Gelding costs revisited everyone weigh in PLEASE :)

[SportNCurls]

I know this has been asked before but I cannot find the thread!

I am expanding this to worldwide not just USA...

What is the cost of gelding (straight forward no complications gelding of horse under 2 years old) and where are you located? If the cost is on farm vs at clinic feel free to include.

I have informally structured a gelding incentive pay back, but now it is time to put it down in writing... and want a good idea of what would make a fair payback amount (our plan is tier based on age of gelding). I plan on averaging the cost from your answers to come up with an answer :) !

Thanks In advance,
Amy

[Oldenburg Mom]

Here, it's $200 from my farm vet. Location:Orange County, VA.

[Iron Horse Farm]

Had my yearling done this year. On my farm, including farm call and pulling wolf teeth $262.

[NoDQhere]

Last time was under $150 and included wolf teeth. Western South Dakota.

[talloaks]

Just received a quote from my vets office in Virginia and the gelding procedure is $150, the drugs for anesthesia are $80 and the trip charge is $22 to my farm. That total is $252. Also 2 weeks prior to the gelding the little foal will need a tetanus shot which is $12 plus the farm call of $22 so that is an additonal $32 which added to the $252 becomes $ 284. I'm in Fauquier Country near Warrenton.

[Diamondindykin]

It cost me $250 at my farm in Western Washington in 2004.

[SeeHowSheRuns]

$340 total, on the farm, under anesthesia.
This included the castration, anesthesia, antibiotics, bute, and tetanus and trip.

ETA: in Central KY

[SportNCurls]

holy manure See How She Runs where are you located?? :)

Thanks and keep them coming!

[dressagetraks]

$75 for gelding. $50 for farm call if done on farm. I'm in Missouri.

[Carrera]

$250 total for a 9 month old colt. includes tetnus, and farm call. I'm in southern ontario, just north east of toronto

[Sugarbrook]

I took 3 this spring to the reproduction farm for Peterson/Smith. Three doctors joined up, layed them down, did them, in and out in one hour. Slick and quick. It was $250 per pony.
Since they dont get to do a lot of this they were all smiles and it was a stress free time. They helped unload them (gave them drugs before they left the van) and then layed them down on a large part of the grass section. They woke up, vets helped load them up again and off I went. I had the antibiotics on hand they wanted to use for them.

[FLIPPED HER HALO]

Northern CA

My colt is being gelded in 3 weeks. He will be 7 months old. I was told it was $100. The farm call is usually $35 to my ranch since we're close to the hospital. He's had his first 2 tetnus boosters already in September and October. In addition to the gelding charges, he will get his next round of shots when they come.

[Mel0309]

I take mine to the University of Florida vet school clinic. It costs me $75. It is done by a student but supervised by the vets. I have sent close to 10 and never had any problems. They keep them for the afternoon and do hourly checks on them.

It is about $250 to have a vet come out to your house and do it.

[amdfarm]

Cheap!! Castration $36.50, Drugs $38.20 (funny, more than the actual castration!) Farm call $25.00. Total = $99.70. Central Iowa. On the farm, yearling, no complications.

[dawglover]

Southeast Virginia, hauled colt in to clinic, $250. for castration, included sedation and tetanus booster.

[exvet]

There is a huge range even in our immediate area. For example I had a 2 year old gelded in the spring. I usually receive a professional discount but even with that my bill was around $225 for farm call, anesthesia, castration. I just had my 4 year old gelded one week ago. The farm call, anesthesia and castration was $130 (again I received a small discount) but even so that was a huge difference. I must say that the castration of the older guy went much smoother than the 2 year old did also. There wasn't that much difference in distance regarding the farm call - both colleagues are the same distance from me. The one who did the 2 year old colt is a friend and former co-worker from a referral practice. The one who did the 4 year old is also a friend but has a ambulatory practice and was the only one willing to come out to do a 4 year old "on the farm".

[SportNCurls]

added a poll to break down ages ... I very rarely sell an intact colt, but I am including any my stallion(s) may produce in the future.

My tentative idea is maximum payback (flat fee predetermined amount not individual vet costs) prior to 2 YO

half that amount for 2 to 4 YO (with some conditons, such as, whether the colt was or was not used for test foals or fulltime breeding prior to gelding)

smallest incentive for former breeding stallion...

Ideas/ input welcome

something I haven't thought of???

[Hillside H Ranch]

We charge $100 for routine castration; includes antibiotics, anesthesia and tetanus. That is at the clinic; if it is on the farm then there is an additional farm call. We are in west-central Missouri and there are several equine practices in a 1 hr radius; I would say that everyone charges about the same.

Oh, and I often castrate have my own colts castrated before weaning, so anywhere from 3 to 5 months of age. I have no desire to wait longer and it often works out great to castrate them before they are weaned.

[shakeytails]

I had 2 done this summer; they were about 13-14 mo. old. The cost was right around $300 for both, including tetanus and trip charge. One we did standing, the other didn't want to co-operate so we knocked him out.

[BeastieSlave]

I paid $150 in January to have my then 10 month old gelded.

[Reiter]

$250 under anesthesia at my farm (trip charge is $75) and I usually get them done when they are around 10 months, in the spring before the bugs come out!

[smilton]

$150 by vet-includes antibiotics, tetanus and farm call

$15 by redneck down the road (castration free (its the neighborly thing to do)-$15 for me to buy antibiotics and tetanus) Done with the same equiptment without drugs

[Silly Mommy]

I took Yak to Cornell since he was an 8 year old breeding stallion. My bill was $131... I did the tetanus shot at home, and the trip was 84 miles round trip. Honestly, I was surprised because on farm, with call charge, is closer to $250 and I usually sit on the head and assist in other ways.

[JoZ]

$65 farm call
$200 castration
$20-40 sedation

As for age, I "voted" 6 months to one year, but the season is more of a constant than the age. As soon as the ground is sort of dry, but before fly season -- and in Washington that generally tucks us into a 24-hour window, LOL! So late foals from the prior year (May/June) may be 9-10 months old, early foals (Feb/Mar) may be 13-14 months old.

[elly]

Hi Amy -

I love the idea of an incentive program - you always have such innovative ideas !!!

As to your question - we just had a 3 year old, 'well developed' stallion and his 4 months old colt gelded, one at the clinic (the older one - did not want to take any chances), the little guy at the farm - cost for everything was $ 500.

Give Bart a hug !

[LisaO]

*FREE* Marry the vet!!!!

OK, not quite free...

[FriesianX]

OK, from CA (where things can be pricey), $275 to geld, $60 ranch call. The $275 includes sedation, etc.

[FriesianX]

*FREE* Marry the vet!!!!

OK, not quite free...


I think this is a great idea - and a BIG boost to any breeder. Should be included in every successful breeding business plan :lol:

[LisaO]

Ahhh, and my ever loving husband was sooooo disappointed when the evil taxman told him he couldn't charge me! I, of course, was ecstatic!!!

[StorybrookeFarms]

My boy was close to two when I had him gelded. It was $500 w/ my vet. (We are in Michigan) He did him standing in his stall. Included tetnaus, 5-way, sedation, local, antibiotics and the procedure itself... possibly a couple other things but I can't remember without the bill in front of me.

[StorybrookeFarms]

$15 by redneck down the road (castration free (its the neighborly thing to do)-$15 for me to buy antibiotics and tetanus) Done with the same equiptment without drugs

That's horrendous

[exvet]

Originally Posted by smilton
$15 by redneck down the road (castration free (its the neighborly thing to do)-$15 for me to buy antibiotics and tetanus) Done with the same equiptment without drugs

Originally Posted by StorybrookeFarms
That's horrendous

My FIL is quite proud of himself because "He won't spend those outrageous prices the vets charge! " (Many of the vets he refers to are my classmates and thus classmates of his son as well.....fortunately we live out of state and are not obligated to proved free services any more) Instead my FIL gelds his colts during a big round up each fall. He runs about 5 stallions and occasionally will keep a colt intact if he thinks it's worthy (usually that means the "right" color). The rest he gelds depending on the year that could be 10 or so, no drugs and the same way he does his calves. He thumps his chest and exclaims each year what it would have cost him had he had one of "those vets do it" and when I ask him how many colts he lost [each year] the answer is usually, "eh well only 1 or 2". THAT still keeps him happy, proud and moderately belligerent. I am so glad I moved far away from the proud to be ignorant rednecks I am related to 'cause I'd probably be in jail otherwise :yes:

[bpt]

Here on the eastern shore of MD
Castration/Standing $275.00
Tetanus Vac 18.00
Split a Farm Call 25.00
Total $318.00

Now I already had some SMZ tabs and the bute, so if you totaled all that in I am sure I would really be up there. Oh, and the colt is a yearling.

[Kyzteke]

$150 by vet-includes antibiotics, tetanus and farm call

$15 by redneck down the road (castration free (its the neighborly thing to do)-$15 for me to buy antibiotics and tetanus) Done with the same equiptment without drugs

Wow -- I wonder how the redneck down the road would like HIS balls removed without drugs...

[smilton]

I can say after seeing it done they are alot quicker than my vet, less swelling, less residual bleeding (used the same reimer set) and they didn't hold any grudges. They did a sterile prep.

This isn't a new surgery. It's been done for 100's of years. I know on my grandfather's farm he did it himself with a pocket knife and never lost one and he had over 1000 head at one point.

The vet has done the ones on my farm but after seeing the West Virginians at work they do a pretty good job of it. I really was impressed.

[Foxtrot's]

Maybe I'd better check around - I was quoted "about $500.00".