# What age to Castrate



## Tiffany L (Nov 13, 2014)

I have a Nigerian Dwarf / Pygmy buck that I am either going to sell or castrate.  He was born on 8/5/2014 - is he too old to castrate using bands?  Or would I need to have the vet come out and do it surgically?


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## madcow (Nov 13, 2014)

If you were planning on using banding to do the castration, as long as you can get the band over both testicles you can still castrate him.  I help a friend of mine castrate all of her bucklings and they are usually around 3 months of age when we do them.  We've done about 10 or so around 3 months of age.  We pick them up by the hind legs to band them and that works really well.


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## OneFineAcre (Nov 13, 2014)

madcow said:


> If you were planning on using banding to do the castration, as long as you can get the band over both testicles you can still castrate him.  I help a friend of mine castrate all of her bucklings and they are usually around 3 months of age when we do them.  We've done about 10 or so around 3 months of age.  We pick them up by the hind legs to band them and that works really well.



x2
We banded bucklings for the first time this year.  Was easy, and not as bad as I thought it would be.


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## Bucking Adoeable Fainters (Nov 13, 2014)

As long as BOTH testies have dropped and are small enough to fit safely and comfortably in your tool with rubber band on, you should be just fine. Remember it is size not age. Last season, i began banding at 8weeks. I had a buckling that had not distended,  and needed to wait another 2 weeks. We also have waited as long as 14weeks! Just use your best judgment, and always make sure the band is secure, and neither of the nipples are in the band  

Best of luck!! Not a fun process, but efficient and effective!


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## Pearce Pastures (Nov 13, 2014)

Sorry, but disagree on size versus age.  Time does help to allow them to more fully develop and thereby reduce the risk of urinary issues (calculi) which can be lethal.  Wait until 10 weeks.

From Cornell University:
"Male goat (buck)kids that are not being kept as future herd sires are usually castrated so that they will no longer be fertile.The exception to this is suckling kids that are slaughtered before they reach puberty ( become sexually mature). Fertile male goats have a strong smell during the breeding season and do unpleasant things like urinate on their beards to impress females.In contrast, a castrated goat (a wether) will not gross out your friends or the general public when you take him to a show.He will also be unable to accidentally breed other goats you own. It is less traumatic to castrate the kid when he is very young but this will make him more susceptible to urinary calculi because his urethra (the tube that carries his urine from his bladder to the opening in his penis) will not develop to its full size and is easier to clog up. Urinary calculi is when the urethra gets blocked up with mineral deposits and urine can not pass through it.If the deposits or “stones” are not somehow passed or dissolved, the kid’s bladder will burst and he will die.*Ideally, you should wait until your kid is 10 weeks old to castrate him but this is not always possible*.Other preventions for urinary calculi that you should practice include 1) feeding a ration with a 2:1 calcium to phosphorus ratio, 2) adding ammonium chloride to his feed at a rate of about 15 lbs. per ton of feed or else giving him about ½ ounce (about a tablespoon) to 1 ounce (2 tbsp.) per day depending on his size *unless his feed already contains it*, 3) making sure he gets plenty of exercise and drinks lots of water (keep his water in the shade if hot and unfrozen if cold, always have salt available to him), and 4) checking daily to make sure he is urinating easily without straining and has no blood in his urine."

Yes, it can be done sooner and sure, there are those that always do it early and haven't had problems yet, but it is better to wait if there is no real rush or reason.


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## Bucking Adoeable Fainters (Nov 13, 2014)

Great info/post Pearce! Super informative for UC! 
Note to clarify* i was replying to Tiffany original question of goat being to old @ 3months for banding castration. Not wanting anyone to start castrating at 3 weeks or anything just because testies seem to have distended! Sorry for confusion anyone!


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