Buck is driving me crazy

[Goat Whisperer]

I know, but finding a vet that will do caprines can be difficult for some. Thankfully we are lucky in that area!

 

[bonbean01]

That mounting is why I do not have goats or llamas....my brother does and his males pick me out to mount...all think it terribly funny, except me! I say band him...he has to be old enough.

 

[Baymule]

Dinner.

 

[sadieml]

Our wether was banded at 8 weeks. He has suffered no ill effects. Just about everything I read said if you can feel the testicles have "dropped", i.e. there is a noticeable space between the body and the testes, the urethra should be fine. With pygmies, which are potent any time after 6 weeks, 8 weeks is sufficient. I can see no reason for waiting until they are 10 or 12 months. They now snip cats (male and female) any time after 4 months. Old enough to breed is old enough to fix.

 

[Goat Whisperer]

That mounting is why I do not have goats or llamas....my brother does and his males pick me out to mount...all think it terribly funny, except me! I say band him...he has to be old enough.

Many bucks don't do this. They need to be taught respect. Genetics do play a factor but a great deal of it is how you raise them. You could go in with our bucks here and not have any issues. (except 1, we got him at two years- I don't think boundaries were enforced in the manner that it should have been) Rams are what scare me, I have heard they can be pretty evil lil snots!

 

[Latestarter]

They get pretty big too from what I've heard...

 

[Goat Whisperer]

The buck that I'm having some issues with is 38+inches at the withers and is over 200lbs. He is long, TALL and has a very "dairy" appearance so not much muscle. I have no idea what he would weigh if he had the muscling of a meat goat! Thank goodness for hotwire, he can practically step over a 4ft fence Sadly he will be leaving when we are done using him. Hoping he gives us some nice, well uddered daughters!

 

[MMWB]

Be very no nonsense about disciplining him. Tipping him will probably do it, though you will probably need to do it more than once. I had a whether that was new to me who got me good with his horns the first week. It startled me and without even thinking I just rabbit punched him in the muzzle (it is not my regular approach to discipline). He blinked, stepped back and walked away. About a minute later he was gently nuzzling me for some affection, which he of course got. He's never attempted to horn me in the year since. Goats are one of the more intelligent prey animals. This can work in our favor--if we are willing to train; or very much against us--if we aren't...

I bottle raised a buckling a couple of years ago. He started getting bucky at 5 months, both in terms of behavior and smell. We cut him then. No need to wait. Vets are generalists. They can't be experts on every animal. At least not until they've been doing it a couple of decades.

 

[MMWB]

On a more humorous note. We were looking for a buck to breed a couple of dairy does several years ago (about 14) and found one in the area. He was a monster of an alpine that stank to high heaven. He was ill disciplined and a handful. I asked the guy what he wanted for a fee, he said there was no fee, just take it. I told him I'd bring him back in a week. He said no, that I was welcome to take him, but then I could not bring him back. Further conversation denoted that this buck had been passed around several times. Hense the the term, "passing the buck." He was an ornery critter and after the does were bred, we passed the buck unto another hapless goat raiser...

In hind sight, he would've made a great packer after being cut, if one could find a vet to do it on an adult goat. A couple of months and he would've calmed and the lack of hormones would've cleared up the odor...