# Surgincal Castration Age



## joecool911 (Jul 3, 2010)

I called the Vet I intend to use for my goats (Woodburn Vet in Woodburn Oregon) It is a multi vet facility, but one of the vets raises dairy goats). If I have them castrated before 4 months of age it costs $45. After 4 months its $90. They include an exam and anesthesia. My question is...is there a benefit to their long term health if I wait longer to have them castrated? I could push them to the week before they turn 4 months of age. I was hoping to wait longer.

I know I could find some yokel to do the deed for 10 bucks, but I would rather have a vet do it.


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## Bob Jones (Aug 21, 2009)

I waited until I was 42.


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## Bob Jones (Aug 21, 2009)

Actually, I think most people around here (on the forum) prefer to wait longer rather than do it earlier because of the relationship with stones. I waited until Pig started behaving like a teenager. 

There is a benefit to that. If you are having problems with a child that is reaching the teen years you just say, "Stop acting like a teenager, you know what happened to Pig."


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## Bob Jones (Aug 21, 2009)

Don't say it Nanno... "Did your wife think you were bahaving like a teenager?"


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

Age depends on your situation. If he is going to be running with does, then you wanna do it around the 3 month mark or when you notice he is starting to grow a goatee. If you dont have any worries about that, then 6 months is best IMO. Typically at this time, the rut is about to begin and you really dont want him learning or having any part of that.


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## sanhestar (Dec 10, 2008)

Dave said:


> Typically at this time, the rut is about to begin and you really dont want him learning or having any part of that.


Hello,

I have to disagree here. Even though castration will cut down the INTENSITY of rutting behaviour, it will NOT erase it. Rutting behaviour is wired into the brain, not the testicles. Hormones trigger part of it but another part is triggered by visual and olfactory stimuli to the brain = does waggling their tail, smelling "right" and even long AND early castrated wethers often react to that.

In regards to urinary calculi, a late (later) castration is what I'd prefer. If there are other, older wethers already in the herd or the does are strictly rutting on an asaisonal schedule (meaning only from late Fall to Spring) one can - depending on the date of birth - keep the youngster with the herd until they show they first signs of smell and peeing themselves. Because they often start a bit earlier than the does coming in heat again and the older wethers and often the does themselves will discourage the youngsters from getting too bold.


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

Never intended to imply that castration would eliminate any rut like behavior in a wether. In fact, we used a very late castrated kid for a couple of years to tell us when a few doe whos heats were always silent. But in my experience with castrated bucklings, they never pee'd on themselves, never stunk and never showed more then a mild interest in does in heat. The later had alot to do with a doe not responding well to a male that doesnt stink. My comment was simply, you want to do it before the rut. Kind of like neutering a male cat or dog after they have started to mark / spray. If you get them before, they are less inclined.


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