# Quick Banding Question



## LSRR (Aug 28, 2017)

Hi there, new to the forum and new to owning my own herd of goats. I've had 2-4 before, but never 14!

That being said, I've recently banded 4 bucklings. Never have done it in warmer weather before, but there's a first for everything. Their testicles have 'died' , but have not dried up. Instead, they are beginning to decompose without drying up and smell HORRIBLE. I'm worried about their health (as well as the 2 wethers and 8 does with them), and I would much rather not have little deadly stink bombs hopping around the place. None of them have any infections or open wounds, banding was done about a week ago, they all received CDT shots well before banding and Tetanus Antitoxin day of, and are all closer to 5 months of age. Is this smell normal for hot weather banding, is there anything I need to do for them, and is there anything that I can do to get rid of the smell?


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Can you post a pic? It shouldn't smell horrible. You could spray BluKote, cut below the band or take him to vet.


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## LSRR (Aug 28, 2017)

They look normal, perhaps slightly deflated. When you say cut below the band are you meaning remove the scrotum and contents? I just like to be 100% clear


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

I've never done it. Hopefully someone can be more specific for you.
But if you can cut a little below the band everything should go in one fell swoop. No need to empty the sac.


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## LSRR (Aug 28, 2017)

Sorry if I seem dense, but you're saying to just cut everything below the band off, correct?


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I never smelled odor from it, every time I have done it. So that is not good. 
Maybe fly strike. 
Are they acting OK, any redness, swelling, heat?

Sometimes just pulling lightly the whole thing comes off, then clean it up well and check for maggots. You will have to use a product that kills maggots, if that is the case.

Get a vet to look at it.

I have never cut off the dried sack under the band. Normally it shrivels and dries, then falls off. No odor. I'd be careful of live tissue there. How long has it been?


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## LSRR (Aug 28, 2017)

toth boer goats said:


> I never smelled odor from it, every time I have done it. So that is not good.
> Maybe fly strike.
> Are they acting OK, any redness, swelling, heat?
> 
> ...


It's been a week. They act fine, no redness or swelling at all, tissue directly under the band is stiff and very clearly not live, and the tissue farther down isn't stiff yet but is cold (comparatively) to the touch indicating no circulation. There are no wounds, no maggots, nothing but a decomp smell. None of them have any indications of infection around the banding site or fevers. Activity and appetite are normal.


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## Kayla T (Jul 12, 2017)

A week since you banded them? I believe it can take closer to 8 weeks for them to fall off. Ours is still hanging onto his about 6 weeks in, cold and shriveled but they are not ready to let go yet LOL


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Oh if it's been only a week everything should be fine. And yes it can take at least 8 weeks & many times longer. Should yu ever feel heat or see swelling pray em with BluKote.


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## LSRR (Aug 28, 2017)

Kayla T said:


> A week since you banded them? I believe it can take closer to 8 weeks for them to fall off. Ours is still hanging onto his about 6 weeks in, cold and shriveled but they are not ready to let go yet LOL


I'm aware of the time it normally takes for them to come off, that is not what is in question. My concern is the odor of death and decay coming from the banded testicles. Personally, I don't think having a sack of decaying tissue attached to my goats is a healthy thing, and I've never had that happen to any of the boys I have banded. This time around it has happened to ALL 4. Not just one, but all 4 that I banded a week ago. Something isn't right and that's what I'm calling in to question, not the fact that the balls haven't fallen off yet. They're not supposed to yet, I know that.


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

That is really interesting, haven't encountered anything like it before. Are their temps normal?


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## LSRR (Aug 28, 2017)

Temps are normal, all vitals are. No abnormal behaviors, still hungry, bouncy goats.


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

I would probably just spray with iodine and wait and see, so long as they're acting normal.


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## LSRR (Aug 28, 2017)

Would the iodine actually do anything? There are no injuries, abrasions, lacerations, wounds etc. on any of them. No broken skin. Not even raw skin. With all the circulation cut off from the tissue below the band none of the effects iodine would normally have would work... I feel like that wouldn't do anything...


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## Kayla T (Jul 12, 2017)

LSRR said:


> I'm aware of the time it normally takes for them to come off, that is not what is in question. My concern is the odor of death and decay coming from the banded testicles. Personally, I don't think having a sack of decaying tissue attached to my goats is a healthy thing, and I've never had that happen to any of the boys I have banded. This time around it has happened to ALL 4. Not just one, but all 4 that I banded a week ago. Something isn't right and that's what I'm calling in to question, not the fact that the balls haven't fallen off yet. They're not supposed to yet, I know that.


I apologize, I misread in one of your lower comments, read it as NO DECOMP SMELL, instead of "NOTHING BUT A DECOMP SMELL", That threw the whole thread off for me.


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

LSRR said:


> Would the iodine actually do anything? There are no injuries, abrasions, lacerations, wounds etc. on any of them. No broken skin. Not even raw skin. With all the circulation cut off from the tissue below the band none of the effects iodine would normally have would work... I feel like that wouldn't do anything...


Well, maybe not. I guess I generally put iodine on when the testes are almost falling off and some rawness is showing.


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## LSRR (Aug 28, 2017)

Suzanne_Tyler said:


> Well, maybe not. I guess I generally put iodine on when the testes are almost falling off and some rawness is showing.


Yeah, I get that, keeping the area clean, but these are nowhere near that stage. The only thing they're near is gagging a maggot... holy goat balls they stink.

The only thing that is different from all of my previous bandings is the temperature outside. Every other time it wasn't hot or humid. Usually winter, early spring, or late fall. I've never done this in the summer and the faster rate of decomposition due to relative heat/humidity is the only thing I can think of that would have made this happen. I called my vet this evening and the techs said they would relay the message and get back to me... guess what didn't happen...

Anywho, at this point I'd like to figure out how to get rid of their stink sacks... hang nifty air fresheners from the band, saran wrap the balls, remove everything below the band, ziplock freezer bags, febreeze the balls, other serious (and maybe not-so-serious) suggestions welcome...


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## mogs (Aug 30, 2017)

Below are the Goat breeds that we have for sales.

Boer goat
Anglo Nubian Goat
Sable Saanen Goats
Zalawadi Goats
Toggenburg
Nigerian Dwarf Goat
Pygmy Goat
Kiko Goat
Spanish Goat
Beetal Goats
Barbari Goats
contact me email for pics if interested : [email protected]


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## LSRR (Aug 28, 2017)

mogs said:


> Below are the Goat breeds that we have for sales.
> 
> Boer goat
> Anglo Nubian Goat
> ...


Not interested in buying any goats, please don't hijack my thread.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

mogs said:


> Below are the Goat breeds that we have for sales.
> 
> Boer goat
> Anglo Nubian Goat
> ...


Please create your own thread in the goats for sale section.
it is not fair to the OP to have someone advertise goat sales an inappropriate thread, which is in the wrong category.
This is a friendly warning.









Here is how to post a thread:
Go to forums, click on link, scroll down to goats for sale
https://www.thegoatspot.net/forums/
Then it takes you to:
https://www.thegoatspot.net/forums/goats-for-sale.189/
Click on "Post new thread". This takes you to where you write a title and below is where you write your post about the goats.After finished click below on "Create thread". If you want to add pics, go to upload a file.

By the way welcome.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I suggest to tie up each buck and go over them with a fine tooth comb, feeling them all over, searching for wounds/smells. The foul odor has to be coming from some where, if it isn't coming from the band area's. 
A foul odor says infection coming from somewhere. Have you checked them from head to toe?


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## LSRR (Aug 28, 2017)

toth boer goats said:


> I suggest to tie up each buck and go over them with a fine tooth comb, feeling them all over, searching for wounds/smells. The foul odor has to be coming from some where, if it isn't coming from the band area's.
> A foul odor says infection coming from somewhere. Have you checked them from head to toe?


There is no doubt that the smell is from the testicles. I am 100% sure of that. There's just no open wounds anywhere. They have been checked extremely well, the only thing found were long hooves which I very promptly took care of. They're healthy other than the swinging stink sacks.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Very strange.


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## LSRR (Aug 28, 2017)

My thoughts exactly...

I guess at this point, would it be safe to remove everything below the band? The tissue is already dead... that's where the smell is coming from, so could we eliminate the source that way?


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

It usually takes about a month for all to die off. 
If it hasn't been long, it may have some live tissue in the middle area there, that could cause a lot of bleeding if cut off. Not sure what to say about it, without seeing the goats. 
The best thing is, to have a vet look at them and maybe snip it off if they feel it is safe to do so.


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## LSRR (Aug 28, 2017)

Ok, thank you. I did speak with my vet (finally) and she said that if the tissue at the base of the band was hard and that stiffness extended down that it was safe to cut it off. If it was just stiff at the base and could still move freely then wait to cut it off. I ended up removing everything below the bands last night and everyone is doing well (and smelling better) this morning. She also said that because of their age, the season, and the fact that their testicles were rather large at this point, they were starting to decay before drying up much.


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## Redbarngoatfarm (Jul 8, 2015)

I'm not getting where the smell is from if there is no open wound or obvious infection, and it's only been a week. May be they rubbed against or layed on a dead carcas/animal? The flesh should not rot, just dry up.


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## Redbarngoatfarm (Jul 8, 2015)

I think the other thing that concerns me is that you are 100%certain it's the balls - that means you really got in there to check :haha: . Just please don't tell your non-goat friends!

Glad you had the vet out to be sure.


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## LSRR (Aug 28, 2017)

Redbarngoatfarm said:


> I think the other thing that concerns me is that you are 100%certain it's the balls - that means you really got in there to check :haha: . Just please don't tell your non-goat friends!
> 
> Glad you had the vet out to be sure.


I'm not afraid of smells! I really did get in there to be sure lol, no effort is too great for my animals!


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