[mrs1885]

Anyone have experience with this? We've been thrown full force into this research and spent over a grand on vet bills in the last few months for our wether boy, Marvin. He's had four surgeries so far. The next will run $500 to $700 and no guarantee it will work.

We have learned that goat food shouldn't be fed to goats. Or at least not to wethers. Also learned the younger you geld / neuter them, the more likely they are to have them. The biggest thing we learned that we really hope is working, is that giving them 2 tablespoons of a fresh fruit powder that prevents the fruit from turning brown every single day can help prevent them and also help break down any they have. Apparently some vets think it's genetic and others don't. We have a nearly four month old buckling now and we are so torn on whether or not we will have him gelded. Marvin was done at about three and a half months.

Last surgery was Saturday. We picked him up Monday after a weekend at the vet. He's still peeing GREAT so far and I'm slowly allowing myself to become hopeful that the change in diet and adding the preventative might have worked. We are very undecided on the next surgery, as it's a much more serious abdominal surgery instead of just the pizzal removal procedure he's had done each time before.

Would love to meet others that have gone through this. It's been hell on us. Lots of tears the last month especially, during which he's had three of his four procedures.

[foxywench]

check your hay too, alfalfa should be avoided in wethered males (and intact males outside of rut season)
I don't do any grain for wethers (limited grain for bucks) and no alfalfa.
amonium chloride helps too...
since I don't do much grain I add it to their loose mineral.
making sure they are drinking enough helps too (something hard to do with goats) ive found they drink more if I privde fresh water more frequently though the day (they like it cold)

[Diana Holbrook]

You don't want an intact buck as a pet... they pee on themselves, because they think it makes them more attractive. Yes they do! Yuck.

We have whethers who were neutered at about six months. No problems at all for them, they're several years old now. You don't want to feed calcium... It's true what you read about their development. Neuter, definitely, just later. Regardless... They don't need grain, just good grass hay. No alfalfa.

Yours are certainly lucky to have you... Most would not do that kind of surgery for a goat!

[foxywench]

I agree, unless you beding no one wants an intact male goat.
buck smell perminates EVERYTHING (and lasts from about September through February) he will pee on himself, and his buddies) and turn form whaever shade of color he is into one tha resembles tea stained, and feel gross and sticky to the touch...not that youd want to touch him, the smell an be quite overpowering, very very musky, even not touching them (heck barely going neer them) the smell perminates clothing and hair and you find yoursf getting a whiff of boy goat every so often whe gocery shppping lol.

(I keep a set of cheap coveralls in the barn for rut season that I put on when need to tend the boys and take off immediately and hang just outside under a ltitle covered porch area...
its pretty strong.

we haven't sen any temperament differences though, our intact boys are just as sweet as any wether...but I'm very strict about acceptable behavior with my boys, so I'm sure that helps.
ost of the goat folks I know that wether do so between 8 and 12 weeks of age...and haven't had any issues as long as they keep up the AC and keep off the alfalfa and grain.