# 2/11/08 different ways to castrate your boys



## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

Not all those handsome little fellows get the opportunity to grow up and be stinky strutting bucks. 

Please note what breed of goat you have and provide some information on the procedure if you can. 

At what time do you castrate, and why? 

Just some questions to get you started.


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## goathappy (Oct 5, 2007)

We raise Boers, LaManchas and have a few Saanen, Oberhasli and Grade kids every year. If a buck isn't pre reserved before he is born, or within 2 months after he is born, he's castrated and used for meat.

We castrate at 6-8 weeks old using the Burdizzo method. By castrating at that age, everything is well developed and there is less chance of mistakes.

We use the Burdizzo method because we feel it is the most humane, there is no chance of infection, and it hurts them for about 10 minutes and then they are fine.

To help with the pain though, half an hour before castrating they get a dose of Aconitum for fear(and it helps calm them) and they get 3 doses of Arnica before, during(after one crush) and after castrating.


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## goatnutty (Oct 9, 2007)

Well we use the banding method at approximatley six weeks.It takes on average 3-4 weeks but can take longer.If you take them to the vet it's $5(here).Or it's farely easy to do on your own as well.Hope that helps if you all had questions.*Sara*


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## sparks879 (Oct 17, 2007)

i have alpines, have always used the banding method. I know there is a risk of infection. Have never had a problem though. I keep very up to date on cdt i think that helps. i check all bands every day to make sure there is nothing wrong. It only takes a second. most of boys totally ignore it. i try to band between four and six weeks if i know im going to do it. I only have a couple of does who are worth keeping a buck kid out of.
beth


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## redneck_acres (Oct 18, 2007)

We castrate them no later than 3 months-by putting a rubber band on them. We've had no problems of infection.


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

Well, We have the Cashmere. I do the banding and always have. I guess I do it because it is the only way I have ever seen it done. 

I have thought about the Burdizzo method because of reading all the different information on here, but I do not have a Burdizzo to use, and boy are those things expensive, plus, I am not sure what they would say in a show ring if the boy still has a sac, even if it is empty. All the people in our show area either band or cut.

I do band my boys at about 8-10 week old. I hold off that time so they have time to develop their Urethra to help prevent UC. Does it really help to hold of that long? I have no idea because that is what I have always done. 

If I had someone to show me how to just cut them, I think I would rather do it that way. I do give Anica Montana about three days before and a few days after I band them.


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## sparks879 (Oct 17, 2007)

what about whethers in the show ring? We have whether classes at our local fair, we had a judge freak out one time because a whethers parts had not fallen off yet after being banded. He had been banded for three or so weeks but the judge kept saying how he was stilla buck because he still had the parts. there was no convincing this judge. The judge was an adga judge i was really mad. The poor little girl was in tears it was her first year showing and this was the only goat she had registered under her name. I ended up scratching one of my doe kids for her to show because i felt so bad for her. With the burdizzo doesn;t it look like a normal non castrated buck kid when they are still young? How can a judge tell the difference do they just have to make a guess at the owner is telling the truth or not?

beth


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## KikoFaerie (Jan 21, 2008)

*Castrating*

Guess I'm in the minority. I have Kikos and a few Boer crosses. I take them to my vet and he does it surgically. Only charges me $2.50 and for that it's over in 2 seconds. My vet is very empathetic to them and they get lots of lidocane to numb them. Haven't had a problem to date. (knocking on my woody head)


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## alyssa_romine (Oct 5, 2007)

I castrate by banding at about 9 weeks. I do it to all my meat goats....myotonics, boers, kikos, and any other meat goat that needs banded


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## alyssa_romine (Oct 5, 2007)

as for the manhood not falling off, take sterile sharp scissors and cut it after it has lost feeling....cut it below the band....mine took a while to fall of and it became very hard.


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## fcnubian (Oct 23, 2007)

My pygmy and nubian boys get banded at 6 weeks old.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

I also use the banding method. Works for my situation, though I wish I could get it surgically done as that method to me would be best. But until I grow an arm that produces money I will stick to what I can personally do.

Usually my brother holds the little fellow and I crouch below and fanagle the tool in place with the band. 

Most of the time you can do it as early as 1 week old but I had a buckling who didn't drop one of his testicals until he was over 7 weeks old! I was starting to wonder if I was going to have to keep him longer if he didnt drop. But finally he did and I banded him around 8 or 9 weeks.

I also had a buckling that at 6 weeks was to big for the band, so you have to watch. I have on my website that I band at 2 months, but if I have to I will band earlier to ensure I don't have a buckling running around that I can't sell.

ok just rambling on here now.........


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## QualityCaprine (Nov 24, 2007)

*Re:*



sparks879 said:


> what about whethers in the show ring? We have whether classes at our local fair, we had a judge freak out one time because a whethers parts had not fallen off yet after being banded. He had been banded for three or so weeks beth


How old was the buck? Around here, the fairs are in the fall and the goats have to be born before June. How in the world was the little girl even able to band a kid so large?


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## doneroamingacres (Jan 29, 2008)

We use the banding method, it seems to be cheapest.


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## prairiewolf (Oct 17, 2007)

For those of you that use the burdizzo method, how long does it usually take to tell if it was effective? Thanks!


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## lesserweevil (Oct 5, 2007)

I've got to say that I find the banding method cruel unless done soon after birth. I castrate using the burdizzo - Tristan was 3 months old when he was castrated that way, and his parts were about the size of my fist. I couldnt even have gotten a band on even if I had wanted to - which I wouldn't have. I cant imagine putting a band on any part of my body and waiting for it to fall off. The burdizzo method is more like vasectomy if that makes sense. Trissy still has his parts but he's given up the whole mounting everything on 4 legs and doing other manly exercises...


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## farmgirl (Jan 5, 2009)

Just looking for some suggestions/advise. We have a buck who is about 4 years old now, we got him when he was several months old already and we have not had him casterated. Why our friends who have milking goats and keep three bucks never have problems is beyond me, especially since one of the bucks is huge, because our buck is... Words can not describe that creature, more than once he has been threatened about being put into the soup pot, not that that helpped any - watching a crazy girl standing with her hands on her hips yelling at him... And I know that bucks stink, but he is worse than any other buck I have ever seen, even sunlight soap and bleach doesn't remove the smell if you pet him, and that takes out even pig smell! the only thing that even mildly masked the smell was when we put mint cream on his leg after he hurt it causing problems. Our other goats/sheep we always had banded when they were a few weeks old and quite young, but I cannot even imagine that working at this stage. The only option we can think of is fairly extensive surgery and I know that that can be a bit dangerous and very pricy, which we cannot afford. I know that I'm kindof just grasping for hope here, but does anyone have any advise or possibly know if there is something else that we could do? we have him penned and even then we have to chain him to the milkhouse, which he manages to keep escaping from and that chain is a heavy duty commersial one! We want him to be able to be loose in his pasture and would like to actually be able to pet him without being bruised and gored - the stupid creature actually tied me up with his chain once, puched me against the wall and continuously kept butting me!!!!! Any help in this matter would be a tremendous releif!


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## capriola-nd (Jul 6, 2008)

I have heard that the burdizzo method can be done to a male goat of any age. Never used it before, so I'm not sure. But it is what I have heard. 

If you look for a quote somewhere on surgically castrating him, it may be cheaper than you think. We had a 4 month old buckling (I know, big age difference but. . . .) it cost us $50. It is actually a fairly easy surgery, just the anesthesia is something to worry about.


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## leslie0815 (Dec 4, 2007)

Hey again, I am getting ready to band a couple of boys. What shots or meds do I need to give them ? With looking at the procedure it seems pretty easy with some help. I am just not sure about meds.
Thanks Leslie


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

you can give the CD/T shot.


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