# Questionable Buck Behavior



## bethh (Jul 25, 2020)

We have a ND buck, Willie.  We got him as an adult, back in January.  He insists on rubbing his head, disbudded, on me specifically my shins.  He is very forceful and it hurts.  Is he just being sweet or is he trying to exert his dominance over me?   Irregardless, how do I stop him?  Here he is... he’s bigger now 
View attachment 76344


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## B&B Happy goats (Jul 25, 2020)

bethh said:


> We have a ND buck, Willie.  We got him as an adult, back in January.  He insists on rubbing his head, disbudded, on me specifically my shins.  He is very forceful and it hurts.  Is he just being sweet or is he trying to exert his dominance over me?   Irregardless, how do I stop him?  Here he is... he’s bigger now
> View attachment 76344


That is pretty much normal buck behavior here, I use my leg to deter  the head rubbing action, sometimes a tap on the nose to discourage  him.....good luck


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## bethh (Jul 25, 2020)

B&B Happy goats said:


> That is pretty much normal buck behavior here, I use my leg to deter  the head rubbing action, sometimes a tap on the nose to discourage  him.....good luck


I’ve used the metal trash can lid.  Daily, I wonder how people deal with it when their goats have horns.  I’d be a bloody mess.


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## B&B Happy goats (Jul 25, 2020)

bethh said:


> I’ve used the metal trash can lid.  Daily, I wonder how people deal with it when their goats have horns.  I’d be a bloody mess.


Mine have horns, lol..sometimes they come in handy for this old lady to grab a hold  of  .... 
the polled buck will rub on the back of my leg but he usually wants a scratching of his head...spoiled goats also chew on my shirt, sit on my lap and will jockey for position to sit next to us when we are out with them....but they keep us laughing ...


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## Mini Horses (Jul 25, 2020)

That time of year.   There are musk glands on a buck near the horns.  Even if disbudded, he may be having some activity from those and it is time for rut.    Smack his nose & tell him "NO"....each time.   He loves you!      If you watch, he'll do this to the does.   They love it.


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## bethh (Jul 25, 2020)

Mini Horses said:


> That time of year.   There are musk glands on a buck near the horns.  Even if disbudded, he may be having some activity from those and it is time for rut.    Smack his nose & tell him "NO"....each time.   He loves you!      If you watch, he'll do this to the does.   They love it.


That’s what I was afraid of.  I come in smelling to high heaven.


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## SaanenMom (Jul 31, 2020)

Squirt gun filled full and shot in his face. 

When I smacked the nose of one of my bucks (have 6 Saanens....all over 225 lbs and 36+ inches), he bowed his neck at me. When I got in his face to push him back, he reared up a couple times, but came straight down fortunately. He was taking over the herd and me from the 11 yr old. Being 69 and on blood thinners, I can't afford to be injured. The squirt gun really worked on him. It caused him to turn away from me.


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## rachels.haven (Jul 31, 2020)

Hose works even better if that's an option, if you get desperate. It will also not harm him.
One of my ND bucks kept trying to pee on me through the fence while I filled the water daily (worst behaved breed, imo). One day I got sick of it and decided to show him "mine". The hose had a nozzle on it for a little pressure to help wash out troughs. It had a nice long range. As a 20 something year old woman with a garden hose, I won the peeing contest that day and over a year later he still has not tried again. I peed him all the way across the pen until he gave up and ran away-unheard of for that blockhead. He's reasonably respectful now. I suspect I may still have to "pee" him down for biting or trying to butt me occasionally, but he's heading out soon to serve someone else's herd and bestow them with his actually nice genetics. I might bathe him for extra respect points so he behaves for the new owner, lol (and he'll smell nice and fruity too!). I am the head buck, after all.


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## bethh (Aug 1, 2020)

rachels.haven said:


> Hose works even better if that's an option, if you get desperate. It will also not harm him.
> One of my ND bucks kept trying to pee on me through the fence while I filled the water daily (worst behaved breed, imo). One day I got sick of it and decided to show him "mine". The hose had a nozzle on it for a little pressure to help wash out troughs. It had a nice long range. As a 20 something year old woman with a garden hose, I won the peeing contest that day and over a year later he still has not tried again. I peed him all the way across the pen until he gave up and ran away-unheard of for that blockhead. He's reasonably respectful now. I suspect I may still have to "pee" him down for biting or trying to butt me occasionally, but he's heading out soon to serve someone else's herd and bestow them with his actually nice genetics. I might bathe him for extra respect points so he behaves for the new owner, lol (and he'll smell nice and fruity too!). I am the head buck, after all.


Love it.   I don’t necessarily have a hose close.   I may need to remedy that.  The ear lunching worked for a couple of days.   I’ll have to bring a super soaker to the area so that I have access when needed.


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## bethh (Aug 1, 2020)

SaanenMom said:


> Squirt gun filled full and shot in his face.
> 
> When I smacked the nose of one of my bucks (have 6 Saanens....all over 225 lbs and 36+ inches), he bowed his neck at me. When I got in his face to push him back, he reared up a couple times, but came straight down fortunately. He was taking over the herd and me from the 11 yr old. Being 69 and on blood thinners, I can't afford to be injured. The squirt gun really worked on him. It caused him to turn away from me.


I’m going to bring one to that area for when he decides to be a pain.


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## Ridgetop (Aug 1, 2020)

Head rubbing with his scent glands is a sign of dominance.  He is marking you as one of *his* does. Yes it stinks, and I never allowed any of my bucks (or rams) to head rub me. There are also scent glands behind his knees and during rut he will rub his face on them, pee on his beard, and then try to rub that delicious smell all over you. To the does it is delightful like an expensive perfume. To me  GAG! I don't allow any of my animals to jump on me, rub their heads on me, paw at me, or otherwise assert any dominance over me. I am 70, not getting any younger, but getting a bit weaker and less sure footed so don't need to be knocked over.


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## bethh (Aug 1, 2020)

Ridgetop said:


> Head rubbing with his scent glands is a sign of dominance.  He is marking you as one of *his* does. Yes it stinks, and I never allowed any of my bucks (or rams) to head rub me. There are also scent glands behind his knees and during rut he will rub his face on them, pee on his beard, and then try to rub that delicious smell all over you. To the does it is delightful like an expensive perfume. To me  GAG! I don't allow any of my animals to jump on me, rub their heads on me, paw at me, or otherwise assert any dominance over me. I am 70, not getting any younger, but getting a bit weaker and less sure footed so don't need to be knocked over.



I thought it was probably a sign of dominance.   We are working on it.   I come in smelling to high heavens.  The bucks don’t jump on us.   Our girls are a different story.  We bottle raised them and they are nuts.


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## Ridgetop (Aug 2, 2020)

We bottle raised all our kids, does and bucks, in our dairy program.  None of them were ever allowed to jump from the word go.  No matter how cute they are, when dealing with young livestock always visualize them as 150-200 lb. adults (even if they are dwarf breeds) and immediately stop any behavior that would be unacceptable at that size.  

It is hard to do when we love them, but you have always to remember that they are livestock and train them accordingly.  I never let my children throw tantrums, or climb on grocery store shelves,  it is the same idea.  You have to train them from babyhood to be well behaved livestock.


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## bethh (Aug 2, 2020)

Ridgetop said:


> We bottle raised all our kids, does and bucks, in our dairy program.  None of them were ever allowed to jump from the word go.  No matter how cute they are, when dealing with young livestock always visualize them as 150-200 lb. adults (even if they are dwarf breeds) and immediately stop any behavior that would be unacceptable at that size.
> 
> It is hard to do when we love them, but you have always to remember that they are livestock and train them accordingly.  I never let my children throw tantrums, or climb on grocery store shelves,  it is the same idea.  You have to train them from babyhood to be well behaved livestock.


We are definitely learning.


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