One
is probably my fault. The other is nature’s fault.
They are jewel-less on the outside. On the inside the testosterone still
thrives.
They stink, so I call them my ‘Stinkies’. I can’t give them names as they are
not what I intended; they will have to go – at some stage- when I feel strong. They
might stink but they are lovely natured.
They are my accidental
bucks or half neutered boys known as stags.
You see I left a nut, jewel, stone, testicle, gonad, whatever you would like to name their maleness. Mister 121’s slipped back inside him so I only ringed one. Mister 127’s testicle just did not descend so I figured by 16 weeks of age when we still could not feel a testicle inside him he only was ever going to have one ball – wrong he wanted to keep one of his testicles tucked well away for himself! His condition is called crytorchidism, it is a genetic defect and heritable, so even if the animal is fertile he should not be bred from.
Most men cross their legs wincing when I
describe the neutering process. My
husband holds the boy kids on their back in his lap, their back legs hanging down between his
legs, so I have a clear way to ringing the testicles in the scrotum with a elastrator ring. The rubber ring slowly cuts off the blood
circulation to the testicles. After several weeks the scrotum and balls wither
and fall off. There is a bit of moaning – mostly from my husband as he
sympathises with the boys.
The first indication all was not wethered with
these two was the thickened neck and strong horns, the beard started to grow,
with these changes their interest in the girls grew. Slowly their bodies
thickened and then the delightful stink began announcing a buck on the lightest
of breezes.
If one testicle is retained in the body its
temperature will constantly be higher than it would be if residing in the
scrotum. This reduces fertility or can cause sterility, but he will still show
all the traits of a sexually active buck.
Stinky 127 is more buckish and dominant than his
buddy 121. I have caught him peeing all over his front legs and face to impress
the girls on the other side of the fence. I suspect of the two there is a small
chance he may still be fertile, I’m not so sure about 121 (who is Xanthe’s
brother. (See my posts Call the midwife - Hell not her! and Xanthe the baby goat).
Neither were meant to be retained as bucks,
they simply are not good enough quality to breed from, so they are taking up an
entire paddock, wafting their scent and sending the girls in the adjoining
paddock into a hormonal frenzy. These female hussy’s stand at the fence calling
to the boys and wiggling their tails, giving the boy’s the teasing ‘come on’. So the poor boys jump on each other out of frustration. Occasionally the girls stick their head through the fencing wire trying to rub that wonderful buck aroma over themselves. I'm glad they don't back up to the fence instead! There's that old saying, "where there is a will there is a way!"
"But mum, he smells sooo good! I'm in love."
Today there was a way! Stinky 127 was missing all day, I thought he was doing his usual strutting up and down the boundary fence sending the girls into a frenzy. On dusk he arrived back, bringing with him another two goats. I counted up the boys, no that was too many, then I realised these extra two with him were does.
Oh he looked smug and satisfied, but just to be sure his job was complete he was mounting them one at a time again. Not to be outdone Stinky 121 joined in the fun.
Those brazen girls had crawled under the boundary fence via a wombat hole. I'm crossing my fingers, toes and eyes hoping he is not fertile and pregnancy is not the result.
Yes the stinkies have to go!!
Those brazen girls had crawled under the boundary fence via a wombat hole. I'm crossing my fingers, toes and eyes hoping he is not fertile and pregnancy is not the result.
Yes the stinkies have to go!!