# Surgical castration age



## tatumhills (Feb 8, 2014)

What's the best age to surgically have a buck kid castrated if he is running with mum?

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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

Generally, a buck kid should be castrated by 2-3 months old if he is 
running with his mom. The longer you wait, the less chance of 
urinary calculi later on. (but if the kid is just going to freezer camp, he won't 
have a chance to develop the calculi, so earlier castration is ok, too.). 

I just band all my buck kids at 3 months and
it works out well. Others use different castration techniques.


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

Goats Rock said:


> (but if the kid is just going to freezer camp, he won't
> have a chance to develop the calculi, so earlier castration is ok, too.).
> /QUOTE]
> 
> ...


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## tatumhills (Feb 8, 2014)

Thank you. He is definitely NOT for the freezer. 2-3 months it is then 

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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

Be sure to give a tetanus antitoxin shot before hand...its cheap insurance...: ) 

best wishes


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## top_goat (Sep 16, 2014)

happybleats said:


> Be sure to give a tetanus antitoxin shot before hand...its cheap insurance...: )
> 
> best wishes


would that be tetanus alone or CDT? Thanks!


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

kcjcer- sorry, I didn't realize they could get calculi real young- we only have 3 adult pet wethers and they 
are only fed hay- never had to deal with calculi. I sure didn't mean to mis-speak. My mistake!


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Tetanus antitoxin would be by itself. Not the same thing as CDT. That is a toxoid.


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

I wait 12 weeks to band...even for meat goats.


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## Dayna (Aug 16, 2012)

I prefer to wait until the goat is half grown. It makes it harder as I have to separate them from the does at 3 months or so, when the penis fully extends and comes out is when they can impregnate a female as far as I understand it. I try to wait until 6 months or so.


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

Goats Rock said:


> kcjcer- sorry, I didn't realize they could get calculi real young- we only have 3 adult pet wethers and they
> are only fed hay- never had to deal with calculi. I sure didn't mean to mis-speak. My mistake!


No problem. I wouldn't have thought anything of it either until I had a friend that has lost a couple before they got to the 4h show. And I've had a couple others tell me they've lost them earlier than market from it. These would have been 6 to 8 months old at the time they got UC and died from it.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Someone on here a couple years ago, had one that was born with stones and died from them at about 12 weeks old. That was an extreme and rare case but, it did happen.


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

goathiker said:


> Someone on here a couple years ago, had one that was born with stones and died from them at about 12 weeks old. That was an extreme and rare case but, it did happen.


I wonder what would have caused THAT to happen? That would not have been fun to try and diagnose or treat!


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## tatumhills (Feb 8, 2014)

How DO you diagnose stones? What am I looking for?

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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

A male can't pee a good steady stream when they have stones.


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