making a buck a wether

[Painted Owl]

what is the best age and method for this? I'd like some feedback from different experiences and wonder how long I have to make this decision. Baby bucks are four days old right now. Thanks everyone! You have all been so helpful and supportive these last few days!

[Alice In TX/MO]

Band them at eight weeks.

YouTube

[praieri winds]

we band at 3 to 4 days old if u wait too long they are too big for the bands and young like that the turn around is quicker

[Alice In TX/MO]

People will argue (not me) that the urethra needs to grow to reduce the likelihood of urinary calculi.

If you are raising them for meat, that's not an issue.

[bluefish]

The urethra does grow til puberty, it does in all male mammals. If they are for meat, doesn't matter. If you want them long term, castrating later does help, but learning how to feed them is more important. You have to have a 1:1 cal/phos ratio.

I do the 'slice and dice' method and have done it on boys from a few days old up to 6 months. All have survived the ordeal just fine, but it's way easier when they are little. The younger the better for that aspect of it.

All the methods work pretty good with practice. You just pick one you like and/or have the equipment for.

[Clovers_Clan]

I burdizzo, can be done any age. A couple weeks old is easiest on them but it can be done at several months if UC is a concern. I like that it is over quickly and no risk of infection. Down side is it takes up to 4-5 weeks until they are safely infertile, so if you are doing older bucklings, bear in mind.

[tenpens]

I have to do this soon. Our little buckling thinks he can "play" already at five weeks. Sigh.

[mygoat]

I band. I've done it at a few days old to several weeks old. Wether or not the urethra grows doesn't much matter to me, as statistically, just as many intact bucks get UC than do wethers. It's a feed/management thing more so than anything else.

I have seen slice and dicing go wrong, interestingly only when done by vets though. I've never seen it done in person and I'm not just going to start mutilating an animal until I'm confident I can do it quickly and easily. I also have no help holding, so restraint for the procedure isn't available for practice, either.

I don't like burdizzo because you often don't know if you crunched the necessary bits until they're pregnant. :P I like banding because if I can count to two confidently, I can be sure they're castrated NOW, not wait for the testes to shrivel up.

[ne prairiemama]

Alice thank you for the video and it cracked me up when she said just the n@rds LOL! (Yes I'm immature tonight :P )

[bluefish]

Originally Posted by mygoat

I have seen slice and dicing go wrong, interestingly only when done by vets though. I've never seen it done in person and I'm not just going to start mutilating an animal until I'm confident I can do it quickly and easily. I also have no help holding, so restraint for the procedure isn't available for practice, either.

This is where it definitely helps to have the bucklings being tiny. I've had to do it many times by myself and they hog tie very easily when less than a month old, preferably in the first week, though.

It's also much worse to contemplate than to actually do. They usually scream, but not as bad as at disbudding. Lambs are the best thing to start on. They just sit there and grunt at you.

I do this method simply because I have a sharp knife and/or scalpel available at all times. I don't have a bander or the other tools. Like I said before, I don't think there is a better way than any other. With every single method, there will be mess ups.

[Painted Owl]

Thank you, guys! Looks like I have a few options to consider

[CJBegins]

I definitely prefer banding but I did just cut one this year. I waited too long and his parts wouldn't fit in a green band.

I have castrated many piglets, of coarse goats are a little different. I would have preferred he not bleed quite so much. He has healed well now.

[Painted Owl]

I am thinking I may try to put it off as long as possible. Another member mentioned they make great pack animals, but should be castrated later. I am going to check all that out right away! Training them to pack and selling them with that skill, or keeping them myself, would be awesome!!

[GoatGirl123]

It depends for us; four weeks is a good time as long as the kids are growing pretty well. If they're really mellow and have never tried to mount (like one of our bucklings) you can wait until eight weeks. If they're pretty small, wait until at least six weeks.

[bluefish]

Originally Posted by Painted Owl

I am thinking I may try to put it off as long as possible. Another member mentioned they make great pack animals, but should be castrated later. I am going to check all that out right away! Training them to pack and selling them with that skill, or keeping them myself, would be awesome!!

That's how I got into goats in the first place. There's quite a few goat packers in the PNW. Look up NAPGA.

[Backfourty,MI.]

I usually band between 5-7 weeks of age but had 2 yesterday that a friend help castrate/cut (my first time).
A shot of Banamine before hand & really with in a few hours they didn't even act like anything was done to them at all.
Will continue with the screw worm spray for a few days but I think it was much easier on them than banding.

[Alice In TX/MO]

If you "wait as long as possible" the cojones won't fit through the band.

[Fetherhd]

Originally Posted by thermopkt

This is where it definitely helps to have the bucklings being tiny. I've had to do it many times by myself and they hog tie very easily when less than a month old, preferably in the first week, though.

It's also much worse to contemplate than to actually do. They usually scream, but not as bad as at disbudding. Lambs are the best thing to start on. They just sit there and grunt at you.

I do this method simply because I have a sharp knife and/or scalpel available at all times. I don't have a bander or the other tools. Like I said before, I don't think there is a better way than any other. With every single method, there will be mess ups.

My husband is a Basque. Sooo...since he herded sheep as a young man...I asked him if he would show me how to castrate when we get our first baby bucks. He said sure....then he smiled at me and told me they used to hold the buck, cut...and pull the testicles out with their teeth.......... I will band!!!

[bluefish]

Originally Posted by Fetherhd

My husband is a Basque. Sooo...since he herded sheep as a young man...I asked him if he would show me how to castrate when we get our first baby bucks. He said sure....then he smiled at me and told me they used to hold the buck, cut...and pull the testicles out with their teeth.......... I will band!!!

Yeah, I've seen that. I'd rather not, but I can see how it does make the process easier. Those are slippery little buggers and you don't want them to slip back up inside, then you have to go fishing for them.




For the record, I do not use my teeth.

[Squeaky McMurdo]

Originally Posted by Painted Owl

I am thinking I may try to put it off as long as possible. Another member mentioned they make great pack animals, but should be castrated later. I am going to check all that out right away! Training them to pack and selling them with that skill, or keeping them myself, would be awesome!!

If you wait, you'll need to cut or use a burdizzo. There are quite a few packers in WA so you could probably find someone with one or that could cut for you. Banding isn't the end of the world for a pack goat, but the thinking is that a buck will develope more musclulature than a wether and some are concerned about a small uretha making their hefty investment prone to UC.