Why do we castrate animals instead of giving them vasectomies?

T156@lemmy.world to No Stupid Questions@lemmy.world – 71 points –

In humans, we don't usually castrate them because it throws their hormones out of whack, and causes all kinds of issues, but wouldn't that also be the case for some animals, since their hormones systems are fairly similar?

Why is it that that we remove the testicles entirely, rather than giving them vasectomies like we do for humans?

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There's times in human history that it was done to humans for the same reasons. Eunuchs were just castrated human servants. Some were even done just to keep their voices from dropping so they'd sing in a "castrato"

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Did you know that historically eunuchs were invaluable as administrators and officials? Several sources say this was because it meant that those offices were a lot less likely to be hereditary, and therefore the power to appoint administrators and officials remained with the state!

WOW! That IS a fun fact!

For another helping: this is also why they were used in at least one culture I know of as servants to the Queen or the King's consorts. Didn't have to check paternity if you castrate every other man they ever see.

The fall of the Han Dynasty in China came about because a group of eunuchs were the de facto rulers of the empire and warlords wanted to restore said power to the emperor, culminating in the Three Kingdoms period. Eunuchs were always kept around in Asian courts because it was believed they wouldn't have a drive for power, since they couldn't have children in order to start their own dynasties.

well, sounds like those eunuchs sure proved them wrong about the power hungry thing.

I'm convinced Michael Jackson's father did this to him

They probably would be mire likely to chemically castrate these days like they sometimes do to rapists.