WETHERING YOUR GOATS

Many goat producers routinely wether (castrate) their buck kids with little thought as to why they do this extra work. A common belief amongst breeders is that this procedure is a necessary step in raising goats.

Producers who raise goats to sell for show purposes often wether their buck kids . . . usually within a few weeks after being born. If wethering is a show requirement, the producer whose market is selling to show participants must perform this task.

Breeders with limited amounts of pens or pasturage may find it necessary to wether in order to allow the male kids to continue to run with females but not be able to breed them.

Producers who think that wethering is essential in marketing slaughter goats should check with their buyers to determine if this really is necessary. Some ethnic groups require intact males when they buy goats for consumption. Wethering male kids will cut a producer out of this very significant marketplace.

Wethering in order to insure a 'non-bucky' and/or 'tender' taste to the meat is not a valid conclusion on the producer's part. How the buck is killed, bled out, and cooked has everything to do with how the meat tastes. Intact males, if properly processed and the meat is cooked by someone knowledgeable in how to prepare goat meat, present no taste or odor issues.

Most commercial auctions do not distinguish between intact or wethered males in terms of what they will accept to sell or how much money the goats bring at point of sale.

Research your market before wethering. You may be stressing your buck kids and doing work unnecessarily yourself.

The author, Suzanne Gasparotto, hereby grants to local goat publications and club newsletters, permission to reprint articles published on the Onion Creek Ranch website under these conditions: THE ARTICLE MUST BE REPRODUCED IN ITS ENTIRETY AND THE AUTHOR'S NAME, ADDRESS, AND CONTACT INFORMATION MUST BE INCLUDED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE REPRINT. We would appreciate notification from any clubs or publications when the articles are used. (A copy of the newsletter or publication would also be a welcome addition to our growing library of goat related information!)

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