# Age to band bucklings



## countrymom

What age do you band your bucks? I know if you do it to early before the ureatha is developed they have more problems with stones. I just want to do it right I've never done it before.


----------



## Itchysmom

I do not really know, but the lady I am getting my buckling from is going to do him when his testes drop. She is thinking around two weeks of age. Is this too early?


----------



## Shelly Borg

A good goat vet will tell you between 4 to 6 months. The later the better. A packer whoi raises boys for long happy worlking lives say between 6 to 9 months. UC Davis says 4 to 9. So I say at least 4 or as long as you can stand them .


----------



## crocee

Itchysmom said:


> I do not really know, but the lady I am getting my buckling from is going to do him when his testes drop. She is thinking around two weeks of age. Is this too early?


Bucklings are normally born with both testes already in the sac. Those that don't may be cryptiod and a vet will have to do the castration surgically.


----------



## sweetgoats

[quote Bucklings are normally born with both testes already in the sac. Those that don't may be cryptiod and a vet will have to do the castration surgically.[/quote]

That is true to a point, they are in the sac but they sometimes have to DROP, they are not always in the sac as they are born.

I band my boys about three months. If I waited for 6 months I would have the vet do it, to me they are to big and that would be just to painful. I do know people that wait until they are a year and then band them but I could never do that.

I did band a boy at 9 weeks this year because he was sold as a wether and he was let say very very well developed, it killed me to band him, but he went to some adorable girls that love him to death.


----------



## toth boer goats

I band my boers.. at 3 months old.... if I wait longer.... I can't use the band , they will get to big ..... :shocked: also ...if I band them to young and find Oh no :doh: .....I shouldn't of banded him... it makes me feel a little better to know... he still has his jewels and if I decide... a buckling needs to be banded ...then I do so 3mo... the vet is to expensive... if I wait to long ......so I rather do it myself.... :wink: :greengrin:


----------



## countrymom

Thank you so much for all the advice. I will take it all into consideration.


----------



## liz

My bucklings are wethered as pets, weaned at 7-8 weeks old and banded at 6-7 weeks, never had any reports of UC from those who keep in contact with me. Also, the majority of my kids leave at 8 weeks old...banding them ensures they are wethered and stay in their pet home as opposed to selling bucklings to be wethered by the vet the owner chooses.


----------



## RPC

I banded my boys at 7 weeks this year because they were almost getting too big to get the band around.


----------



## Itchysmom

I am glad I found this post as the owner of the doe I am getting wants band her buckling in a few weeks. He is 11 days old today. Should I tell her to wait?

Also, at waht age is a buckling viable to breed? I will be keeping them together for awhile and I certainly do not want babies from him and her!


----------



## liz

Mini bucklings such as nigies and pygmies can be fertile as early as 7 weeks...some take a bit to know what to do though.


----------



## RunAround

7 weeks and they are gone! lol 

I sold one wether who i banded at 7 weeks come down with stones and another who I banded at 4-5 months with stones... so I don't see that banding at any age besides several years old makes a difference. 

I could be wrong, but I've sold a bunch of wethers and have only heard of two coming down with stones... and in both cases it was because of bad diet.


----------



## lissablack

I band mine very young, we did five of them today, one 2 weeks and four 3 weeks. I have two who were banded at one week. My vet said he wouldn't want to do it on a kid older than three weeks. I can't quite picture getting the gadget and bands around them at two or three months. But my wethers are also generally not pets. And they are bigger than nigeys. I have one two year old, though, who was banded at one week old, and he seems to have no problems. I expect them to have a lovely short life and go in the freezer, though. 

Even the difference of that one week seemed to cause the older ones quite a bit more pain. Plan to use something like banamine if you are going to do it to an older kid.

Jan


----------



## jackb

What size elastrator do I use on a 6 month old Boer cross


----------



## bfangman21

How long after banding does it take for them to fall off ?


----------



## ksalvagno

It can take a couple months.


----------



## bfangman21

Ok thanks. WE just got a buckling that is banded, and their still hanging on. They look to be drying up some. Should we keep him away from the doelings or are the able to be in the same pasture? Thanks


----------



## ksalvagno

When was he banded?


----------



## bfangman21

Born March 5th and I believe banded May 1st.


----------

