Wether at a year or waste of time?

[Ally]

My plan is to pick up a couple of goats to help clear brush, then slaughter in the late fall.
I am leaning towards picking up some dairy breeds due to initial cost (I might not like having goats so the $300 on two Boers would be hard to swallow).
I have found a set of yearling brothers for a great price, but they are bucklings. So here's my question:

Is the meat already going to be funky? If it isn't, would wethering them now be a good idea or a waste of $40 since they will be slaughtered in about 4 months?

[Cyngbaeld]

I'd wether them now. Meat should be ok in 4 months.

[Clovers_Clan]

Any other time of year I'd say don't bother. But September/October is rut, so even if they are no where near any females stink and behavior could be an issue.

[Ford Zoo]

Originally Posted by Ally

... a waste of $40 since they will be slaughtered in about 4 months?

Can they be banded at this age?

Is that $40 the vet fee? Would be cheaper to buy a bander or better yet borrow one, and band them yourself. Unless their testes are too big to fit thru a bander now.

I've heard varying opinions on buck meat when in rut. We shoot deer at the peak of rut and don't notice a difference in the meat unless they are old bucks then the meat is tougher, but so are the older does.

[Ally]

I'm not sure, first time getting goats. The vet teaches for us and will wether both boys for me for $40, since I've never banded I'm hesitant to try on my first dry run lol

[Ford Zoo]

Originally Posted by Ally

I'm not sure, first time getting goats. The vet teaches for us and will wether both boys for me for $40, since I've never banded I'm hesitant to try on my first dry run lol

I can understand. The first animals I needed banding were a couple of bull calves. I had never seen it done before either and paid the vet to come out to do it. After watching her I said "I could have done that myself!" She laughed with me on that one.