Castrating goats too early can lead to urinary stones. However, 'early' for that reason is only younger than 2 or 3 months.
Not a lot of research on early castration in llamas is available but some believe that it can cause premature breakdown of the front feet which is a common problem with them. The recommended age is no earlier than 2 years. I have one that was done earlier but I don't know how much earlier. He's 4 now and his feet are good so far but he's the tallest one I have. I wish I knew more of his history.
I cut mine at 3.5 months. Was hoping to go as long as possible, but they started to exhibit some bucky behaviors that are not acceptable. There are plenty of feeds and supplements that should help minimize the urinary calculi. When I was a kid we castrated at under a week, but didn't keep them long enough to develop those potential problems. I kind of wish I didn't band Loki the same day I did the other boys. He may have been able to develop a little more. His horns are much thinner than the other boys and his nuts were maybe 25% of theirs.
"For some unfortunates, poisoned by city sidewalks ... the horn of the hunter never winds at all" Robert Ruark, The Horn of the Hunter
