Castrating
Ninety-nine percent of all bucks born on our farm are castrated and sold as pets. We will talk about castrating practices in a few, but first I want to make the case for WAITING TO CASTRATE until bucklings are ready. Many farms, suggest castrating at four to six weeks of age. I have found in my experiences that castrating a buckling that early greatly increases the chance of him suffering from urinary calculi, which is a very serious and mostly incurable deadly condition.
Many believe that feeding alfalfa to bucks causes UC. That is not entirely true. Bucks and wethers require a BALANCED diet just like does do, and feeding alfalfa is not the entire issue. UC has recently become a huge problem because of the castrating practices of some breeders. In an effort to move animals out, breeders are castrating WAY too early. I've heard of some that castrate as young as three weeks of age so they can move them to their new homes quickly to lessen their workload. These wethers have an extremely high chance of dying from UC, and I have taken dozens of calls over the years asking me for help with little wethers who have developed UC. Sadly, there is usually no hope.
When you remove the testicles, testosterone production stops, which is what helps the urethra grow. The bigger the urethra at castration, the easier it is for the goat to pass stones, should they develop, through normal urination. I do not castrate before 12 weeks of age for this very reason, and I have NEVER had a single issue with UC, neither on my farm or at a wether's new home.
Methods of Castration
Whichever method of castration you choose, you should give the buckling a dose of tetanus antitoxin at the time of castration. This dose will protect him for ten days from contracting tetanus.
Banding- At our farm, we band bucklings to castrate them. The band cuts off circulation to the testicles. In a few weeks the testicles shrivel and within 6-8 weeks, the shriveled scrotum and testicles fall off with the band. For this, you will need a band elastrator, bands, and iodine. We give a full dose of banamine approximately 20 minutes before we band. The dose is 1cc per 100 lbs so we weigh the buckling and then use an insulin needle to give a subQ dose. Put the buckling in a stanchion and give him some food. Wash the testicles with iodine. Use gloves if you don't want to stain your hands. Put the green band over the elastrator and open it all the way by squeezing the elastrator with your hand. Place the testicles through the band, making sure that BOTH testicles are through the elastrator. Release your grip on the elastrator and flip the rubber band off of the elastrator one tine at a time until the band is above the testicles, close to his body. Check that his teats are not caught in the band. The buckling will not feel any pain until the pressure in his testicles build from the blood supply being cut off. The sensation is probably similar to putting a string around your finger. It takes about 15-20 minutes for him to feel it, at which point he will probably start crying and rolling around on the ground. The banamine helps ease the pain immensely, and many times, my bucklings will fall asleep during the worst of the pain, which only lasts a couple of hours. When the testicles eventually go numb, the buckling feels no more pain and will go back to his day.
Cutting- Some breeders choose to cut the scrotum and pull out the testicles. This is obviously a very effective and immediate method of castration. Honestly, I just don't have the stomach for it. The process involves having a person hold down the buckling while you make a cut across the scrotum with a scalpel. Next you pull the testicles out of the scrotum and cut the spermatic cords. I have no personal experience with this method, but some people choose this method because the results are immediate, the trauma is short, and the recovery is quick.
Burdizzo- The burdizzo is an emasculator, which is a tool that crushes the spermatic cords above the testicles. Along with banding, this is a bloodless method of castration and if done correctly, is completely effective. To perform a castration using the burdizzo, locate the spermatic cords in the scrotum. The spermatic cords should be about the size of a pencil in the upper portion of the scrotum above the testicles. Position the burdizzo over one side of the scrotum, over one of the spermatic cords. Clamp down for 10-20 seconds. Repeat on the other side. Watch the animal closely over the next few days to make sure that the castration was successful. If successful, the testicles will be reabsorbed into the body, leaving an empty scrotum.
Please note: Some 4H wether programs do not allow any sign of a scrotum in order for the child to show the wether. Do your research into which method of castration will create the most effective results by the time you take your animals to the fair.
Castration After Care
Watch the castration site for redness, swelling, bleeding and signs of infection. In case of infection, a broad spectrum antibiotic should be administered.
Ninety-nine percent of all bucks born on our farm are castrated and sold as pets. We will talk about castrating practices in a few, but first I want to make the case for WAITING TO CASTRATE until bucklings are ready. Many farms, suggest castrating at four to six weeks of age. I have found in my experiences that castrating a buckling that early greatly increases the chance of him suffering from urinary calculi, which is a very serious and mostly incurable deadly condition.
Many believe that feeding alfalfa to bucks causes UC. That is not entirely true. Bucks and wethers require a BALANCED diet just like does do, and feeding alfalfa is not the entire issue. UC has recently become a huge problem because of the castrating practices of some breeders. In an effort to move animals out, breeders are castrating WAY too early. I've heard of some that castrate as young as three weeks of age so they can move them to their new homes quickly to lessen their workload. These wethers have an extremely high chance of dying from UC, and I have taken dozens of calls over the years asking me for help with little wethers who have developed UC. Sadly, there is usually no hope.
When you remove the testicles, testosterone production stops, which is what helps the urethra grow. The bigger the urethra at castration, the easier it is for the goat to pass stones, should they develop, through normal urination. I do not castrate before 12 weeks of age for this very reason, and I have NEVER had a single issue with UC, neither on my farm or at a wether's new home.
Methods of Castration
Whichever method of castration you choose, you should give the buckling a dose of tetanus antitoxin at the time of castration. This dose will protect him for ten days from contracting tetanus.
Banding- At our farm, we band bucklings to castrate them. The band cuts off circulation to the testicles. In a few weeks the testicles shrivel and within 6-8 weeks, the shriveled scrotum and testicles fall off with the band. For this, you will need a band elastrator, bands, and iodine. We give a full dose of banamine approximately 20 minutes before we band. The dose is 1cc per 100 lbs so we weigh the buckling and then use an insulin needle to give a subQ dose. Put the buckling in a stanchion and give him some food. Wash the testicles with iodine. Use gloves if you don't want to stain your hands. Put the green band over the elastrator and open it all the way by squeezing the elastrator with your hand. Place the testicles through the band, making sure that BOTH testicles are through the elastrator. Release your grip on the elastrator and flip the rubber band off of the elastrator one tine at a time until the band is above the testicles, close to his body. Check that his teats are not caught in the band. The buckling will not feel any pain until the pressure in his testicles build from the blood supply being cut off. The sensation is probably similar to putting a string around your finger. It takes about 15-20 minutes for him to feel it, at which point he will probably start crying and rolling around on the ground. The banamine helps ease the pain immensely, and many times, my bucklings will fall asleep during the worst of the pain, which only lasts a couple of hours. When the testicles eventually go numb, the buckling feels no more pain and will go back to his day.
Cutting- Some breeders choose to cut the scrotum and pull out the testicles. This is obviously a very effective and immediate method of castration. Honestly, I just don't have the stomach for it. The process involves having a person hold down the buckling while you make a cut across the scrotum with a scalpel. Next you pull the testicles out of the scrotum and cut the spermatic cords. I have no personal experience with this method, but some people choose this method because the results are immediate, the trauma is short, and the recovery is quick.
Burdizzo- The burdizzo is an emasculator, which is a tool that crushes the spermatic cords above the testicles. Along with banding, this is a bloodless method of castration and if done correctly, is completely effective. To perform a castration using the burdizzo, locate the spermatic cords in the scrotum. The spermatic cords should be about the size of a pencil in the upper portion of the scrotum above the testicles. Position the burdizzo over one side of the scrotum, over one of the spermatic cords. Clamp down for 10-20 seconds. Repeat on the other side. Watch the animal closely over the next few days to make sure that the castration was successful. If successful, the testicles will be reabsorbed into the body, leaving an empty scrotum.
Please note: Some 4H wether programs do not allow any sign of a scrotum in order for the child to show the wether. Do your research into which method of castration will create the most effective results by the time you take your animals to the fair.
Castration After Care
Watch the castration site for redness, swelling, bleeding and signs of infection. In case of infection, a broad spectrum antibiotic should be administered.
Go To Horns, Scurs and Disbudding or Choose From the Menu Below