# Anyone use a burdizzo?



## AlecBGreen (Jul 7, 2009)

I will need to "fix" some of my little boys in the future and the burdizzo sounds like the best way, both for me and the goats. Does anyone have any experience using one? Is there a brand you recommend? Any tips are greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Alec


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

I have never used one, but I have thought about it. I have always banded, but I have heard that this way is so much faster.

I would also like to hear how people like them.


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## goathappy (Oct 5, 2007)

We use a burdizzo on all of our bucks, and I like it because I feel it is less stressful. You crush them and send them on their way as opposed to a band that sits on them for 3 weeks until it falls off. Its also nice because you don't have any open wounds to worry about when you are done.

We use the Ritchey Nipper from Premier 1 supplies, its the most expensive(about $100) but it works really nice. We learned off the Fias Co farm webpage on how to do it.


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## poppypatch (May 30, 2009)

We have used a burdizzo for about 10 years now and wouldn't do castrations any other way. 
No open wounds so no chances for infections, less painful(our guys are usually running around like nothing happened within a half hour and we often have sent them to their new homes the same day).
Can wait until they are 2-3 months old which allows the urethra to develop and gives them a much better chance at preventing urinary callculi problems later.
You can even do fully mature bucks. We have both a large and a small burdizzo. Have done bucks 1+ years of age if they are producing faulty kids.
Takes about two months on a mature buck before they completely stop looking and acting bucky.

On the downside they can potentially still breed for several weeks so if they are 2+ months of age you still need to keep them away from the girls for a little bit.
There is a small chance you could miss the cord and will not know until the testicles start to shrink up. We only missed one on one side since we have been using it. The good part is all you have to do is repeat the procedure on that side.
There is no evidence of anything being done other than usually a small mark where it clamped down on the skin. If done recently you have to explain to buyers of the goat the method you used to castrate and to watch that they do shrink as they should within a few weeks.
We always do this but one lady last year didn't listen because she wrote me all upset a few days after getting her goats because we had not banded them as we said we had and she took them over to another goat breeder who told her they were still intact bucks.
I had to explain again we did not band them but they are castrated even if it dosen't look like they are.

We got ours from Jeffers Livestock. Read the instructions carefully. Never clamp down across both sides at the same time. Each side should be done separately. 

Shannon
Poppy Patch Farm


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## BeeLady (Dec 12, 2008)

We bought a Ritchie Nipper to use on our bucklings, only we only had one and he's staying intact.

That said, we used the Nipper on our smallest bull calves (week olds) and it works like a charm. The scrotum stays in tact but testicle growth ceases. If we can pen our calves early enough this is the way we will go from now on, rather than an orchiectomy (castration). I think crushing the spermatic cord (burdizzo, nipper) is the most humane method. Just make sure you do only one side at a time.


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## rebelshope (Sep 21, 2008)

I had issues getting my guys done this year and ended up having the vet band. It took so long and worried so much about it. I am going to order a Ritchey Nipper for next year. It just seems so much more humane from what I have read.


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

Thank you for the information. I might have to look into one.


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## sparks879 (Oct 17, 2007)

I have always banded and never had any sort of problem with any, but i know people who have. 
My biggest question with a burdizzo is how do you know you crushed the chrods, and how do you know if you squezzed hard enough?
beth


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## BeeLady (Dec 12, 2008)

When we use the Nipper (Burdizzo) there is really no clearance between the two metal edges that come together. If you have the spermatic cord, which is easy to detect by feel and is between the body and the testicle, in between the two metal edges, you will crush the cord instantaneously. Once the cord is crushed it disrupts blood supply to the testicles, they cease to grow and do not mature to make sperm.

If you "miss" you can tell as the testicles will continue to grow - you can compare to a buck or another wether. It is obvious. So far on our calves we haven't missed and I will definitely use is on any future bucklings.


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