Why is castration performed on male goats?

Castration is performed on male goats primarily to prevent unwanted breeding and improve behavior. When male goats are intact, they may exhibit aggressive behavior and strong mating drives, which can complicate management and lead to challenging situations on the farm. By castrating male goats, their hormone levels are lowered, which significantly reduces these aggressive tendencies and makes them more docile and easier to handle.

Additionally, preventing unwanted breeding is crucial in herd management. By castrating males, farmers can control the breeding process, ensuring that only selected, healthy goats are bred, which contributes to better herd genetics and health over generations.

While castration can have some additional benefits, such as possibly improving meat quality in some contexts or making management easier, the primary motivations are to control breeding and improve the overall temperament of the goats.