# Help! Banding not ok?



## Korita (Jan 11, 2018)

I just banded my sweet boy, Yoshi as he’s not growing like he should and I’d like to keep him around as a whether. He was perfectly fine while banding and for a while after. He was playing and jumping and acting normal. Now, he keeps laying down and panting. So do I take it off? Is this normal? I’m worried. Haven’t taken his temp yet.


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## goatblessings (Jan 6, 2015)

Do NOT remove a band once it is placed. You could give him a little banamine to help with pain. Take his temp while he is quiet. Is it really hot where you are right now?


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## Korita (Jan 11, 2018)

It’s been hot during the days but it’s about 79 right now and he wasn’t panting like this a few hours ago when the temp was still higher and sun was still bright.


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## goatblessings (Jan 6, 2015)

Take his temp - he may just be stressed. Can you get him up and watch him move? You could also drench with some electrolytes. If you don't have this on hand you can use pedialyte - full strength or gatorade.


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## shoafplantation (May 18, 2018)

Korita said:


> I just banded my sweet boy, Yoshi as he's not growing like he should and I'd like to keep him around as a whether. He was perfectly fine while banding and for a while after. He was playing and jumping and acting normal. Now, he keeps laying down and panting. So do I take it off? Is this normal? I'm worried. Haven't taken his temp yet.


Don't remove. Its normal for them to be slow and uncomfortable for a few hours after banding. (Consider what's just been done!) If the lethargy carries into the following day I would be concerned.


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## Davon (Sep 22, 2017)

I castrate since I feel like banding is harder on my boys. When I did try banding a couple of years ago I ended up castrating them a day later because they were just laying around. In my experience banding sets boys back a few days and castrating a few hours.


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## Crazy Little Goat (Dec 30, 2017)

Davon said:


> I castrate since I feel like banding is harder on my boys. When I did try banding a couple of years ago I ended up castrating them a day later because they were just laying around. In my experience banding sets boys back a few days and castrating a few hours.


I had been contemplating castrating. I'm curious though, do you cut a small hole, and remove the testicles that way and leave the excess skin, or do you remove it all and stitch up the hole? We had a what we thought was a wether once, because he had been banded by the breeder, but found out he still had a testicle, so my mother-in-law cut a small hole and removed the testicle, and we did not stitch him. I'm just wondering what to do with the excess skin from the sac, if we don't cut and stitch.


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## Davon (Sep 22, 2017)

Leave the extra skin there. Stitching is unnecessary. 

I hold the testicle and cut through the skin and the hard sac that surrounds the testicle. Keep squeezing until it pops through. Then pull it until it breaks loose. DON'T cut the cord and artery that attach the testicle or he may bleed to death. Tearing makes the artery constrict and minimizes bleeding. Spray something like iodine on it and keep an eye on it. It should scab over in a couple of days.


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## Goat_Scout (Mar 23, 2017)

@Davon - do you use any kind of pain med when castrating that way?


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## Davon (Sep 22, 2017)

I don't. It's a big pain for me to get rx from a vet and honestly I'm not sure if something like banamine would make a big difference. ("Here this ibuprofen will help while we rip your nuts out.") I guess I feel like since the pain only lasts a few minutes it's OK. Maybe I am inured because we used to castrate piglets by the hundreds that way.


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## Goat_Scout (Mar 23, 2017)

So at what age do you castrate them? A couple years ago we had our vet do the “cut ‘n pull” method with our two bucklings, but I know they gave them a pain med.


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## Davon (Sep 22, 2017)

I do it around 8 weeks.


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## Crazy Little Goat (Dec 30, 2017)

Davon said:


> I do it around 8 weeks.


My boys are 8 weeks now, and I was planning to take "care of them" tomorrow. Like I said above, I want to castrate, but my husband (a born and raised farm boy) says not to because of fly pressure. Have YOU had much problem with flies and heat, or are your kids all born early enough that it isn't hot yet when you castrate?


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## Davon (Sep 22, 2017)

I don't recall having serious problems with flies. Could you spray the flies or keep the boys in a fly free area for a couple of days? Permethrin is safe around goats. I think something like blue kote would discourage flies as well. I've seen Swat mentioned to keep flies off of wounds but I haven't used it.


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## willows (Dec 18, 2017)

We just had our 11 week old cut yesterday. The vet put an ointment around the incision to keep the flys off and I also put a fan beside his temporary stall. When we did the 4 week old bucklings last year the vet just cut a slit and pulled them out. They really were back to playing an hour later. This guy was sedated because he was pretty big. I feel cutting is easier on them than banding, but you have to do what works for you.


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

Korita, how is your buck doing? He should be starting to feel better. I think once the nerves go numb, they quit moaning and laying their so pathetically! 

I found that if you band then make them walk around for a few hours, they recover much more rapidly and don't seem to hurt as much.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

How is your little guy today?

If his temp is fine, he may be hurting, give banamine. 
It can also be an upset rumen, give probiotics and also give fortified vit B complex SQ for a few days. 6 cc's per 100 lbs.

If it is high, it may be infection or pneumonia. Start antibiotics. 
However, if he has been in the sun or running prior to taking his temp, it will read higher, make sure he is calmed down and in the shade for a while before taking it.


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## Korita (Jan 11, 2018)

He was doing great by the next morning. Back to running to the fence and yelling at me for attention like usual. It’s my first time banding so I felt pretty terrible. Maybe I’ll do cut and pull method next time. Or since I have my whether now to stay, I’ll just let the buyer of any future bucklings decide


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## Korita (Jan 11, 2018)

How old do you sell your dam raised kids? Two of the three bucklings we had born this year were born March 9th and 11th and will be going to my father in laws any time now. My other buckling was born April 11th so he will be 8 weeks this Wednesday. Is that old enough to go to his new home or should I wait closer to 12 weeks?


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## wndngrvr (Dec 10, 2011)

We use a bordizzo and after the initial crushing of the cord - they seem to feel just fine. I will never use bands again and I also don't like the open wound. We have been lucky and never had an after effect or it not working fine. When we used bands quite a few years ago I hated to see them looking so much in pain. There is never a wound in the crushing the cord so chance of infection or tetnus.


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## shoafplantation (May 18, 2018)

Korita said:


> How old do you sell your dam raised kids? Two of the three bucklings we had born this year were born March 9th and 11th and will be going to my father in laws any time now. My other buckling was born April 11th so he will be 8 weeks this Wednesday. Is that old enough to go to his new home or should I wait closer to 12 weeks?


8 weeks old is fine to leave mom as long as kids are healthy and eating hay, grain, grass, and drinking water.


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## Crazy Little Goat (Dec 30, 2017)

wndngrvr said:


> We use a bordizzo and after the initial crushing of the cord - they seem to feel just fine. I will never use bands again and I also don't like the open wound. We have been lucky and never had an after effect or it not working fine. When we used bands quite a few years ago I hated to see them looking so much in pain. There is never a wound in the crushing the cord so chance of infection or tetnus.


I am not sure this is an option for fair goats, is it? I mean, wouldn't they still LOOK like bucks?


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

No because in the end it does the same thing banding and cutting does....testicles are gone.
I personally just don’t like this way because you can not physically see that the cords broke and all is good. Sometimes you hear the pop and think ok I got both cords but then weeks later there’s a little boy with one testicle chasing girls around.
We used to cut with the calfs.....till we moved pastures in the mountains and had bear issues with the smell of blood so we hand now. I don’t think I could do it with the Goats. Goats are way more vocal about pain lol


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## Crazy Little Goat (Dec 30, 2017)

Davon said:


> I don't recall having serious problems with flies. Could you spray the flies or keep the boys in a fly free area for a couple of days? Permethrin is safe around goats. I think something like blue kote would discourage flies as well. I've seen Swat mentioned to keep flies off of wounds but I haven't used it.


In the end, my husband won. We banded the kids tonight. I'm praying we don't have any complications.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I'm sure they will be fine. Like any other method, most of the time it works out fine. There can be complications with any method.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

They will probably be fine  I probably band about 200 calfs and Goats a year and only ever lost 2. One when I was a kid and he got tetanus and another I put the band way up too far and got a intestine. I guess that only happens if they have a small hernia so it was just crap luck with that guy.


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## Lstein (Oct 2, 2014)

We also always band our kids and my parents calves. Haven't had any known problems with it yet.

I think they'll be fine.


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## Amanda_B (Jun 20, 2018)

Jessica84 said:


> They will probably be fine  I probably band about 200 calfs and Goats a year and only ever lost 2. One when I was a kid and he got tetanus and another I put the band way up too far and got a intestine. I guess that only happens if they have a small hernia so it was just crap luck with that guy.


Hello, a nice lady who raises goats came and banded my twin Nigerian dwarfs for me yesterday. I didn't want to do it myself because they are my first goats and I didn't want to risk making a mistake. My most energetic boy skipped his bottle last night but ate this morning. He still seems out of sorts. He's eating but not bouncing around and wagging his tail. Everything I read says he should be back to his old self. His brother seems fine. I'm worried the band is too high. It is right beside one of his teats. His teat is not inside the band but almost butted up to it. How would I know if it is too high?


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## Amanda_B (Jun 20, 2018)

Jessica84 said:


> They will probably be fine  I probably band about 200 calfs and Goats a year and only ever lost 2. One when I was a kid and he got tetanus and another I put the band way up too far and got a intestine. I guess that only happens if they have a small hernia so it was just crap luck with that guy.


Also, how does it eventually close up? I'm afraid with it tight against his belly, it will open up. I'm worried sick. I didn't expect him to be so pitiful.


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## Ranger1 (Sep 1, 2014)

Amanda_B said:


> Hello, a nice lady who raises goats came and banded my twin Nigerian dwarfs for me yesterday. I didn't want to do it myself because they are my first goats and I didn't want to risk making a mistake. My most energetic boy skipped his bottle last night but ate this morning. He still seems out of sorts. He's eating but not bouncing around and wagging his tail. Everything I read says he should be back to his old self. His brother seems fine. I'm worried the band is too high. It is right beside one of his teats. His teat is not inside the band but almost butted up to it. How would I know if it is too high?


It is normal for him to act like that-some recover after 12 hours, and some walk stiffly and don't play for almost a week. The older they are when it's done, the longer they act pitiful.


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## Amanda_B (Jun 20, 2018)

Ranger1 said:


> It is normal for him to act like that-some recover after 12 hours, and some walk stiffly and don't play for almost a week. The older they are when it's done, the longer they act pitiful.


He is a little over 8 weeks. Oh okay, that is comforting. He's usually so energetic and playful. He's got me up at 12am looking at countless pictures of banded goat testicles and joining a forum. ‍♀


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## Ranger1 (Sep 1, 2014)

LOL! They make normal people crazy, alright! Because of goats I'm embarrassed of my search history! 

Yeah, I did some that age last year, and even with a shot of Banamine, they acted very stiff for almost a week.


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## Sfgwife (Feb 18, 2018)

Amanda_B said:


> Also, how does it eventually close up? I'm afraid with it tight against his belly, it will open up. I'm worried sick. I didn't expect him to be so pitiful.


The band just keeps getting tighter and tighter as the tissue shrinks. It is cutting off circulation and closes up itself. There will be no hole when they fall off. It can take a monthish for them to fall off. One day you will go out and oops.. no more danglers hangin round.


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## WhiteFeatherFarms (Jun 29, 2017)

My wethers were banded when I got them & it did take about a month. I used blue kote a couple times a week to keep flies away & it really worked!

I have a really funny story about this too...I was always keeping an eye out for them to fall off & then one day my nieces were over, kids playing outside & Kyleigh comes in the house & says that Rorie (my puggle) is eating something blue. I told her to take it from her & walk outside as she's walking up holding, yes, goat balls  I'm like oh my God! Put that down & go wash your hands for a VERY LONG TIME!! It's a good family joke now, poor kid!!


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## Amanda_B (Jun 20, 2018)

WhiteFeatherFarms said:


> My wethers were banded when I got them & it did take about a month. I used blue kote a couple times a week to keep flies away & it really worked!
> 
> I have a really funny story about this too...I was always keeping an eye out for them to fall off & then one day my nieces were over, kids playing outside & Kyleigh comes in the house & says that Rorie (my puggle) is eating something blue. I told her to take it from her & walk outside as she's walking up holding, yes, goat balls  I'm like oh my God! Put that down & go wash your hands for a VERY LONG TIME!! It's a good family joke now, poor kid!!


That is hilarious!


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

Little change purses! The 4-H wether last year lost his when he jumped into the truck for his ride to the county fair! My grandsons laughed so hard, I thought they would collapse!


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## wndngrvr (Dec 10, 2011)

Jessica84 said:


> No because in the end it does the same thing banding and cutting does....testicles are gone.
> I personally just don't like this way because you can not physically see that the cords broke and all is good. Sometimes you hear the pop and think ok I got both cords but then weeks later there's a little boy with one testicle chasing girls around.
> We used to cut with the calfs.....till we moved pastures in the mountains and had bear issues with the smell of blood so we hand now. I don't think I could do it with the Goats. Goats are way more vocal about pain lol


My husband makes two crushes on each side - we have never had a failure so far. Hope it continues that way.


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