..:: Wethering your young males::..
Castrated male alpacas are termed "wethers", and the act of castration "wethering". Wethering must be carried out by a qualified veterinary surgeon while the alpaca is under the influence of an anaesthetic.
It is generally accepted by most alpaca breeders
that males who are not required for breeding
are wethered. This results in a quieter, more
handle-able animal who is
not under the influence of
sexual hormones. Wethers
make great pets when sold
to buyers who only want a
small herd, and they are
easier to manage on the
stud farm, too. They don't tend to fight, and
can be kept with your breeding females without
risk of an unwanted pregnancies, and some quiet
machos also appreciate the company of a wether
(don't make assumptions on this - some working
studs can't stand wethers, and will attack your
uncomprehending wether mercilessly. Be very
sure that your macho is not aggressively inclined
before leaving wethers and machos
unsupervised). Wethers also make great
companion animals for weanlings, sick animals, or
any alpaca you need to separate from the main
herd for any reason. Wethering make good
practical sense both economically and for ease
of management.Llamas, wethering and a bit of historical information!:
Unlike Australia and New Zealand, where alpacas are easily the preferred pet or livestock option, in USA, llamas are far more popular, and numerous, than alpacas. The popularity of llamas as pets and companions (their fleece is generally not suitable for manufacture or commercial purposes) accelerated some twenty years ago. In New Zealand, the stock market crash of the 1980's decimated our national alpaca herd, with almost all our alpacas being exported to Australia, and it has only been in the last decade that NZ alpaca numbers have begun to recover.
As a result, NZ alpaca owners are
largely dependant on the
expertise of Australia and USA in
addressing alpaca specific
situations. In USA, it was found
that the early wethering of
llamas (prior to 2 or 3 years of
age) led to excessive long bone growth, making
the llamas concerned very "leggy" and lacking in
bone density. As a result, it is recommended
that llamas are not wethered before attaining
physical maturity at 2 years or olders, withsome
authorities recommending that animals not be
castrated at all.This recommendation subsequently filtered down to NZ and Australia, with the assumption that alpacas would be similarly affected, and it is common practice to delay wethering on non-breeding animals until after their 2nd birthday, or not at all.
Alpacas, wethering and more recent discoveries:
Lately the trend in both NZ and Australia has been towards wethering of younger alpacas than is common practice with llamas. It appears that the assumption early wethering of alpacas will result in the same disadvantages as for llamas is faulty. As a result, alpacas in Australia and NZ are now being wethered as young as 4 ½ months (dependant on the testicles having dropped into the scrotum).
We feel that the experience of major Australian breeders that alpacas do not suffer any disadvantage from early wethering to be sufficient evidence that we are willing to wether our young males as soon as a decision is made not to retain them for breeding purposes. However, given that there is some controversy still over this issue, we suggest you, as a breeder, do your own studies and draw your own conclusions as to the age you choose to wether your surplus males.
How does this affect the pet buyer?
If you do not intend to become a breeder, wethered alpacas are the obvious choice. Females command very high prices, and it is pointless to pay this for an animal you intend to be a pet only. You could buy unwethered males, but then will need to decide whether to keep them entire or not. Two or three entire males that have never been used for breeding, may live quite peaceably together, but fights are more likely than between wethers.
Most young males are one or two years old before being sold - and most lack the emotional maturity to leave home much before this age, anyway. If you are buying a younger animal, always ensure you buy an older (2 years plus) wether from the same farm to keep him company and lessen the stress of leaving home prematurely. We believe buying an animal already wethered is the easiest option for most pet buyers, but if you are concerned about the possible effects of early wethering, buy mature animals (at least 3 years of age) where any physical disadvantages will have already manifested.
For more information on buying wethers as pets see Are you the right alpaca for me?
