# How to use a burdizzo on an older buckling



## thaiblue12 (Feb 14, 2007)

Someone wanted one of my July 08 bucklings, they backed out and now I want to wether him using my burdizzo. My vet said to use a burdizzo on a goat this old would really effect him and he would need to be knocked out in order to crush them or remove them surgically. I am not spending $150 to knock him out to then turn around and sell him for $75. 
I had considered making him kind of sleepy with some Benedryl, but not sure if that would work. Plus no clue how much to give him. 
He is tiny less than 30 lbs, but his testicles are not tiny! 
Is there anything to give him to make him sleepy and feel less pain?


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## April (Nov 28, 2006)

I don't think you need to knock him out or sedate in any way. We burdizzo'd some six month Boer boys with no sedation - they were fine after the initial clamp.


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## HappyFarmer (Jun 17, 2006)

You can also band him, one testicle at a time. Just make sure you got them all. I've never used the Burdizzo so can't help there.

I hope you at least received some type of nonrefundable deposit?

This is why all my kids, if not sold by 4 months, have any procedures done to them that I would have had done if I were keeping them. *Just* in case I end up keeping them for one reason or the other. Then prospective buyers can choose from what I have, or they can go elsewhere. Usually they don't though, cause all my kids are friendly and sell themselves if given the chance.
HF


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## thaiblue12 (Feb 14, 2007)

I did receive a deposit then she did not want to buy a buckling but borrow my buck for the amount of the deposit. I told her that borrowing him would cost a hundred more than she gave me. I have not heard back from her and I am ready to say see ya if she calls back. My kids sell themselves pretty well too, but bucklings are icky and can smell so they are not jumping for that, lol. 

April no screaming or fighting? My vet tries to save me money and tells me things by phone and does not try to force me into doing alot of unneeded extras. So he kind of scared me into thinking that it is so traumatic for them when they are older that they need to be asleep. 
Maybe you just have to have testes to think that way. I do not, so getting rid of them does not force me to grab my crotch in fear like the men around my house do when they see the "tools of testicle torture"!


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## LaManchaPaul (May 21, 2008)

thaiblue12 said:


> I did receive a deposit then she did not want to buy a buckling but borrow my buck for the amount of the deposit. I told her that borrowing him would cost a hundred more than she gave me. I have not heard back from her and I am ready to say see ya if she calls back. My kids sell themselves pretty well too, but bucklings are icky and can smell so they are not jumping for that, lol.
> 
> April no screaming or fighting? My vet tries to save me money and tells me things by phone and does not try to force me into doing alot of unneeded extras. So he kind of scared me into thinking that it is so traumatic for them when they are older that they need to be asleep.
> *Maybe you just have to have testes to think that way. I do not, so getting rid of them does not force me to grab my crotch in fear like the men around my house do when they see the "tools of testicle torture"![/*QUOTE]
> ...


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## BethW (May 3, 2007)

thaiblue12 said:


> "tools of testicle torture"!


Bwah!


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## hoofinitnorth (Oct 18, 2006)

If you are not planning on eating him or selling him for consumption any time soon, banamine may be your answer. I think the dosage is 1cc/100# body weight, but CHECK before you do it. Give them a little time to calm down after the banamine and then you are off and running.

Why not surgically castrate yourself? Banamine is useful for this too.


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## April (Nov 28, 2006)

My husband had some sympathy pain, that's for sure.

Yeah, they yelled a bit, but they only fought for a second until they realized that it hurt less not to kick.

The way we did it was that I sat in a chair with the little dude on my lap, with his back against me. I grabbed his back legs and gently pulled them up so that his stuff was dangling. My daughter stood behind me and held horns so I wouldn't get knocked in the head. My hubby made sure he found the cord, then gave us a three count so that we'd be ready for the initial struggle. On three he clamped and held for five seconds. We let him go and off he trotted.

One funny little story about it... we had six bucklings to do. The first five went uneventfully. The sixth little guy had heard us do the first five, so on his turn he counted along with us: One... baaa... Two... baaa... Three.. baaaaa. My husband said, "I can't do it if he's going to count along with me!"

Here's a YouTube link to a video that we learned from:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeJPPKSxGDw"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeJPPKSxGDw[/ame]


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## KayJay (Oct 3, 2006)

Copying and pasting from another post I just made....
Last fall I had a 1 1/2 year old buck castrated by the vet, they used local anesthetic and cut him while he was held down. Everything went well with it and it cost me all of $35 including a CD&T shot. Just recently I had a 3 year old buck done by the vet also, he was quite a bit bigger (150lbs) and had to be brought inside the vet's office cause it was so cold outside, so she decided to sedate him just a bit. All worked out fine with him too and he only cost $25 with the cd&t. 
I don't think it was too incredibly traumatic since the older buck was brought home and immediately proceeded to mount and breed one of my does. (Yes I meant for this to happen lol, his last chance and my surety that he didn't use his last shot to breed someone else). When the younger one was done he screamed more when the water was poured on him to wash him than he did when he was cut. The older one didn't make a peep and struggled for about 2.5 seconds before saying to heck with it and laying there.


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## QoTL (Jun 5, 2008)

Wow KayJay! I wish your vets were up here in Maine! I called around, and the cheapest I could find wanted to charge me $130- they would only do it surgically with full anesth.!

I'm not sure I have the stomach for the slice and pull.. EGADS lol. And the biting them off? WOW! I've heard of that, but just can't imagine!


Meghan


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## thaiblue12 (Feb 14, 2007)

I originally posted a thank you to April for that video link, HT ate it  
Thanks April I am glad to see that while they do yell it was not as bad as I thought. Now who to bribe to hold him? Probably my daughter, she works cheap, lol. 
Kay send your vet my way. He wants $150 to knock him out and wether him, he too says that at his age he must be put under. I am not paying that much to make a goat become a $75 wether.


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## KayJay (Oct 3, 2006)

Jeez guys, that's insane! Are these pet vets you're dealing with? Mine does pets but this is a huge cattle and sheep area, so they do just as much, if not more, livestock. I do know though that people travel from hours away to see the vet(s) here rather than those they have in their areas. Knocking a goat out for a castration is ridiculous, regardless of size, not to mention goats don't generally do well with general anesthesia and some even have problems with light sedation and local anesthetic. The age thing is actually more reason to NOT put him under. I really don't know what your vets are thinking other than it might be a bit simpler for them and get them more cash outta your pocket. If you offer to help hold them down, maybe they will work with you on doing it with a local anesthetic only? I dunno... I always hold mine, but that's personal preference.


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## thaiblue12 (Feb 14, 2007)

No he is not a pet vet. He does large farm animals. The office visit if I take them in is $35 plus the exam $27 which irritates me since I went there and he did not come here. Why the double fee? But all the large animal vets charge both. If he comes here it is a $50 farm visit fee plus any exam fees, he is the cheaper and better vet of the two in the area. The other is more expensive and they really know squat about goats and I will not pay more for less experience. 
He is a pretty good vet and really does know goats but on this is he is insisiting he must be knocked out as it is so hard on them when they are older. At least that is what he believes. Heck I would settle for making him drowsey.


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## powderhooves (May 11, 2008)

KayJay said:


> Copying and pasting from another post I just made....
> Last fall I had a 1 1/2 year old buck castrated by the vet, they used local anesthetic and cut him while he was held down. Everything went well with it and it cost me all of $35 including a CD&T shot. Just recently I had a 3 year old buck done by the vet also, he was quite a bit bigger (150lbs) and had to be brought inside the vet's office cause it was so cold outside, so she decided to sedate him just a bit. All worked out fine with him too and he only cost $25 with the cd&t.
> I don't think it was too incredibly traumatic since the older buck was brought home and immediately proceeded to mount and breed one of my does. (Yes I meant for this to happen lol, his last chance and my surety that he didn't use his last shot to breed someone else). When the younger one was done he screamed more when the water was poured on him to wash him than he did when he was cut. The older one didn't make a peep and struggled for about 2.5 seconds before saying to heck with it and laying there.



Where are you in SW Wyoming. I'm in NW Colorado and its so expensive around here. My little males were done and I took them in. Cost $75/each. They said it would be much more for the older buck and didn't recommend it. If the vet comes here I never get off with a bill under $100. Never..and generally much more. I could drive to SW Wyoming. I really want my buck done.


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## KayJay (Oct 3, 2006)

Powderhooves, I sent you a PM.


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## CountryWannabe (May 31, 2004)

QoTL said:


> Wow KayJay! I wish your vets were up here in Maine! I called around, and the cheapest I could find wanted to charge me $130- they would only do it surgically with full anesth.!
> 
> 
> Wish they were here in Oklahoma, too. My vet says he charges $100 (which I would have paid) for a wethering, though he won't do this one because he is so old.
> ...


OUCH!  No, I can't even send my head there. Mary


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## hoofinitnorth (Oct 18, 2006)

My post on another thread may help you here too:

http://homesteadingtoday.com/showpost.php?p=3532006&postcount=2


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## happyfoodfarm (Jun 16, 2014)

I was also told goats couldn't handle general anesthesia. I bought a buck that I'm unsure yet what I'm going to do with him. He is 10 months now. He was just exactly what I wanted so I bought him even as a buck. (He was 9 months when I got him). Anyway... What are my options for his *%!#. And please I'm new to this so keep it simple.


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