The purpose of this experiment was to evaluate the performance responses of castrated goats, submitted to two surgical wound treatments: conventional treatment with ointment made of zinc oxide, pine oil, kaolin and xylene and permethrin, phenoxybenzyl and DDVP spray (dichlorvos) and alternative phytotherapic treatment using herbal medicine with ointment made of Calendula offcinalis extract and associations. Twelve undefined breed goats with an average initial weight of 15.5 kg, raised in total confinement, were separated into two groups and arranged in a completely randomized design to constitute two treatments with six replicates each, in order to compare the performance of animals treated conventionally and with Calendula offcinalis extract and associations. We employed the orchiectomy (castration) technique by opening the scrotum and spermatic cord on day 0, and both groups were treated until complete healing of the surgical wound on the 51st day of trial. We analyzed the following biometric parameters: weight gain (kg), withers height gain (cm), croup height gain (cm), thotacic perimeter gain (cm) and body condition score. The results were analyzed using the Statistical Package SAEG and Tukey's test (P> .05). There was no significant difference between treatments (P> 0.05) for any of the parameters analyzed. All biometric characteristics, with the exception of body condition, increased during the evaluation period. There was no negative impact of the use of herbal medicine on the characteristics observed.
castration; goats; growth; phytotherapy