# Is there a difference in temperament in a late castrated buck?



## sanhestar (Dec 10, 2008)

Hello,

the two bucks that have been castrated at age 2 years are now working their way up to take the leader positions while the former leading pair is stepping down bit by bit (they are about 9 years old). Both of them have also sired kids and one was the leading buck of the young buck group for 1 year, so they know what their capable. Both are ok around humans now that they're wethers and act fair against the lower ranking goats. 

The others that have been castrated at age 1,5 years have been a pain during the winter (castration was in December) but have mellowed down now to the same level as the other wethers.


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## Jake Levi (Jun 9, 2011)

*Re: Do You Prefer Horned or De-horned Goats?*

Thank you, thats good to know, were they each packing while intact and breeding ?


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## sanhestar (Dec 10, 2008)

*Re: Do You Prefer Horned or De-horned Goats?*

no.

I don't start a goat under the saddle before the age of 2,5 years and therefore all bucks are wethers by then.

I took the buck group out for several training hikes without weight, just for showing them the ropes outside of the pasture. In their second autumn they did more fighting and jostling for position than hiking with me so it was clearly time for them to be castrated.


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## Jake Levi (Jun 9, 2011)

*Re: Do You Prefer Horned or De-horned Goats?*

Thats interesting, could be a way to use bucks for a season or two and then training for packing.

I am a fan of English Shepherds too, I raised up two and took them to Samaria, Israel to work sheep and that is what they are doing now, I hope to get another this year for the goats.


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## sanhestar (Dec 10, 2008)

*Re: Do You Prefer Horned or De-horned Goats?*



Jake said:


> Do you notice much of a difference in temperament in the late castrated buck, or are they about the same?


another note of interest:

one of the still high ranking wethers (about 9 years old now) has been castrated by his former owner when he was 3 days old. He doesn't show sexual behaviour but is fighting for rank and position (and obviously is successfull) like the later castrated wethers while some of these will also show mounting, chasing and flirting with does in heat.

During winter I have the chance to observe my goats very closely because my living room windows go out over their winter pasture/paddock. This year was quite interesting because I took the freshly castrated bucks back into the general herd and could observe their behaviour while fighting for their positions and how they behaved around the does and older wethers when the does where in heat.

It may be of interest that these young wethers would not compete for a doe to which they are related, be it mother, sister or aunt.


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