# Castrating an older buck



## Randi (Apr 22, 2011)

I have a 2005 buck who is a really sweet guy. I don't want to breed him anymore. I have someone who is interested in him but as a wether. Can an older buck be wethered without doing him any harm?


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## CrazyBear (Jul 22, 2011)

I know a vet can do it surgically on horses of any age. I would assume that your vet could do it safely. Don't think it could be done any other way, but I'm also pretty new to goats, so take it for what it is.


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## Randi (Apr 22, 2011)

I will definitely have the vet do it. He did a pygmy for a friend with no problems. But, well, umm......his manhood and all......will he be ok?


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I'm no vet...but I have banded older bucks. They act the same as if it was a kid getting banded. I made sure they were UTD with CD/T and they were checked on a daily basis...same care as if they were newly banded bucklings. A standard bander may be too small if your boy has a tight sac that you can't manipulate the testes one at a time thru the open band, a larger bander can be purchased thru Jeffers but the cost would likely be as much as having a vet do it.

I banded my 2 year old Teddy...he's now a wether with an attitude though.
My mom had a 4 year old and a 1 year old that I helped band. No problems.

Teddy lost the "Bucky Hair and beard" 3 months after his goods dried up. He still will act bucky when a doe is in heat and he still competes with the 2 bucks when they go into rut and he can still extend as well as have the bucky habit of making his face wet.


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

I have banded a 1 yr old no problems with a regular size bander. Some boys I am sure you may need a cattle bander.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

I banded two 3 year old Saanen buck with a calicrate bander. Worked great and the one I have left now is a big mellow sweet 7 year old boy. We did cut the testicals off below the band about a week after we put the band on to help prevent infection from such a large sack putrifying (read both handsful).
I think it's much less tramatic than surgical castration in the long run.
A netherland dwarf may not even need a calicrate set up. As long as you can line up the testes and stuff them one at a time through the band it will work. Once the testes start shrinking and are cold you can cut them off (about 5 days).


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## Randi (Apr 22, 2011)

Will it change his personality? He is such a sweet gentle guy.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

If he's sweet now he'll stay sweet. :wink: With my Teddy, he was always sweet with me, but he is a goat that thinks everything belongs to him and doesn't like to share anything...food, girls, shelter...me!



> A netherland dwarf may not even need a calicrate set up


Goathiker... I'm thinking that you mean NIGERIAN DWARF :whatgoat: Cause I would imagine that poor little Netherland Dwarf would have a very difficult time hopping around if he had what an adult Nigerian buck has. :wink:


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## Randi (Apr 22, 2011)

> Cause I would imagine that poor little Netherland Dwarf would have a very difficult time hopping around if he had what an adult Nigerian buck has. :wink:


 :ROFL:


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

:shrug: :ROFL: :GAAH:


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## GoldCityGoats (Jun 18, 2011)

Goathiker, good to know about your Saanen bucks!! I have a 4 year old sterile Boer that would make a better pet as a wether than a boy who thinks he has it all together as a buck. He is the nicest buck to be around, but he smells like a buck so no one wants to be around him (or me after I've been out with him). I have been toying with the idea of teaching him to pull a cart if I don't find just the right home for him so wethering would be a must!! His temperament is well suited for working since he is a very steady minded guy.

As for the Netherland Dwarf anchored to the ground...now I can't get that image out of my head!! :ROFL:  :ROFL: :slapfloor: Thanks guys!!


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## Randi (Apr 22, 2011)

So I made an appointment to have him done surgically. He is too big to band. 

I'm glad it won't change his personality. :applaud:


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Just don't let him lay around and be in pain when you get him home. Make sure he gets up and moves around everyday. If he just lays it will make the swelling and pain worse and he won't recover as quickly. It's alot like castrating a horse where they often tell you to lunge him daily to keep swelling down and the wound draining properly if they won't exercise themselves. I think my boys were very happy to be done with peeing on themselves. In alot of ways they are milder than my early banded wethers who have never been bucks. They do know what it's all about and they're not interested.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

All in good fun goathiker! :hug: It did make for a humorous mental image though :angel2: 


Randi...as with any wound, you want to keep the area clean and have good airflow, because it's in an area where keeping it totally clean would be impossible, due to the fact that goats like to lay in yards and bedding, you will want to keep him up and moving as often as possibble as goathiker said, it will help with scabbing and that scabbing is a natural, breathable bandage, watch for sign of infection and please be sure he's UTD with CD/T for the tetanus aspect. I'm considering having my 7 year old buck done in the fall by my vet...he's too old to try and rehome and well...I'm more than attached to him and 2 of the 5 does I have are his daughters and 1 of the 5 is retired, the other 2 are my reg. nd does so he's not gonna be getting any any time soon :wink:


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Oh Lisa, didn't mean to pass over your post. You're in a good place to do an older buck. If you get a hold of Shasta Packgoat Club, they should be able to direct you to the best vets and possibly even a vet who does Calicrate. I'll see if I can find their contact information for you.


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## CrazyBear (Jul 22, 2011)

Yea, gotta keep him up and moving if its anything like horses. When we gelded our pony he was very unhappy that first day, and he was a gory mess for nearly a week afterwords, but kept him moving around as much as possible. He was fine in a few days, still draining a bit for a week, but didn't seem to bother him anymore, it just bothered us ALOT....


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## Randi (Apr 22, 2011)

Well, I guess I will be playing Monty Roberts with a goat!! :ROFL:


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## GoldCityGoats (Jun 18, 2011)

goathiker said:


> Oh Lisa, didn't mean to pass over your post. You're in a good place to do an older buck. If you get a hold of Shasta Packgoat Club, they should be able to direct you to the best vets and possibly even a vet who does Calicrate. I'll see if I can find their contact information for you.


Thanks Goathiker!! I feel like we're in a complete vet-free black hole down here. Shasta is a couple/three hours to the North of us, but that would work for a planned procedure like a castration. I am not familiar with the Calicrate and I am always looking to learn as much as I can... It's a little silly that I am as attached to this (slightly useless and typically stinky) guy, but it is what it is so I have to at least research his possibilities. LOL!! If he only knew that we were talking about him  Thanks again for looking up contact info. I'll let you know if I find it before you have a chance to do so...


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Here's a few goat related contacts...
http://www.northerncaliforniameatgoatassociation.com/
http://www.nvdga.org/
http://shastapackgoats.webs.com/
http://www.buttheadpackgoats.com/
Can't hurt to contact to ask about veterinarians


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## judymayes (Aug 10, 2016)

*castrating older buck*

if there older i know they will suffer and continuing suffering if banded and i dont want to cause them undo pain ,will talk to the vet.


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