# Bucks in rut



## SheepGirl (Aug 29, 2013)

I just had a question pop into my head, and who better to ask than the BYH community? 

When bucks are in rut, they pee and spray 'other fluids' on themselves. How do they not get urine scald? Or is there something I'm missing, lol.


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## AshleyFishy (Aug 29, 2013)

Sometimes they do. I think it has a lot to do with their ph level at the time.


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## Chevoner (Aug 29, 2013)

Can they not be bathed occasionally during rut? Or would this be a bad idea?


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## AshleyFishy (Aug 29, 2013)

Would be kind of pointless honestly. If the don't have the right cologne the girls won't be interested at least as much. So he will just expend more energy and fluids to get his smell on. Plus goats hate to be washed and it strips the oils from the coat.


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## Chevoner (Aug 29, 2013)

Okay, thanks. I knew the 'buckyness' encouraged the does, but was thinking "What if I'm not going to breed this buck at the moment?" lol


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## kinder (Nov 13, 2013)

OK so they are stinky.I have yet to get my kinder goats. And my biggest concern is my neighbors and the stench. Is there anything one could do to calm down the all powerful buck in rut cologne???


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## Southern by choice (Nov 13, 2013)

Nope. Some bucks smell worse than others though. 
How close are your neighbors?


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## OneFineAcre (Nov 13, 2013)

Southern by choice said:


> Nope. Some bucks smell worse than others though.
> How close are your neighbors?


Agree, not a whole lot you can do.  Smell is not an issue, it doesn't really carry particularly when it's cold.  I mean a month ago, when it was still warm it could blow the right way and we could catch a wiff here at the house.  Really it's when you are in proximity to them.  Or, when you go in their pen to feed them and they want to rub on you.  You will need to change clothes.

You need to worry about your boys health them this time of year.  Mine are losing weight because they don't half eat.  Rocky was pretty well conditioned and he is pretty skinny now.  Caspian was a little fat, and he is almost skinny.  We don't give ours grain normally, but we are giving them some now, and alfalfa hay.  Old bucks often die after the rut.


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## ThornyRidgeII (Nov 13, 2013)

Try to position your boys upwind from neighbors.. I have my pen down and behind my barn and it is approximately a good 80 yards or so from the house.. but when a breeze catches it just right.. well eau de buck is on the breeze!  I have nigies and they tend to mainly get nasty in the fall... it is a constantly peeing all over themselves, each other, the pen, me if I am not paying attention.. so there is really no battle you can fight and win to keep them clean.. I have a beautiful cream/white colored buck who turns literally a lovely gold/butterscotch color on his chest, face, legs, etc by time winter rolls around.. what is amazing is as nasty as my boys get they actually clean themselves up nicely by spring.. the smell though, never fully goes away!  I would never dissuade someone from owning bucks.. if you can manage and tolerate go for it!  I love my boys.. just can't cuddle with them like the girls!!!


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## OneFineAcre (Nov 13, 2013)

ThornyRidgeII said:


> Try to position your boys upwind from neighbors.. I have my pen down and behind my barn and it is approximately a good 80 yards or so from the house.. but when a breeze catches it just right.. well eau de buck is on the breeze!  I have nigies and they tend to mainly get nasty in the fall... it is a constantly peeing all over themselves, each other, the pen, me if I am not paying attention.. so there is really no battle you can fight and win to keep them clean.. I have a beautiful cream/white colored buck who turns literally a lovely gold/butterscotch color on his chest, face, legs, etc by time winter rolls around.. what is amazing is as nasty as my boys get they actually clean themselves up nicely by spring.. the smell though, never fully goes away!  I would never dissuade someone from owning bucks.. if you can manage and tolerate go for it!  I love my boys.. just can't cuddle with them like the girls!!!


 
Bucks are definitely sweet boys


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## Southern by choice (Nov 13, 2013)

Yep the boys are definitely lovebugs, and yes we let them climb on us and rub their smelly faces and sometimes dodge the "spray" but they are sweet sweet sweet!


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## kinder (Nov 13, 2013)

I am the last house on a dead end street that is next to rail road tracks. I have about 150 ft. either way. Im not worried about the RR and my neighbors on the other side think goats would be great. But could change down the line. I do live in a small Vermont city, and although they said I could do this,as long as no one complains about the smell.


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## Southern by choice (Nov 13, 2013)

We have 5 bucks. Had 7, sold a few. They are 2 Kiko's, 1 New Zealand, 2 ND's....  not really any odor issues til you are pretty much right on them. Occasionally if the breeze catches it "just right" you can get a whiff but not a real issue...  
Goats typically don't cause much odor issue if you are not overstocked and keep things clean. 
Goats are certainly enjoyable, comical, fun, loving, nosy, and just all around big babies! Our mini mancha and her mother PB Lamancha are the naughtiest  goats ever but we cannot imagine not having their antics!


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## Rocco (Nov 16, 2013)

> I knew the 'buckyness' encouraged the does, but was thinking "What if I'm not going to breed this buck at the moment?" lol



One hint for that situation is to use a dab of Vicks Vapor Rub on  his nose/nostrils a couple of times a day so he can't smell the does.

We had a buck (the guy in my avatar) in rut a month too early this year for when we wanted to start breeding and used it on him. I was afraid it would perturb the young lad and he would fight me and be rather tough to handle stuffing that into his nostrils, but as it turned out he didn't fight it a bit...almost seemed to enjoy it. And it did calm and slow him down.


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## goatboy1973 (Nov 17, 2013)

To prevent urine scald, I bathe the bucks and use Liquid Dawn dish washing soap. Then I use liberal amts. of Vaseline where the buck sprays (usually around chin, eyes, bridge if nose, and backs of their front legs). This provides a barrier so the urine doesn't soak into the skin. All this is done pre-rut. Oh yeah, I usually wear plastic rain gear and rubber dish washing gloves so I don't smell like wet billy goat for days. It's nearly as bad as skunk.


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## Southern by choice (Nov 17, 2013)

goatboy1973 said:


> To prevent urine scald, I bathe the bucks and use Liquid Dawn dish wasting soap. Then I use liberal amts. of Vaseline where the buck sprays (usually around chin, eyes, bridge if nose, and backs of their front legs.



  FANTASTIC tip!  We've been watching the big New Zealand buck.... may end up using this.... but no-way can we bathe him! LOL


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## goatboy1973 (Nov 17, 2013)

LOL!!! Yeah, when I used Kiko bucks, they tended to spray their faces and front legs until they had a thick  brown "crust". I had a Full New Zealand buck (white one) that actually had a slight skin infection on his front leg under the "crust" and I removed the remnants of the rut on his leg, cleaned the wound and used a whole tube of Neosporin triple antibiotic ointment on both legs to heal the wound and also, this stuff is basically Vasoline with antibiotics in it so no further infection or urine soaking into the front legs.


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## Southern by choice (Nov 17, 2013)

This would be a great posting for easy recall!


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## goatboy1973 (Nov 17, 2013)

Southern by choice said:


> This would be a great posting for easy recall!


Thanks. Yeah, it would.


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## kinder (Nov 25, 2013)

Great tips everyone, I will be so ready, when I get my goats!!


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