Have you ever heard of the term: a wethered goat or a wether? Perhaps you\u2019re looking to buy your first goats and stumbled across this term. Or, maybe your vet has suggested this process to you, and you\u2019re not entirely sure what it involves. In any case, understanding the question of \u201cwhat is a wethered goat\u201d is a crucial concept as a goat breeder, and our friendly experts are on hand today to help you understand a little more. After all, wethering \u2013 for the most part \u2013 is a pretty simple procedure and is very common for goats, and it might just be the right option for your beloved four-legged friends, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A wethered goat is a male goat that has had its testicles removed by castration. The wethering process in goats will vary depending on where in the world you live, but many different processes can do it. Be sure to discuss wethering with your vet before choosing a method to ensure that you\u2019re not putting the goat at risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As we\u2019ve mentioned previously, the wethering process requires your goat\u2019s testicles to be removed. Depending on the procedure used, this process can either be bloodless or surgical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During bloodless wethering or castration of a goat kid, a small rubber band is secured around the top of the scrotum, with the testicles hanging beneath the band. This band usually cuts off the blood supply to the testicles, causing them to fall off a few weeks later. The process is called bloodless because this is a non-invasive procedure that doesn\u2019t cause any bleeding or incisions in normal circumstances. It\u2019s potentially less likely to result in infections if done correctly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, it\u2019s important to check your local regulations regarding \u201cbanding\u201d castration; for example, here in the UK, the breeder can band a kid up to seven days of age on-site themselves if appropriately trained. However, above this age, any castration must be done by a vet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alternatively, the testicles can be removed by surgical methods if banding is not used. Surgical castration is more invasive and may have a greater risk of complications and infections. It\u2019s also worth noting that a goat wethered by surgical means may still appear to be entire, as the scrotum itself will be left (even though it will be empty).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During surgical castration, the vet will usually give the goat anesthetic and painkillers before making incisions in the base of the scrotum, allowing the testicles out. Then, the testicles are removed, and the blood supply is tied off.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In our experience of surgical castration, the vet left the incision open to drain rather than stitching it up. As such, keeping the wound clean and hygienic is vital to prevent infections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You could also use a burdizzo tool to clamp the blood vessels into the testes. This procedure is very similar to banding in that it cuts off the blood supply. However, it is potentially a lot easier to get wrong than other methods, and it\u2019s not a method I\u2019ve tried myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A veterinarian can do goat wethering; this procedure should ideally always be done on a vet\u2019s advice. However, depending on your local rules and regulations, it may not always be necessary to involve a vet during the wethering process (i.e., if banding a goat kid under seven days of age in the UK). However, as mentioned, this will depend on where you live, so contact your local authorities for further advice on your specific laws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We should also point out here that (even if it\u2019s legal to wether your goat without a vet\u2019s help in your area) if you\u2019re not confident, you should never attempt to wether a goat yourself. Wethering a goat incorrectly can cause a great deal of pain and distress. The process could also go wrong, or the goat could end up getting ill. As such, don\u2019t take the risk unless you are 100% confident in what you are doing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
And, of course, if it\u2019s not legal to wether a goat without vet support in your area \u2013 never attempt to do it yourself<\/em><\/strong>. Wethering is invariably a medical procedure and must always be done in line with legalities and regulations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After your goat has been wethered, it may experience discomfort for a short while (that\u2019s not really all that surprising). So, your goat may be a little quieter or off-feed, but this will usually pass quickly if they express this at all. Your vet may prescribe your goat anti-inflammatory drugs to help alleviate these symptoms; discuss this with your vet to determine the most suitable approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s worth considering that some people believe early castration of goats may increase their chances of suffering from urinary calculi (which can be fatal).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wethering with a rubber band may be reversible in the immediate moments after applying the band. However, this will be irreversible once the testes have begun to dry up. In addition, as soon as the burdizzo and surgical procedures are complete, you will find these cannot be reversed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you aren\u2019t 100% sure you want to wether your goat but don\u2019t want him getting his pen mates pregnant, you could attempt to use a \u201cbuck\/billy apron.\u201d Buck aprons theoretically prevent him from successfully mounting a female, but it\u2019s worth noting that these may not be 100% effective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a goat breeder or goat keeper, ensuring you\u2019ve taken steps to ensure the health and safety of your goats is crucial. One such management procedure you could consider in this regard is wethering – a relatively quick and simple procedure that shouldn\u2019t cause too many side effects for your male goats but could offer many benefits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, it\u2019s important to discuss wethering with your vet before deciding whether it\u2019s the right process for your goats. And remember: wethering is irreversible, so if you think you might want to breed from your goat down the line, be sure to make appropriate preparations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Have you ever heard of the term: a wethered goat or a wether? Perhaps you\u2019re looking to buy your first goats and stumbled across this term. Or, maybe your vet has suggested this process to you, and you\u2019re not entirely sure what it involves. In any case, understanding the question of \u201cwhat is a wethered…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/herdiac.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/255"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/herdiac.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/herdiac.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/herdiac.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/herdiac.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=255"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/herdiac.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/255\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":256,"href":"https:\/\/herdiac.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/255\/revisions\/256"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/herdiac.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=255"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/herdiac.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=255"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/herdiac.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=255"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}What are the Side Effects of Wethering a Goat? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Is Wethering Reversible?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What are the Alternatives to Wethering a Goat?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Final Thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n