What to do with buck with one testicle

[neilbedwell]

I am fairly new here but have been lurking for quite some time. Our property includes an old pasture that hasn't been used for several decades and has grown up into a huge thorny mess. My intent is to clear as much of that pasture as possible and put it back into use. I want to start breeding and selling meat goats at some point but for now I just need some weed eaters. I have been fencing a portion of that pasture for most of this past winter and now that it's spring I am finishing it up. I have intended from day 1 of this project to restrict myself to only purchasing does or wethers and NO bucks. Well, I got a call from my brother in law and a friend of his had a couple young goats for sale. As luck would have it, they were both bucks, intact bucks and are 7 or 8 months old. I said "no way" until he told me I could have them for $25 each (which is a pretty darn good price in this part of the country). So, a quick call to the local veterinarian for a price on castrating them and I made the decision to purchase them and turn them into wethers. This past Monday I bought them. They seem to be healthy and happy. The guy had a small herd that looked very well kept. So, last night I carted both of them off to the vet's office to do the castration. Goat #1's operation went without a hitch. Mind you, he was a bit mad but other than that he seemed fine. He started eating as soon as I put him back in the lot and was eating when I got up this morning. Just seemed to be moving a bit slower than normal. Goat #2, well, that's a different story. He only had one testicle that had descended. The vet tried and tried but could not find the other. I made the call just to leave him intact since cutting out the one testicle wouldn't stop him from acting "bucky" and wouldn't necessarily make him sterile either (thanks everyone for all the good info here). The vet agreed that it was pointless to only cut out one testicle but was open to whatever I wanted to do. She told me to check him for the next couple months and see if it ever drops but that she wouldn't promise me that it would and if it ever did she'd gladly take care of him then. So, what do I do now? Neither of these guys have any papers/pedigree, etc. They're mixed breed goats. Goat #2 is definitely, as my wife puts it, the "prettier" of the 2 goats since he's red with several different colors on him. I plan to get some does at some point but I have another pasture for them. It won't be a problem to keep them separated. Should I keep him or send him on down the line? What say you guys? Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[Queen Mum]

I say until you have does, as long as he is of decent temperament, keep him. If the other testicle comes down, you can have him wethered. In the meantime he's a good companion for your other wether.

 

[20kidsonhill]

Unless, he was the buck you were wanting to use, I would resell him. In our area a 60 or 70 lb goat is selling for $150 or more, just for the meat. Or you could butcher him for your freezer and try some goat meat, since you want to raise them.

How good a buck is he? At his age he should be weighing 100lbs, is he big enough to consider using as a breeding sire? There are a lot of really nice commercial bucks out there to be used for breeding sires with really good qualities.

What is in him? What percent Boer? What else is in him as far as breeds go? Personally, I wouldn't use a herd sire for meat production that wasn't at least 93% boer or higher.

there is really no right or wrong answer, it isn't going to be the end of the world if you decide to use him for some meat production. I would love to see a picture of him. There are a couple things you would want to be looking for in your buck. A good top-line and depth of chest is important.

 

[20kidsonhill]

I say until you have does, as long as he is of decent temperament, keep him. If the other testicle comes down, you can have him wethered. In the meantime he's a good companion for your other wether.

good point.

 

[neilbedwell]

Unless, he was the buck you were wanting to use, I would resell him. In our area a 60 or 70 lb goat is selling for $150 or more, just for the meat. Or you could butcher him for your freezer and try some goat meat, since you want to raise them.

How good a buck is he? At his age he should be weighing 100lbs, is he big enough to consider using as a breeding sire? There are a lot of really nice commercial bucks out there to be used for breeding sires with really good qualities.

What is in him? What percent Boer? What else is in him as far as breeds go? Personally, I wouldn't use a herd sire for meat production that wasn't at least 93% boer or higher.

there is really no right or wrong answer, it isn't going to be the end of the world if you decide to use him for some meat production. I would love to see a picture of him. There are a couple things you would want to be looking for in your buck. A good top-line and depth of chest is important.

I should have been more clear - he is a mixed breed goat. God only knows what he is, LOL! He's probably in the 40 pound range right now but I saw his sire and he was at least 95 lbs. He's really spooky with me right now since he doesn't know me but seems to be pretty calm. I'm not very picky right now since I just wanted this first "batch" of goats to be weedeaters and fence testers - hence the desire to only have wethers or does. I will purchase some good breeding stock when my property is cleared and I know the fencing is up to par. My land is steep and rocky in places so I know there will be some challenges fence-wise and I'd like to get them out of the way early and before I spend a bunch of cash on livestock and risk losing them. Plus, my father's pasture is next door and it's the next project in line - needs a run-in shed and some electric fence wire run but it's over 2 acres and already has some nice horse fence around it. I think that pasture will be used for my does and my pasture will house the bucks/wethers. At this point, I'm just not sure whether it's worth hanging on to this little guy or not. As my operation grows I assume I will sell him off but for now do you guys think he'll be OK if I just let him eat and only put wethers in with him? Can I house another intact buck with him and not have a ton of trouble?

I appreciate all your responses and help more than you know. I hope everyone is having a great day!

 

[Queen Mum]

Bucks will spar a little bit but I have 5 bucks in a small area together and they do great. If they are pretty milk mannered, they should be just fine. I wouldn't worry. I would however, work on getting him to be more handleable. So when and if you need to move him or work with him, you can catch him. Just spend time, every day feeding him and talking to him.