Thoses with goats at what age....

I'm not sure about the age regarding kidney stones. I would suggest banding him once the flys are gone. Banding is pretty easy to do and there is less chance of infection from an open wound. They just shrivel up and fall off.

 

I have read that you want to wait a couple of months to avoid the kidney/bladder issues, but by 3 months is supposed to be fine. We usually wether ours between 2 and 3 months, but many people I know who raise goats, wether theirs by a week old and don't seem to have problems with kidneys or bladder. I think much of it depends on diet. They can't be given too much calcium from what I understand. I think that is the real issue behind the development of kidney stones. Anyway, we use a burdizzo which just crushes the tubes that lead to the testicles. There is no blood or breaking of skin like with banding.

 

If you don't NEED to wether, the longer you wait the better. Many people wait until nearly 1 year if there's no real need to do it sooner. This gives the urethral process time to widen.

We need to wether, and we have to do it as soon as the bucklings are 'mature' to avoid accidents. So, we band our guys right at 8 weeks.

You know, for $60 you can buy your own bander and do it yourself haha.

 

I wether around 8-10 weeks. It would probably be cheaper to buy your own bander and do it yourself.

 

I usually wether my boys at 8 to 10 wks and I have had some I do later also with a calf bander. I use the smaller bander when they are younger, With larger breeds of goats you need to do it when you can still get the little green bands on them and if you wait to long you almost need a calf bander and most people that have cattle have 1 I bet you could borrow. Our feed guy has 1 but I got tired of waiting for it so we bought oour own as we have cattle also and need 1 anyway. It sure comes in handy with my bigger bucklings and even bucks if need be.
Good lcuk and if you decide to do it yourself make sure you dont get his teats caught in the band and try not to get wrinkles in the skin either. Also a shot for teatnus is a must also.

 

Quote:

You know, half the guys on this board just fainted!!

 

For those who have done both, which is easier for a newbie... banding or burdizzo? Opinions on which is more humane? I have seen it written a couple places that banding is increasingly considered inhumane. I don't know that we will end up having to wether, but I would like to use the easiest method for me, unless it really is much harder on the kid.

 

We band on our farm. We were not crazy about the idea at first, so the first one was hard, but everyone after that has been simple. Once the boy is set down on the ground he kind of goes "wow, thats odd" and then trots off to find his mom and friends, and that is the last time he thinks about what happened. We band as early at 8 weeks since weanlings will then be going to a new home.