When is best time to make bucklings into wethers?

[savingdogs]

I seem to hear different opinions about when is the best time to do this. Funny how when you talk about goats there are so many opinions.
I'm talking about two mini mixed breed (3/4 nigy) disbudded kids currently turning one month old.

Fias Co farms says to do them at four weeks, but I've seen other sites say to wait "as long as possible."

I do have a doeling living with them, although I will be selling the males, they will be in the same pen for at least a month or so. I understood they might start wanting to mate their sister at around age 8 weeks and thought I should do it right before then.

I was wondering what your opinions would be about ideal timing in this situation?

 

[Shiloh Acres]

I waited until a while after 2 months with mine. I dunno if Nigis are on a different developmental schedule? The doeling with mine was not his sister and quite a bit younger, so I didn't have to worry so much. And he tried to mount her. He tried to mount everything. He wasn't mature, just playing around. (My doelings mounted each other and the buckling at times too.)

I was told that the longer you wait, the more they are able to mature, and the less likely it was to lead to urinary calculi. I can't verify that ... just an "I heard this" thing.

My buckling was so much older before he really became interested. If there's any chance you can separate them, or keep an eye on them?

Then again, depending on the method used, it's not *immediately* effective either ...

I dunno. I guess I prefer to alter all my animals later rather than VERY early ... before any breeding happens, for sure, but I just feel safer for them waiting when I am able to do it that way.

 

[savingdogs]

Well, they are already "trying"......

 

[glenolam]

From what I understand, they COULD breed as early as 2 or 3 weeks old. BUT, that's very unlikely and rarely heard of.

I believe most people castrate at 8 weeks old if you are unable to separate the bucks from the does after that time period. If you are able to separate the bucks from the does, people may wait until 12 weeks old.

The idea is to give the urethra time to develope and reduce the chance of the buckling developing UC.

 

[savingdogs]

Oh, you answered me here, thanks!

 

[ksalvagno]

8-12 weeks is the time that most people do it. Yes, they are trying but they really aren't doing anything. Plus it is a dominance thing too.

 

[savingdogs]

The jungle gym I put in there today seems to have distracted them from their ....practice.....it is funny because the two bucklings butt heads over who gets to hump the doeling and she just scampers away.