Hey friend,
As breeding season has officially begun at the farm, I want to share an honest truth (that even I can’t believe sometimes)… at one point in the last couple of years, we had a total of 10 male goats - six intact bucks and four wethers.
Over a third of our goats were male 🫣
Wether goats are castrated male goats, also known as “neutered” or “fixed” males
Now? We are happily down to just one buck and three wethers.
I wouldn’t call the change a relief, necessarily, but I can tell you that the daily workflow with the boys is now immeasurably more pleasant.
Our three wethers—Aragorn, Vision, and Stark—are, without a doubt, some of our favorite goats on the farm.
They are so incredibly socialized that they get to spend every summer at Camp Sonshine hanging out with the kids and counselors.
Literally everyone loves them (especially us)!
If you have a goal of adding goats to your home so that you can experience joy, companionship, and simplicity, then the biggest lesson we’ve learned is that a goat’s value isn’t always tied to reproduction.
A wether goat is a valuable farm staple in its own right—one that delivers peace (shalom!), companionship, and ease of handling to your homestead.
So if you’re planning to bring some baby goats home next spring, I first want to share the three biggest reasons why we think wether goats might be your perfect addition:
No Rut: Intact bucks go through a hormonal “rut” that brings with it intensity, aggression, and general chaos. Because a wether is castrated, they simply don’t experience this. They are consistently gentle and docile, making handling simple for everyone in the family.
No Stink: This is a big one. The hormonal cycle in a buck comes with an intense, musky odor (among other things…) that can be unpleasant and extremely persistent. Wethers don’t have this odor, which makes them lovely to spend time with and overall far more enjoyable to have around the farm.
No Chaos: Our wethers often act as the calming center of the herd, stepping in to break up little squabbles. They thrive in a social environment and contribute to a much calmer overall herd dynamic than a territorial buck would.
If a low-maintenance, affectionate wether sounds like the perfect addition to your future plans, sign up for our Baby Goat Waitlist so you can let you know when our Spring kids arrive!
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Interested in learning more about Wethers?
Read more 👉🏻 What are wether goats and why you should have some