First kids born, but no milk from mom?

[VKat]

Thanks! Yes, the more info, the better.

 

[VKat]

Here's an update. Thank you all so much for the advice. I do have another question again.

The kids are doing great. Eating well, and nibbling on hay.
Mom goat is eating better and giving us about 2 and 1/2 cups of milk for them a day. I have started adding a handful of calf manna to her pellets and she seems to like it.

I am keeping them both, and we have agreed to castrate the male so he can continue to grow up and run and play with his sister. I think it will be better for them since otherwise she would be the only baby around here, and besides I've gotten kinda attached. The boy continues to be really affectionate with me and love to sit in my lap. How can I not keep him?

Question time: at what age do you castrate?
what method do you use or recommend?
I am thinking of the Emasculatome method that doesn't involve cutting or a band.

This question about when is a big one on my mind since the boy has already begun chasing his sister around, making chittering noises at her, and trying to mount her. I know his equipment can't be functional at only 2 weeks of age (they are 2 weeks today! yay!) but the behavior is a little disturbing, and I don't think it's nice for the poor little doeling to have this unwanted attention.
I'm reading quite a range on what age is considered best.
So any input on this would be really appreciated.
Thanks!

 

[Sweetened]

We will castrate this year at 2 months. Last year we left the boys until 6 months and it was hell. Kept them out on tethers to stay away frpm the girls and OH the stink. One or two bucks is one thing but 4 is a plague cloud!

We also band. I cant bring myself to use a burdizzo or enasculator, i would want them sedated out of their mindd, but thats a vet visit and i might as well have her cut them off. We banded successfully at 6 months, though fitting them in the calf bander was a chore and a half. Its easy, they mope for a day and walk funny for a day or two and then are fine. If they wdre done younger, it would have been faster, but we had no issues.

 

[Sweetened]

Also, dont emasculators involve blood? Theyre a burdizzo and a cutter in one if i remember correctly. Testes are slit, nuts are pulled, crunched and cut. Burdizzos do it through the sack, which i feel like theres more trauma and room for error but some people swear by them.

Bands are bloodless, and we watched and checked them weekly to make sure bands were still attached as thats where issues arise.

 

[madcow]

I've banded all my wethers at 2 weeks with no problems. Just did a whole batch of bucklings with a friend and they were all around a month old. They've done fine. The only problem we had was with them pulling a single testicle into their groin area, simply because it was cold outside, and not being able to retract it to get it into the band along with the other. Usually one person holds them upside down by their hind legs and another person then has easy access to the groin area and the testicles and is able to band them quickly. This time because of the testicular retraction problem we had to hold them down on their side and that would make everything be in it's proper place for banding. I too think banding is the way to go.

 

[VKat]

Emasculators don't involve cutting. At least according to Fiasco Farms info. People have directed me to their site for good care info a lot, so I thought I'd see what they do. i'd love to read more info if you guys have recommendations?
http://fiascofarm.com/goats/buck-wether-info.htm#burdizzo

What is the safest method for the animal? We were thinking banding could run risk of issues if a band breaks or something.

I do want to take care of this early, but not so early he may have the higher risk of urinary issues.
We are thinking maybe between 4 and 6 weeks?
Does that right for a Nigerian Dwarf?

 

[babsbag]

I band them at about 8 weeks or sometimes 12 weeks, just depends on when I get around to it. Banding is quick and easy; just make sure you get both testicles in there before releasing. I sit down on the ground and I grab the kid and sit them down on their butt between my legs. They can't move, and everything is easy to find and close at hand.

 

[jodief100]

We band and it is the easiest. You should wait until he is at least 8 weeks, 12 is best. The longer you can wait the better. Wethers are very susceptible to UC and the larger the urethra is allow to grow the less chance they have of getting UC. It will stop growing once he is castrated. His equipment isn't functional till at least 12 weeks and then only in very rare ases. The chasing her around is normal. All kids do it, even the girls. It won't hurt her any, to them it is just play.

 

[OneFineAcre]

We band and it is the easiest. You should wait until he is at least 8 weeks, 12 is best. The longer you can wait the better. Wethers are very susceptible to UC and the larger the urethra is allow to grow the less chance they have of getting UC. It will stop growing once he is castrated. His equipment isn't functional till at least 12 weeks and then only in very rare ases. The chasing her around is normal. All kids do it, even the girls. It won't hurt her any, to them it is just play.

x 2.

 

[OneFineAcre]

Here's an update. Thank you all so much for the advice. I do have another question again.

The kids are doing great. Eating well, and nibbling on hay.
Mom goat is eating better and giving us about 2 and 1/2 cups of milk for them a day. I have started adding a handful of calf manna to her pellets and she seems to like it.

I am keeping them both, and we have agreed to castrate the male so he can continue to grow up and run and play with his sister. I think it will be better for them since otherwise she would be the only baby around here, and besides I've gotten kinda attached. The boy continues to be really affectionate with me and love to sit in my lap. How can I not keep him?

Question time: at what age do you castrate?
what method do you use or recommend?
I am thinking of the Emasculatome method that doesn't involve cutting or a band.

This question about when is a big one on my mind since the boy has already begun chasing his sister around, making chittering noises at her, and trying to mount her. I know his equipment can't be functional at only 2 weeks of age (they are 2 weeks today! yay!) but the behavior is a little disturbing, and I don't think it's nice for the poor little doeling to have this unwanted attention.
I'm reading quite a range on what age is considered best.
So any input on this would be really appreciated.
Thanks!View attachment 7312 View attachment 7313 View attachment 7314

Banding is best. Wait until about 12 weeks.
The chittering noises and mounting the sister is normal. It would be the same with two boys.