There are many names for lots of types of goats, one of which is the wether goat. But just what does the name mean? And what are the benefits of having one or more wethers?
There are a lot of different types of goats. You may have heard of the American Pygmy goat, the Boer goat, the Saanen, or the Alpine.
These are different breeds of goats. There are plenty of other names and titles that refer to different types of goats that have nothing to do with breed.
“Billy goat” for example is slang for a male goat, also known as a buck. But what is a “wether goat”? What is meant by that name wether, and which goats are wether goats?
A wether goat is a male goat, or buck, that has been castrated. A wether goat is a buck that has been neutered. A Wether goat may mount a doe but is not able to breed with a doe and reproduce.
Read On to Learn More About Wether Goats And Why We Like Them
Well, we’ve got all the answers for you! Below, you’ll find out all about wether goats, including the meaning of the term, and just why they may be a good choice for you to keep on your homestead.
What Is A Goat Wether?
Castrating a buck to make it into a wether goat is done for a number of reasons, and you’ll read all about the benefits in a moment, but the key outcome is that the wether goat isn’t going to be able to reproduce.
Without his testicles, he can’t get any female goats (known as “nanny goats”) pregnant.
Castrating a young buck is not hard. Many hobby farmers and homesteaders perform the castration on their goats.. Here is a good scientific article from Cornell University that discusses goat castration and some of the methods of goat castration.
Here is some info about Do’s and Dont’s for Castrating Goats. We’ll provide a post about this soon.
What Is A Buckling Goat?
A buckling goat is a male goat up to 12 months of age. A male goat is called a “billy” or a “buck”. Male goats are infamous for being ill tempered, aggressive, and terribly smelly.
A castrated buck is called a “wether”. Wethers are famous for being of mild temperament, less aggressive and not as smelly.

Many Reasons For Having Wether Goats
Castration may sound like an unfortunate treatment, but hobby farmers and homesteaders do it for good reason and for the health and happiness of their goat trips (a group of goats is called a “trip”)..
There are many benefits and advantages to castrating billy goats and making them wethers, and we’ll now go into a range of them.
Wether Goats Help Control Breeding
The most obvious reason for castrating the male goats is that it can help you control breeding. If you don’t want your male and female goats mating, then it can be stressful, and more costly to try and keep the sexes separated.
If you’ve only got the room for so many goats, you don’t need any new baby goats popping up – they’ll need feeding, care, food, and so on. So castrating the males is a definitive way to make sure that they aren’t impregnating the female goats.
From August to winter is the primary mating season for goats, in the northern hemisphere.
A female goat, or doe, has a 21 day reproductive cycle – she comes into heat about every 21 days and there is a relatively small window in which she can become pregnant.
Additionally, the wether goats can help you determine if a doe is in a standing heat and ready to be bred by your favorite or chosen billy.
How so? Well the wether will still want to mount a doe that is in heat. If the doe lets him mount her then she is in a standing heat and is fully ready to be put with your breeding buck.
The use of the wether in this manner allows you to identify which does are actually really ready for breeding. Additionally, if a wether is trying to mount one of the does that you thought was already bred (already pregnant), then think again – that doe is probably not bred (not pregnant).
So, wethers can also help us determine if a doe is in fact pregnant.
Wether Goats Are Less Aggressive
The wether goats are simply less aggressive than male goats who haven’t been castrated.
Just as Bulls are significantly more aggressive than your average steer, Billys are more aggressive than wethers. Wethers tend to be much more laid back and gentler than breeding billys.
I consider a breeding billy to be a fairly unpredictable animal and therefore not safe to be near my family. Billy’s need to have their own fenced space; for both their safety and yours.
Conversely, handling wethers and being around wethers is much safer for you and your family.
Billy’ also often make more noise than wethers.

Wether Goats Like People
Speaking of gentle, this makes the wether goats perfect for community farms and helping people.
For instance, if you have a petting farm, you need it to be safe for children.
A breeding billy is not the right goat for a petting farm. However, a wether is your steady, people friendly, social goat.
Since wether goats are less rough and aggressive than regular bucks, they’re a better and safer fit with younger children and seniors. .
Wether Goats Live Longer
Interestingly, wether goats are also more likely to live longer than normal uncastrated male goats. A typical buck lives anywhere from 9 to 12 years, while an average wether goat is liable to live much longer – even as old as 18 years!
Wild goats may live for 9 to 12 years.
Here is a series of very informative, scientific articles about Wethers!
Wether Goats Do Not Smell As Much
Not one you might think of, but castration actually makes a difference to the scent of male goats. If a male goat hasn’t been neutered, their glands emit a strong musky smell that’s hard to ignore.
On top of this, their urine has a particularly strong smell to it.
Breeding billys spray urine on themselves to attract does. Billy’s can somewhat direct their pee, primarily to their beard, front legs and chest. The billy’s scent glands are located near its horns.
Late summer to early winter is the rut season, the primary breeding season. During the rut season, the glands produce even more odor.
A castrated goat, or wether, tends not to have such strong glandular smells, and doesn’t spray urine on itself, as much.
Additionally, the odor from the billy can get into the milk produced by the doe. For this reason, and others, many homesteaders separate their breeding billy(s) from their does; placing the billy’s and does together only to breed.

Wether Goats for Leading Your Trip Of Goats
Castrated goats are good at heading up your trip of goats.
This is all to do with their less aggressive, more laidback attitude that we mentioned earlier. It gives them a calm mind and focus, which makes them the perfect candidates for leading your other goats around the homestead.
On top of that, if arguments arise then they’re good at settling them – because they’re certainly more level headed than the rash, admittedly horny bucks.
Wether Pack-Goat
Wether goats are great for carrying things, too, since they aren’t as rash as bucks. Just be very careful not to overload them!
Frequently Asked Questions Regarding What is A Goat Wether?
What Is The Purpose Of A Wether Goat?
Hobby farmers and homesteaders most often raise wether goats for eventual harvest as meat for family and friends. Additionally, as described above, wethers have many uses from leader and peacemaker to pack animal and petting zoo.
Is A Wether Goat A Good Pet?
Yes, a wether can be a good outside pet on a hobby farm or homestead. Wether goats are somewhat trainable and adaptable to a daily routine. Wether goats generally love to be petted and are playful.
Can 2 Wether Goats Live Together?
Yes, two wether goats can live together in harmony. Breeding Bucks will tend to fight for dominance and access to breeding does. However, wether goats are less aggressive and less territorial.
You do not need separate housing, or separate pens for your wether goats. Wether goats are happy to live among the does. We want to be sure to not overcrowd, but living in community is not a problem for wether goats.
Here’s a great video if you are considering Goats for your Hobby Farm or Homestead!
Final Thoughts On What Is A Wether Goat
There you have it, the basics on wether goats!
Wether goats are male goats that have been castrated, neutered.They’re less aggressive, less stinky, and less dangerous to your trip and family than breeding bucks
Additionally, they make great pack animals, solid meat animals, and are peacemakers within your trip of goats.
Wether goats can be a great addition to your hobby farm or homestead!