Goats are pretty cool animals. They are affectionate, small in size, and easy to care for. However, male goats are notoriously aggressive and smelly, which is why a wether goat is a better alternative.
What’s a wether goat: Animal terminology can be complicated and goats are no different. A wether goat is a male goat that has been castrated. Castration is a common occurrence on farms and is done for many reasons. In the case of goats, they are castrated when they are 8 to 12 weeks old. However, if you plan on only using a wether goat for meat, it can be castrated at just 2 weeks old. When done by a veterinarian, this process is safe and humane. A wether goat has a lot of uses. It is less smelly and aggressive than a male goat, and thus better suited for a farm. If you want to bring your goat to community events, such as farmer’s markets and even goat yoga, a wether goat is the best choice. Furthermore, they can help herd female goats and even hold peace among them. Whether goats are strong, love to eat brush around the farm, and make for loyal companions.
What is a wether goat?
First, let’s get into a bit of terminology. All animals have different names for males and females, and goats are no exception.
A female goat is called either a doe or a nanny. A male goat is called either a buck or a billy. And finally, a baby goat is called a kid.
When you castrate a male goat, it is then referred to as wether. So, wether goats are adult male goats that have had their testicles removed.
Why are male goats bad?
Male goats, or bucks, get a bad wrap, and for good reason. There are many reasons why you either don’t want a male goat or only want one on your farm.
Smell bad
If you have ever been around male goats, you will, unfortunately, have experienced their strong odors. They have a peculiar, pungent smell that females and wethers do not have
Male goats smell bad because of their scent glands, which are located near their horns. During their rut season, from late summer to early winter, these glands release even more pheromones, making the goats smellier.
Another reason why goats smell bad is that they actually pee on themselves. They are able to angle themselves and pee on their beards, front legs, and chest.
Again, peeing increases their scent which is important for rutting. Unfortunately, it is not pleasant for people.
In addition to the awful smell, this odor can get into the milk that female goats produce. This is just one reason why male goats are often separated from their female counterparts.
Aggressive
Although most goats are actually quite docile, male goats can become aggressive. This can be a product of bad handling or stronger emotions during the rutting season.
When goats rut, they vie for attention from female goats. As a result, they can be more aggressive towards each other as they need to compete with other males.
What are wether goats used for?
There are many uses for a weather goat, and it all depends on what you are looking for in a goat.
While a wether goat is male, and therefore incapable of producing milk, you can still have one for the purpose of meat. Wether goats are good for slaughter and you don’t have to worry about their behavior before it is time to harvest their meat.
Wether goats are also particularly useful if you are looking for pet goats. They are calm, docile animals that are great for smaller hobby farms.
10 Advantages and Benefits of Wether Goat
1. Great as a pet
Although having a goat farm is a profitable endeavor, there are many people who simply want a goat as a pet on their hobby farm. In this case, a wether goat is a perfect choice.
Wether goats are more docile than bucks and are easy to find. In fact, bucks are usually cheaper than do as they have more uses.
2. Community outreach
It might seem odd, but there is a growing industry of goats for community purposes. For example, goat yoga is all the rage at the moment.
For the most part, if you have a doe, she will be used for milking. Bringing her into the community can stress her and decrease her milk production.
Bucks can’t be used for community events because they may be too aggressive and usually smell. So, wether goats are the best solution as they are docile, clean, and friendly.
3. Can tell when a doe is in heat
Starting in August through the winter, goats will start their mating season. However, a female goat has a reproductive cycle, called the estrous cycle, that happens roughly every 21 days.
When it starts, a female goat is able to become pregnant for roughly 12 to 36 hours. It is during this window that she should be introduced to a buck for impregnation.
A wether goat has had its testicles removed, which means he is incapable of impregnating a doe. However, wethers are able to tell when a doe is in heat, and if the last round of mating was successful or not.
4. Peacemakers
On the whole, wether goats seem to want everyone to get along. They will interrupt fights between does and try to instill peace among the whole herd.
5. Herd leader
It’s pretty cute to see one goat lead the others out to pasture, and a wether goat will naturally adopt this position. Because it is usually one wether goat among many does, there is a certain dominance that can be applied in a positive manner.
6. Shrub cleaner
Goats are notorious for eating just about anything, and this is especially true of wether goats. They are perfect if you have a plot of land that needs clearing up but you don’t want to spend a fortune on a removal company.
Every day, simply let your wether goat munch for a few hours. In just a short time he will eat weeds, shrubs, leaves, branches, and just about anything else he can find.
As more people turn to environmentally-friendly alternatives, using a goat instead of a gas-powered machine to clear land is both economical and good for the environment.
7. Strong carrier
On any farm, there are a lot of chores and everyone needs to pull their own weight. Well, a wether goat can quite literally do this.
Wether goats are very strong and can carry more than does. If you need to transport supplies around in a cart, you can easily hitch up a wether goat and have it help you out on your errands.
8. Less smell
We talked earlier about why you don’t want to have bucks on your farm and smell is the number one reason. Bucks are incredibly stinky, which makes it hard to be around them. They can also contaminate the milk that does produce.
Wethers don’t have the instinct to urinate on themselves during rutting season, so they do not smell. This is a much better alternative.
9. Less aggression
Another common reason why people don’t want bucks on their farm is that during the rutting season, they can be especially aggressive.
With a wether goat, you don’t have to worry about this. If you have small children on your farm, this is an especially important consideration.
10. Easier living accommodations
With bucks, you will need to house them separately from other goats. Bucks and does are too aggressive together, and if you add in baby kid goats, things get even more complicated.
Not only do you risk the health of the whole herd, but housing a buck separately means more labor and costs on your part.
The good news is that a wether goat can live easily with a group of does. There is no need to build a separate area for them and you don’t have to worry about moving them apart during a doe’s rutting season.
How is it different from a buck?
While both a buck and a wether goat are male, a wether goat has his testicles removed. This castration process should always be done by a trained veterinarian in order to be as humane as possible.
The castration process occurs when a goat is between 8 and 12 weeks old. However, if you plan on using your goats only for meat purposes, you can castrate your goat at just 2 weeks old.
Just remember that while female goats are fertile at 4 to 6 months of age, this can vary. Therefore, if you don’t want your female goats to become pregnant, you should separate the does from the bucks until the bucks are castrated.
Conclusion
Having goats on your farm is great for many reasons, including profit and companionship. A wether goat is a male goat that has been castrated. As a result, it is less aggressive, less smelly, and more useful.
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