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Getting your jack -

For domesticated male equines, gelding is a necessary evil.   It allows the jacks and stallions as neuters to live a comfortable peaceful life amongst other herd members and people. There will not be the owner liability of owning a potentially dangerous animal as well as the expense of special containment that is required by law in most states for stallions (any intact male equine is a stallion).  A gelding will be easier to handle and train and will have the opportunity to do more and see more of the world.

Before your donkey is gelded you should find out if both testicles are descended.  This defines whether to plan for a simple surgery or a possibly costly one.  It's easiest while scratching and gently petting the foal, to reach under and feel whether you find one, two or no testicles at all and report this to your veterinarian (it's best to check when the foal is relaxed and warm). Normally the jack foals are born with their testicles descended.  Remember, until they are approximately 12 to 18 months of age, they can not be seen, only gently palpated.   Foals that are not fully dropped (meaning outside the body wall) by 6 months to a year are defined as cryptorchids and should have the complete surgeries done regardless, the younger the better. No one should surgically take only the one testicle that is showing if one retained in the abdomen, that is very irresponsible for that one testicle that is left inside is enough to keep your animal acting like a jack and a possible danger even though he is sterile.  Even if the jack is a perfect specimen otherwise, breeding cryptorchidism should be absolutely discouraged as it is a proven fact that cryptorchidism is genetically passed on, and is totally undesirable.

The easiest time to geld young jacks is while they are still on mom, though jacks can be gelded at any age even into their teens.  We have safely gelded as young as 3-4 months of age and as old as mid teens.  Our foals are not weaned until at least 6 months of age, so they are totally healed and vaccinated prior to the stress of weaning.   They bounce up quickly after surgery and don't seem all that bothered by it - following mom around the pasture they get plenty of exercise which controls swelling and encourages drainage and they heal incredibly quick.  However, gelding prior to 2 months is not recommended as the inguinal ring (which allows the testicles to descend from the abdomen into the scrotum) usually isn't tightened up till then and hernia's could be more likely to occur.  Talk with your veterinarian.

Waiting 1 to 2 years of age  to get some maturity on the young jack is counter productive if you intend to geld.  Donkeys will not ever get the muscle mass of a horse and all waiting will do is develop a more platter jaw and bony head of a mature jack and give him time to take on the hormonal behaviors that castrating doesn't always take away. Young intact jacks can be very rowdy and raunchy.  It's always better to stop behaviors before they even start.  Besides there has been some studies done that some height is sacrificed in developing all those masculine characteristics - gelding early might actually encourage more size. 

The unknown can be scary - having an idea of what is going to happen during the castration process and what the post surgical care is required will allow better preparation for both donkey and owner. Unless your jack is a cryptorchid and/ or your veterinarian prefers to work in his surgery center, most equine castrations are done outside at the place of residence.  A nice clean grassy paddock area is preferred, with soft ground and no rocks or other dangerous obstacles.  Your donkey is going to go down on this terrain and you don't want him to be hurt.  He should be wearing a secure halter and lead rope.

To begin things, after his equipment is ready, the veterinarian will administer a pre-anesthetic.  Usually he will pop it in I.V. in the lower portion of the neck.  Each veterinarian has their own "cocktails" of drugs that they prefer.  The pre-anesthetic not only relaxes the patient (within a few minutes, he will be wobbling on his feet like he's been on a ten day drunk and his nose will be within inches of the ground) but the drug also serves to strengthen and support your donkeys system in preparation for full anesthetic.   Most veterinarians prefer to lay the patient down for surgery - and again he will administer the anesthetic into the vein in his neck. The drug normally is a disassociate - he will not remember anything until he is fully awake again.   In less than a minute your donkey will stagger backwards trying to stay upright, and a practiced veterinarian can control this with the halter and lead rope - so that the donkey will seem to sit back and go down gently on his side.  He will keep the head up so it doesn't hit the ground.  Soft padding under the head should be applied to protect the delicate nerves of the face and a towel is placed over the eyes to protect them from light, dust and flies as they will remain open under the effect of the anesthetic.

Once the donkey is safely down and the head protected, the hind leg is usually tied forward (a rope is passed around the neck to the hind leg) and the surgical site is scrubbed. Actual surgical techniques vary - the main goal is of course to remove the testicles, keep the wound clean and minimize trauma and bleeding.  My veterinarian chooses to ligate or tie off the the blood vessels as donkeys do tend to bleed more than their equine horse cousins.  Normally the incision is left open to facilitate drainage. 

By the time the veterinarian has completed the surgery, the patients respiration and body movements are indicating that he's starting to come around.  The hind leg is released, but the towel over the eyes is left in place.  Noise should be kept to a minimum as you want the donkey to wake up slowly - the slower the better -  you don't want him to be leaping to his feet still under the influence of the drug.   Normally he will pick up his head and roll up onto his sternum to think for a minute (the towel will fall off his face) and get his bearings, and then quietly rise up to his feet.  The first thing they usually want to do is put their head down and start grazing.  They normally do not seem overly concerned over what has happened to them.

Your veterinarian should give you post surgical care instructions, that will help keep the wound and surrounding area's clean, control flies and minimize swelling.  The best thing for your new gelding after the first 24 hours is exercise.  It encourages drainage, promotes faster healing and controls the  swelling.  Sometimes the sheath can become grossly engorged with edema - it indicates that more exercise is needed.  Walking in hand a half hour once or twice a day or letting him run and play with friends will usually be sufficient. Hosing down the site and the hind legs will keep the flies down and keep the drainage from scalding the skin on the hind legs.  Finishing with some fly spray (not on the wound). Monitor his feed and water intake carefully.  Report any lack of appetite, depression or elevated temperature to your veterinarian immediately.    Usually drainage is gone within the week and by the end of the third week the surgical site has scabbed over and is almost healed up.  The ordeal is done - congratulations to you both!

A note for persons that keep jennets and geldings housed together - geldings can and do breed jennets in heat.  This does not mean the donkey gelding is proud cut.  Geldings are more likely to be able to accomplish this - they go completely through the motions, but are of course sterile.  Jennets that are going to be used for breeding should be kept separate from geldings, however.  As this constant barrage, as well as cross contamination can affect the jennets future fertility.