The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: Mays on January 26, 2011, 01:38:23 pm

Title: Hi everyone! boy goats?
Post by: Mays on January 26, 2011, 01:38:23 pm

Hi, I havent been here for a while! hope everyone is coping thru the winter months (yuk!)

Well I just was thinking (dangerous I know!) but, do Castrated Male goats smell the same as working Entire Males?

Thanks x

Title: Re: Hi everyone! boy goats?
Post by: plumseverywhere on January 26, 2011, 04:13:32 pm

nope  :)  reggie smells of nothing much and is just a cuddly teddy bear really x

Title: Re: Hi everyone! boy goats?
Post by: Roxy on January 26, 2011, 10:19:45 pm

Definitely no smell from my castrated boys.

I am sure my intact pygmy billy smells worse than any of the larger males I have had .......one of my hens got in next doors field and I went over to get her back.....I was shocked when I could smell Bobby from over there!!

Title: Re: Hi everyone! boy goats?
Post by: Brucklay on January 26, 2011, 10:51:57 pm

My wethers smell 'goatie' just the same as the females - the visiting Billy this year  - I could smell him as I opened the front door!!

Title: Re: Hi everyone! boy goats?
Post by: Declan on January 28, 2011, 02:21:13 am

Can safely say that I agree with all above- I've 4 wethers- 2 AN and 2 pygmys. They do smell goatie but thats all. They make excellant pets if you can resist the temptation of breeding and getting rich(not!!) Indeed by taking wethers as pets you are can often saving them for a far worse off outcome from some "breeders"
Declan

Title: Re: Hi everyone! boy goats?
Post by: plumseverywhere on January 28, 2011, 08:25:29 am

plus they can make good carriage pullers! (harness goats)  reggie is showing all the signs that he'd like to and I have daft ideas of training him up so that my soap orders can be delivered to the post office via goat carriage  ;D
on top of that, if you did decided to keep an entire billy, you have a ready made companion goat.

Title: Re: Hi everyone! boy goats?
Post by: Mays on January 29, 2011, 11:53:51 am

thank you for all the replies  :)

I am planning to breed from my girls next year, and I am trying to make a consise and educated plan before doing so.

I want to ensure that I make the right decisions, I do like the idea of keeping some of the home bred males as farm pets and to help keep ponies/lady goats company and yes maybe even be trained up one day is really very appealling idea, however I need to know what I am letting myself in for first ;)

Title: Re: Hi everyone! boy goats?
Post by: Anke on January 29, 2011, 08:20:09 pm

Hi Don't know what type your goats are, but if you get them disbudded the vet can put on a ring while he is under, quick, painless and done by a professional. I do my own lambs of course, but found it easier last year to have the vet doing the GG boy. And it's way cheaper to get it done surgically later.