Castration: tool/method of choice?

[rebelINny]

Was wondering what everyone's method or tool of choice for castration on bucklings and adult bucks is. I have someone that wants me to castrate a year old buck and I normally band my bucklings but don't wanna do that to one as old as a year old. Was wondering if anyone has experiences with the burdizzo, emasculator, or knife methods and what is the best/easiest and least painful for the animal?

 

[alsea1]

Ive decided to leave it. At least for now.

I plan to butcher un needed boys before they get too old anyway.

 

[elevan]

Elastro bander and bands. Simple and effective.

 

[Southern by choice]

Elastro bander and bands. Simple and effective.

I strongly dis-agree. This is a 1 year old buck. Simple castration (knife) is best. On an older buck banding can result in a much greater chance of infection. You do have a rotting sack. Pretty much all the old time farm vets here are fine with banding EXCEPT when they get too big or old. They all "cut". These are not your "modern day vets...these are seasoned farm vets.

Our vet charges 20-60 depending on age, size and what kind of sedative. They wake up with no issues it is relatively fast etc.

The burdizzo is effective if you have somebody that really knows how to use it. Several "clamps" are best.

 

[Pearce Pastures]

For a young buckling, I would say a bander is the tool of choice for most. It is painful and uncomfortable for the buckling for a few days and takes about a month for the sack to fall off. If you had someone who could show you how and are comfortable learning how, they say that using a scalpel is quicker for the buckling (I have heard of people having issues doing this during fly season). The burdizzo can be effective but I don't trust it (or should I say I do not trust myself to do it right).

But this is not a young buckling and I would say that banding would not be a great choice at this point, and the surgical method would be in order now.

 

[Straw Hat Kikos]

Do not band a goat that old. Get a vet to cut him.

 

[rebelINny]

Thanks ya'll. I wasn't planning on banding him. I know he is too old. I haven't done the cutting method before but have seen it done. I'm not sure I have the stomach for it really. I was considering the burdizzo. No blood, no long lasting pain and if I make sure I do it right and follow up later to make sure the testicles have shriveled up to nothing it should be fine. I'm not sure I'm comfortable with the cutting method yet, I would rather see it done in person by an experienced person first I think. I usually band my bucklings and know how to do it, but this one is a year old and I'm not banding one that old. Thankyou everyone for your suggestions and advice.

 

[OneFineAcre]

You need to get a vet to castrate a buck that age. No question.

He'll sedate him, and he'll wake up a new man.

I have a slight disagreement with most people on this site about bucklings (matter of opinion), but none about this case. We cut our bucklings ourself, but wouldn't do a year old buck.

My wife does all of her fathers steers with a burdizzo, and we used it on a 5 month old buckling once.