# Have you surgically castrated kids?



## posmlady (Sep 21, 2012)

I have all the stuff to do it, and it looks ready enough. But curious how others felt doing it themselves?

Any tips?


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

It's not a hard thing to do, but then again I was shown at a young age how to do it but I have to admit the thought of doing it on q goat with the screaming is to much for me. With the Calves there might be a cry or two and I can handle that lol


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## posmlady (Sep 21, 2012)

*Do they really Yell a lot?*

I don't want my neighbors to think I'm killing them. I've neutered cats before but they were sedated. I have bute, can you use that on baby goats?


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Lol oh I just had a funny picture go threw my mind on that one lol. I'm not sure about bute but they can have batamine.


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

How old are the goats? Much easier ways to do it then cutting em off.


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## goatblessings (Jan 6, 2015)

Agree with TDG - Dave. I wouldn't ever do it because the risk of infection and invasivness of procedure when you can band or burdizzo.


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

Ya they arent like cattle where you just just hack em off, spray em with a little bluekote and off they go. Cow people got it easy with de horning as well. Use that cutting tool and off they come. Then just pull some veins out and done.


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## moonmilk_creamery (Oct 21, 2015)

not sure what you mean by surgically, but if the boys are developed but not too big you can make an incision in each side and basically pull each testicle out. After just spray blu-kote. I believe this is called the knife method. It is much more humane than banding and they recover very quickly.


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## catharina (Mar 17, 2016)

I'd hate to lose my nerve with it only part-way done, or be poking around trying to figure out how to pull them out. At least with banding it's fast & foolproof, if someone holds them for you. I've never tried the burdizzo or even seen it done. How do you know if you're squeezing hard enough, & how long does it take? Then do they also die & fall off like with banding?


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Banding actually isn't fast. It's a long process that has to be done really young unless you have special equipment. 

You know you're squeezing hard enough when the castrater clicks shut. It takes about 2 minutes to crush the cords on both sides twice. The testicles die off and shrink up until there is just a little pouch left about the size of an apricot.


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## Lstein (Oct 2, 2014)

I've never done that procedure with goats, we used to do that that way with cattle all the time but have now started banding them as well. It just seems like a greater chance of infection, with having an open wound like that and with flies etc starting to come around again. Plus I think it would be a bit harder to do mentally with kids because, well, they sound just like kids when they are in pain.

Just taking your time with the bands, to make sure you have both of them, seems to be a lot more stress free. I just have my assistant sit the kids on their butt and hold two legs in each hand, then I can completely focus on making sure the band is in the right place and everything.


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## catharina (Mar 17, 2016)

Lstein said:


> I've never done that procedure with goats, we used to do that that way with cattle all the time but have now started banding them as well. It just seems like a greater chance of infection, with having an open wound like that and with flies etc starting to come around again. Plus I think it would be a bit harder to do mentally with kids because, well, they sound just like kids when they are in pain.
> 
> Just taking your time with the bands, to make sure you have both of them, seems to be a lot more stress free. I just have my assistant sit the kids on their butt and hold two legs in each hand, then I can completely focus on making sure the band is in the right place and everything.


I agree. When we band it doesn't take long. My only concern is banding early enough (& recommendations vary on how old is too old)
& on the other hand allowing the urethra time to develop. We sold pet Alpine wethers. I'd always discuss proper diet for wethers to avoid blockages.

Thanks for explaining the Burdizzo, Goathiker. Do they scream the whole 4 minutes? When we band the kids don't cry much at all--I don't understand why it's considered less humane than cutting without anesthesia, but as so many experts say it's worse I have to believe them. Honestly it's the only method I could handle anyway--I'm such a wimp I can't even do shots! Maybe I'll blame it on my PTSD. Sounds better than wimpy!:lol: I'm so glad I've been able to sell all my bucklings as pet wethers (or breeders in the case of the San Clementes) so far--banding sounds better than butchering if you look at it that way. I haven't had to wether any of my San Clemente kids yet, but may be doing the first if he doesn't sell soon. I can't keep 2 bucks.:-?


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

In my case, by the time the bucklings are old enough to band, they are often way too big to get through the tool. My 7 week old kids are around 40 lbs.


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## bk0110 (Jan 1, 2016)

We banded our pygmy buckling when he was 8 weeks old. He screamed a bit, but nursed when returned to mom. He laid around a day and seemed sore the second day. By the third day, you couldn't tell he'd had anything done.


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## goatblessings (Jan 6, 2015)

I prefer the burdizzo. Clamp - done. No open wound etc. but I'm lucky. my vet does it inexpensively. He charged me $20 for 5 bucklings. He makes sure he fully draws the cord out and hears a distinctive "crunch". Hurts for a minute and then the guys are back playing within an hour.


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

We use the burdizzo. Or I should say our vet does  for $50 bucks plus a farm visit fee, he puts em under so they are out when we do it. When they wake up they are a little sore and stay that way for about a week. A hint though if you do have a vet out to put em under, fast them for 12 to 24 hours first. Helps the sedation take effect quicker and for them to wake up quicker. Also a fat goat can much longer to wake up.


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## catharina (Mar 17, 2016)

TDG-Farms said:


> We use the burdizzo. Or I should say our vet does  for $50 bucks plus a farm visit fee, he puts em under so they are out when we do it. When they wake up they are a little sore and stay that way for about a week. A hint though if you do have a vet out to put em under, fast them for 12 to 24 hours first. Helps the sedation take effect quicker and for them to wake up quicker. Also a fat goat can much longer to wake up.


That sounds ideal! I thought vets only did the surgical kind & that it would cost a lot.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

catharina said:


> That sounds ideal! I thought vets only did the surgical kind & that it would cost a lot.


The vet I use charges $29.95 plus anesthesia. All I have to do is take the stitches out in 7 days.


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## catharina (Mar 17, 2016)

goathiker said:


> The vet I use charges $29.95 plus anesthesia. All I have to do is take the stitches out in 7 days.


Nice!!! I might do that If I can't sell this buckling soon. Then everyone could get a check-up too.


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