# Banding Issue



## Anita Martin (Dec 26, 2007)

I banded a buck kid a few days ago. He's about 10 weeks old. Everything seemed fine, but when I went out to feed the kids I kept smelling something dead. We have chickens out there and a big snake and I just knew one of the chickens or the snake had died and I couldn't find it to save my life. Well, tonight the little new whether had his legs over my lap while I was kneeling down and petting him. Having him so close, I caught a really good whiff of "dead" again. I checked his butt, no runs or anything. Had felt his testicles earlier and they were flaccid. I kept smelling the smell and decided to lift him up and get a closer sniff. WHEWWW! OMG I could not believe the odor that is coming from this kids scrotum! 

I got a drying antiseptic and coated the entire area. I have had a lot of banded kids around and none have ever smelled like this. I looked it up online but couldn't find anything. Is this ever normal? Is he at risk for fly strike? Is an antibiotic required? Could it be gangrene? Should I cut it off? :help


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## Anita Martin (Dec 26, 2007)

I moved this up hoping someone might see it this morning. This is my boyfriends pet wether....I just want to make sure I don't kill him!


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## Twillingate Farm (Oct 26, 2007)

Geez Anita, I've banded my boys since 1983 or so and I've never seen that happen. I usually use Blue Kote for antiseptic issues but iodine should prevent further problems with flys etc. Since the band prevents blood flow to the scrotum, there shouldn't be any infection problems upstream, but I'd still coat the offending end with iodine or blue Kote.

Is the band still intact?


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Especially in just a few days...I think it's also why the boer folks keep the bands on until the testicles are hard and then cut everything off past the band. We simply sprayed with Fural/Furox every weekend and never had any trouble.

When I made whethers, anything wrong at all, diarrhea, acting off, most certainly something like this, would just get you butchered today rather than treating and then butchering later on.


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## dragonlair (Mar 24, 2009)

when i wether, I wipe with alcohol and then spray with betadine before applying the band. For a week after, I use the alcohol pads and wipe the band area daily just to help keep bacteria down and dry the skin.


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## Anita Martin (Dec 26, 2007)

The banded area must have gotten bacteria into it somehow. Yes, the band is still intact and well above the scrotum. I've never had this happen but CG wanted this one for a weedeater/pet, so I can't send him off I put him on penicillin and did coat the whole thing with blue coat. I felt it this morning and it's started to dry up. I'll do the alcohol or iodine this evening. This band looks exactly like every other band that any of the other wethers have ever had. I can't see any open places or cuts, etc. This will most likely be the only wether we make this year, thank God.


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## Red Mare (Apr 23, 2011)

I've never seen this, but my vet warned me about something along these lines happening.
I have banded a few little ones and have had no problem, but worry about this- and about the kid going septic!


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## Tracy in Idaho (Oct 26, 2007)

I've had it happen on a calf eons ago.....one of the reasons I castrate with scissors now. I think we just went ahead on that calf and cut the bottom of the sack off, took out the testicles and washed it all out with iodine.


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