# do wether get to be the same size as intact bucks?



## mimzidoat (Jan 26, 2013)

bucks get pretty big. Will wethers be as big if they're the same breed?


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

Probably not. Bucks have the advantage of testosterone which not only contributes to their growth, but also promotes greater muscling. Wethers lose that when they are castrated.


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## Catahoula (Feb 12, 2013)

In general, wether do not grow as big as bucks of same breed. You may delay wethering you goat to give him a chance to grow bigger.


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## mimzidoat (Jan 26, 2013)

Isn't castrating more dangerous or risky when older though?


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

I find that my wethers are just as large or larger then intact bucks. They do take longer to get there but, they do. I think that the main reason some wethers don't grow to their potential is because people don't feed them to support that growth. 
Wethers do not have the stress of rut to take their calories away like bucks. Everything that they take in is used for growing and gaining. Mine quit having spring growth spurts at about 3 years but, continue to grow slowly until about 6 years of age.
The gonads are not the only part of the body that produce testosterone, even does need testosterone to function correctly. While bucks do grow more quickly in the beginning, the wethers always catch up or exceed the bucks size in the end.


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## Bambi (Jun 10, 2012)

I haven't seen the wethers get as big as the bucks. We have had Nubians for years and the bucks grew to 300 - 400lbs. Where as the wethers only grew to 250 lbs. You have to be careful with feeding wethers and not get them too fat. If they get too fat they have joint problems.


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## Catahoula (Feb 12, 2013)

mimzidoat said:


> Isn't castrating more dangerous or risky when older though?


You may need surgical castration. Many wethers use as pack goats are not wethered till 5-6 months old. Some people for whatever their reasons, castrate bucks too.

Perhaps genetic plays a big part of how big the wether can get too?


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## OakHollowRanch (Jun 6, 2013)

We castrated our Nubian wether at three months. He is now 165 pounds (according to the weight tape) at just a year and a half.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Intact makes, get much bigger then whethers, it is the testosterone that gives that boost.

There is more risk castrating later when they are mature, I recommend a knowledgeable goat vet do the procedure.

I use the banding procedure at 3 months old for my boers.


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

mimzidoat said:


> Isn't castrating more dangerous or risky when older though?


I think it depends on what method you use. Knife castrating carries a higher risk for bleeding out the older the animal is, but any age can be banded using a Callicrate bander.


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

You can castrate at any time in their life with no more danger then when they are young. As for size, with the pack goats vs breeding bucks, the difference is in mass. Breeding bucks put on more muscle and substance of bone. Wethers on the other hand grow taller. During the rut bucks will also amass extra girth in the neck much the same way deer and elk do. Its in preparation for the fights to come.


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## lottsagoats (Dec 10, 2012)

The wethers I have seen or had are usually taller and fatter than the bucks. The bucks are more muscular and have heavier bone structure.


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