacking and carry a 60-70 lb pack, don't have that kind of stamina anymore. We took 4 wethers into the backcountry last summer for 4 days, didn't carry any feed (they browsed their own chow) and all I carried was my camera. Much lower impact than horses/mules. Aside from that, there are people who want a backyard goat channel without the hassle of milking, or a companion, or a brush eater, although I refuse to market them for that purpose, too scary to think about some poor lone animal chained out in the brush with no attention and no supplemental feed. I don't eat goat, but many do.

[Sweet Goats]

I am lucky, my wethers are still useful, matter of fact better at times, then those bucks or horny does. they still produce beautiful cashmere fiber. The bucks fiber stinks, and the girls fiber get ruined (the back end and hips) during the kidding season, if we do not get it off before they kid. We comb our out and it comes off at its own pace. SO WE LOVE OUR WETHERS. They can be eaten, but not mine.

[MB]

I should say that the fellow pictured above also has a job and that is to EAT. As you can see he's quite good at it. Hubby has been amazed how fast they have cleared their scrubby acre.

[fcnubian]

My nubian x wether is a pet...

But my nubian buck kids that will be wethered will be sold as pets or for eating.

[Freeholder]

We eat surplus wethers -- goat meat is good. I also have one wether I kept for packing. I pack my buck, too, but when he's in rut he's too stinky to carry most of our stuff (only stuff that the smell isn't going to be a problem). And I pack the does, but because they are milking they get very light loads. So I wanted one wether to keep for packing, and I also plan to build a goat cart for him next year.

Kathleen

[mygoat]

To me, wethers should be either working or meat animals. Though there are some, MOST PET HOMES are ignorant of proper goat care. I would much rather sell them to a meat home than into one ignorant of proper care.

I just butchered two wethers I origionally planned to keep as cart/pack goats. In the future if I get a buckling that is large sized but not good enough to be a breeder, I think I will retain it, train it, and sell it as a trained cart/pack wether.

[HazyDay]

I trained our Boer X Saanen wether to pull small trees in our pasture after the does ate then and broke them. So he wore a heness and pulled them to a pile. Worked great till winter came and couldn't do it any more, so I diddn't work with him and now he will just sit down! So I said your lucky we don't eat goat yet!

[lgslgs]

Ours are landscape crew and part of the doe/wether herd social structure. The wethers generally take the lookout and guard roles in the herd as well.

Lynda

[HilltopDaisy]

Well, some of us keep them as pets. I have 5 Nigerian Dwarf wethers, cute little things, don't eat much, and I simply enjoy having them around.

[hollym]

I have a nigerian dwarf/mini nubian wether. He keeps my little lady company, they were born on the same place in the same season. He's hilarious, though, we just get at least one good laugh out of him every day. So for the small amount that he eats, he is cheaper than cable. Plus he's as friendly and loving as a dog, I'm really very very fond of both of them. He's just got the more outgoing goofy personality.

hollym

[susieM]

Because they taste better without testicles.