How much buck behavior is normal in wethered male?

[2goats8kids]

Rufio, 15 weeks old now, was wethered at 7 1/2 weeks by banding. His banded area has fallen off and I can't palpate any testes in that area - it is flat and soft.

However, he spends all his time trying to mount the females. His voice is lower. He extends and pees on himself and licks it.

This was only my third banding, I'm so worried I did something wrong! I'm about to list him on Craigslist but don't want to hand off a problem . Is this normal behavior for a wethered goat?

 

[samssimonsays]

I had a more dominant wether but he never did these things. @Southern by choice @Goat Whisperer @Ferguson K @frustratedearthmother @OneFineAcre would know more.

 

[NH homesteader]

I think it takes a while for the testosterone to get out of their system but I could be wrong. My wether mounts the girls but does not do any other bucky behavior.

 

[TAH]

My whether was like that for about 3-4 weeks after banding.

 

[animalmom]

I have three unrelated wethers who were born in April 2015 which makes them one year and 10 months-ish. These guys shared their pen with a Nigi-Lamancha mix doe and 4 Nigi does. The mix doe gets all hormonal when any other doe is in heat and starts blubbering and mounting. This girl is no lady, but useful in deciding if another doe would be receptive to a little romancing. So, I bring in a handsome buck for all the ladies to share, not that he cares, and the wethers start in with the blubbering and mounting. A week later I removed the tired by oh so happy buck and the wethers return to their normal state... more or less. Occasionally I still see a little buck-ish behavior these boys... not blubbering but trying to mount. I think at this point the trying to mount is an exhibition of dominance. My hormonal gal has been quite quiet so maybe all the does settled. Time will tell.

All that to say your boys are still rather recently banded and it just might take a while for all that male hormone to go away. I would not give up on him yet.

Is your handsome lad in with the girls? The girls' hormones may be causing him to do this peeing behavior, and you probably don't have the room in your suburban backyard to build him his own pen (which is probably why you banded him -- so he could stay with the ladies), but don't give up. See what happens in the coming weeks as the massive "I gotta Breed" time period is drawing to a close. Even with Nigerians, who are year round breeders, I've noticed that my gals and guys get crazy rambunctious starting the end of October through December. After the end of December my guys don't seem to really care if a doe is in heat... now three does at the same time might get a rise out of them.

Please keep us posted as to how he and you are doing. I do suppose if he is still being buck-ish in the long run then you might consider having a Vet check him out. I don't think you did anything wrong with the banding. The procedure is pretty simple: make sure the two jewels are within the band and let the band roll off the tool.

 

[2goats8kids]

Thanks - I do think maybe, being the only male back there, he's responding to heat. Whew. Banding seemed to go well. I think the last couple of guys I wethered I sold earlier on, so never saw them over time to know what is in the world of normal behavior. I appreciate the help!

 

[CntryBoy777]

I have 2 wethers...both have the same Father with different mothers....1 is 66% Boer, and the other 66% Pygmy each with the Cross breed the 2...they are a wk apart in age....one only cares about defending his 'Feed Bucket' and the other 'Acts the Same' as yours does....he is the older and most Pygmy and I have been wondering if it was 'Breed' related...or the breeder 'Banded' them at the same time in a group...so the one would have gotten a wks more Worth of hormones and testosterone and that could make the Difference...these are the very first Goats I have ever been around so, there isn't any 'Experience' to rely on...just to let ya know there are others out here 'Scratching our Heads' too...