# castration by cutting



## redtailgal (Aug 15, 2011)

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## elevan (Aug 15, 2011)

I don't cut...but I would think that a very important consideration would be that they are current on their tetnus vaccination.


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## currycomb (Aug 15, 2011)

we use the cutting method, with tetnus antitoxin. we leave them intact as long as possible, and have had problems with banding older bucks. the cutting is quick and they recover quickly. banding seems to make the bucks uncomfortable for a couple days, going off feed, etc. right now, just raise them and sell as bucklings, not castrating they gain weight better, and the market seems to like them intact.


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## Goatmasta (Aug 16, 2011)

I don't cut either, it seems to me that you are just inviting infection by this method.  However, here we dry lot which would make the incidence of infection much more probable.  I would definitely second the tetanus.  
  I would say "cutting" is the least popular method in the goat world.  I have an article on my blog about castration if your interested.


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## aggieterpkatie (Aug 16, 2011)

I've got experience cutting lambs, not kids.  I actually prefer cutting to banding for several reasons.  We cut the lambs at a young age, usually about 10 days old.  When we did it in college we did use lidocaine and banamine for pain, though I think they'd probably do just fine without it.  Cutting is over very quickly, and there's little bleeding since the testicles are pulled out, not cut, which crushes the blood vessels and stops bleeding.  Once the procedure is done, the lamb gets sprayed with Blu-kote and is put back with the ewe.  The lambs usually nurse right away, then are fine.  There's actually little chance for infection (when done early in the year before fly season), because the cod (what remains of the scrotum) is in a protected area. Even if the lambs lay down it is between the legs and not on the ground.  

Banding causes pain and all lambs/kids I've ever banded take at least a half hour to hour to get over the initial shock of having the band put on.  Then, usually a day or two later they're still sore because the bands create a slow wound.  It slowly cuts through the tissue and I've seen some lambs/kids with testicles still hanging weeks later.  My current wether was banded the second week of July and STILL hasn't dropped his testicles. I have to treat it every day to combat the flies and he's still sore.  This is the last time I wait so long to band one.  

This is the method we used:

If you're giving pain meds they need to be given about 10 minutes before you castrate. The lamb has to be kept calm or adrenaline will counteract the meds.  The 'holder' holds the lamb on his butt up on a table so it's at good working height.  The legs get held out of the way of the scrotum.  You make one cut of the scrotum with a sterile scalpel, and the bottom half off, making sure the testicles are up out of the way.  Once the scrotum is open, there is a membrane around each testicle that has to be torn so you can grasp the testicle by the spermatic cords.  Firmly grip the cord and pull slowly so the tissue is ripped. DO NOT cut them out.  Once you remove both testicles, spray with blu-kote or other wound spray and put the lamb down. Viola.  Done in a just 2 minutes or so.  

Maybe this spring I'll have some ram lambs born and do a video of the method.  If it's done properly I have a feeling it would change your mind about banding.  I never have done an older animal though, just young ones (piglets included).  Although afterwatching my poor buckling-turned wether this past month has made me wish I'd just cut him too.  

I also changed my mind about banding tails (for lambs) once I used a docking iron to cut the tail off. SO much quicker and much easier on the lamb.


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## Goatherd (Aug 16, 2011)

I can give you some first-hand information on this procedure.  I have a mature buck (now wethered) that was castrated surgically as an adult.  I had the option of having it done here at the farm or taking him into the office.  I chose the office for several reasons...it was close and not an inconvenience to take him there as he rides well in a vehicle, I saved the travel fee to the farm and most importantly since I was having this done for the first time, I figured if something went wrong what better place than the office to have what might be necessary should something go wrong.

Is there anyone on here that castrates by cutting?  IF so......

*What made you choose this method?*
I chose this method because of the size of his testicles which would have been very difficult to band and remain comfortable and the time involved would potentially invite infection.

*What is your general method? Do you do it yourself, or have a vet do it?*
I had my vet do it as I mentioned I took him into the office.  I was with him for the entire procedure and she offered to teach me how to do younger bucklings should I want to do this on my own in the future with young kids rather than banding.  He was done under anesthesia and was completely "out" for the procedure.  

*Do you cut at a certain age and band if they are younger? or do you only cut?*
I did band my two bucklings as I didn't feel comfortable doing them without anesthetic at 9 weeks of age and they are doing fine.  Testicles have atrophied but haven't fallen off yet.  They were banded on July 24th.

*Do you use any pain control? and if so, what?*
He was given Banimine at the time of his surgery.  I also got additional Banimine for the bucklings when I banded them, but they never needed it.  As I mentioned in another post, they were banded and that was that.  No fanfare or drama.  They just went on with their day as if nothing happened.

*What about care afterward? antibiotics etc?*
No antibiotics were given at the time of surgery as she said he wouldn't need them unless an infection developed, which it didn't. (My personal opinion is that antibiotics are over used be it animal or human)

Eugene, the patient, was "out of it" for several days.  He ate and drank but was lethargic and laid around...just not his usual self, which I wouldn't expect after the surgery.  Within the week, he was acting normally and has been fine ever since.
My reason for having this done was that I wanted to keep him here and didn't want to separate him from the others.  He was already a sweetheart and is still the same just without all the testosterone.  He did sire 4 handsome kids with two does and for that, I am grateful.

I do have pictures of the entire procedure but have never posted them previously.


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## redtailgal (Aug 16, 2011)

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## aggieterpkatie (Aug 16, 2011)

redtailgal said:
			
		

> thanks for the info folks.
> 
> I'll have to digest it awhile.


What (if anything) went wrong to make you uneasy?


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## redtailgal (Aug 16, 2011)

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## aggieterpkatie (Aug 16, 2011)

Sounds like everything went well, and it was just the goat being vocal. I can tell you when we do lambs they don't make a peep, but lambs are quieter than kids.  And you'll hear from people who disbud that the kid starts screaming before anyone even gets near it with the iron, they just hate being restrained!   I can see how that would be kind of a traumatic experience for you though, with the loud kid.  I remember once I had to lay my very large full grown wether down to trim feet because the brat would NOT stand at all for it. I had to really hold him down and you would have thought I was killing him slowly the way he screamed.


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## redtailgal (Aug 16, 2011)

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## aggieterpkatie (Aug 16, 2011)

Before I saw the lambs castrated by the surgical method I always thought banding would be so much easier, but I changed my mind once I saw them done.


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