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  • Beverly Almeida March 10, 2011 at 11:20pm
    Good to know...I will ask the vet tomorrow! :O)
  • Lyn Adams March 10, 2011 at 8:04pm

    So I was reading this article and found it interesting , you might to.

    It is less traumatic to castrate the kid when he is very young but this will make him more susceptible to urinary calculi  because his urethra (the tube that carries his urine from his bladder to the opening in his penis) will not develop to its full size and is easier to clog up. Urinary calculi is when the urethra gets blocked up with mineral deposits and urine can not pass through it.  If the deposits or “stones” are not somehow passed or dissolved, the kid’s bladder will burst and he will die.  Ideally, you should wait until your kid is 10 weeks old to castrate him but this is not always possible.  

    NEW YORK STATE 4-H MEAT GOAT PROJECT FACT SHEET #10
  • Lyn Adams March 10, 2011 at 7:49pm
    My little guy, ( Moose ) came home with a rubber band around his jewels , he was about 8 wks I think. I'm not sure how old he was when she put it on .2771466200?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024
  • Beverly Almeida March 10, 2011 at 6:32pm
    He's not a wether yet...but we plan on it. How old should he be before he gets fixed?
  • Deborah Niemann-Boehle March 10, 2011 at 2:49pm
    For a wether, probably any goat feed is fine. I'm very particular about feed for does and bucks though. Amazing how easy wethers are!
  • Beverly Almeida March 10, 2011 at 12:49pm
    OK...thanks! Is there a special kind of grain, or just plain old goat feed? And the mineral block I bought him is right where he can access it, is that right?
  • Deborah Niemann-Boehle March 10, 2011 at 8:58am

    When people buy wethers from me, I usually tell them to buy a 50# bag of goat feed (grain) and give the kids 1/2 cup a day each, and when they run out, they shouldn't need to buy any more. Kids can use the extra calories for growth, but wethers are VERY easy keepers and will get big and meaty on grass hay and/or pasture.

    As for the minerals, he should just lick a little bit every day. Leave them somewhere where he has access, and he'll take what he needs.

  • Beverly Almeida March 10, 2011 at 8:08am
    I did buy him his minerals...he doesn't like them too much right now...hope that will change.  I am heading back to the grain store to talk with the goat guy....maybe I should just get a job there..seriously
  • Rachel Whetzel at MigMog Acres March 9, 2011 at 10:52pm
    Yes, I believe that's true... but they also need minerals, and so I'm not 100% sure that they don't need SOME grain, but not as MUCH as does, or that they don't eat any. My breeder feeds grains to her bucks and wethers, but not as much as the does. (with the exception of the bucklings and wethers that live with mommas)
  • Beverly Almeida March 9, 2011 at 10:41pm
    I've read somewhere that bucks and wethers don't need grain...is this true?

    Rachel Whetzel said:
    Also thought I might mention that my breeder says at 4 weeks, he should have started a couple weeks ago to start eating hay and sampling grains. (in addition to feeding on milk)
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