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Castration

© Kara Ceraolo

You've either just purchased a buck or ram, or had one born on your farm...what do you do? Unless it is a great quality animal and you want to dedicate the housing and care for a breeding buck, you should have the animal castrated. This is the topic of a lot of debate, but I will try to give you an overview of when and how you can neuter a male goat or sheep.

Why neuter?

Bucks and rams are unpredictable. Even if they are dehorned, they can be aggressive and dangerous animals during the breeding season. They must be housed separately and with stronger fencing and shelter. Plus, they stink.

When should he be neutered?

This depends on the purpose of the animal, the method of castration, and you/your vet's preference.

Some people castrate as soon as the testicles drop. This causes the least pain and results in the least "bucky" animal possible. I would only suggest castration at 2-6 weeks for animals that are going to be raised as meat. Elimination of hormones that early will halt the development and increase chances of urinary calculi and kidney stones. Some methods of castration also require isolation, fasting, and/or anesthesia so should be held off as long as possible.

Generally, you want to have the animal cut or isolated before 10-12 weeks, when they can start to breed. So 8-10 weeks is a good time frame for castration of pet goats and sheep. By that age they no longer depend on milk, can withstand anesthesia, and their urethra is well-developed.

How should he be neutered?

There are three primary methods of castration for goats and sheep, with a few variations. The most common way to neuter is elastration. The least complicated method is emasculation. My preference is surgical.

Elastration (also known as banding) uses a commercial livestock tool to put the equivalent of a very tight, durable rubber band around the testicles. This kills the cords and blood vessels. The tissue dies and drops off.

The biggest problem with this method is pain. The kid will often scream or fuss for days, refusing to lie down and/or walk, and generally showing discomfort until all feeling is cut off after about 24-48 hours. The area can also become infected or plagued by flies.

Another choice is use of a Burdizzo emasculatome (also known as clamping). This crushes the cords to the testes and they atrophy and shrink. It is usually done with an assistant holding the animal so they do feel pain, but as soon as the procedure is over, the pain is, too.