Keeping a Breeding Buck Mannerly and Compliant

[SDBoerGoats]

I am glad to see this asked, and the responses. I too have raised and trained horses for many years, and we have always had stallions of our own, or in training. So I naturally felt the way to discipline a buck was on the same order as what i would do with a stallion. We have a 2 year old that we purchased last fall, and a yearling that I bought when he was a weanling. So far both of them are good. The older buck for cranky when he was in rut. I was told to take a cattle prod in if he was chargey. I didn't care for that idea. I wouldn't do it to a stud horse and won't do it with any other animal. Our bucks are handled, brushed, dewormed, trimmed etc. I like the squirt gun idea if they got unruly, as long as I remember to carry one! I know I couldn't throw and sit on the big one, he outweighs me by a bunch but we have had him for 8 months and through one breeding season and he didn't get too bad. Now he is like a pup again. The younger one has never gotten bad yet, and he bred 2 does last year.

 

[Queen Mum]

Mama, my herd queen, taught me the butt hair pull. She really only uses it when she has to "get their attention" quickly and firmly and make her point if the target doesn't get it with a firm shove. But it works. She also got one of the boys attention once by pulling on his scrotum. (YIKES). I don't think I will ever try that one. But she just walked up to him and gave him a nip. He didn't ever mess with her again.

Mama has no horns and my bucks do. She would quickly lose if the boys didn't respect her and decided to use their horns. But they all tried just once. And all she did was give them "the look" and they all backed down immediately. Except, Ian. And what she did was let Ian get on his hind legs and come crashing down to... Nothing. She took two steps back, side stepped and knocked him to the ground by his shoulder. She then laid on top of him with her full 250 pounds calmly chewing her cud. He was so surprised that he just laid there looking shocked and chagrined. When she let him up, he ran away and hid behind me.

Got to love Mama.

 

[beckyburkheart]

It's like with a horse. Lots of horses will come up to you and kind of push into you seeking attention. Seeking attention is fine, until one of them actually puts his body on you and makes you take a step backward to keep your balance. In the moment you did that? You gave up authority. Most people just think "oh how sweet, he wants me to pet him". I need to know how to recognize this in goats, and what an effective response is.

mydakota, i would kiss you full on the lips if you were within a 100 miles of me. so many people never talk about "moving the feet" even though i know it's preached in some of the horsesmanship methods. ... it's so simple and such an easy way to get across such an important concept.

i've probably done that with our buck just by habit. if that's the kind of thing it takes, then i will start loving on our young guy and keeping him sweet and just treat him like one of the other guys. ... MIND YOUR MOMMA! LOL!

 

[beckyburkheart]

A very firm shove on the shoulder is a good correction as well as a squirt with cold water. Another correction is to take a small bit of hair on his butt and twist it. (that's a big reminder) If you need to you can grab his beard when he gets one and give it a fairly gentle tug. (Goats chins are very sensitive.)

awesome tip! that's really good to know and something i would never have thought of.

 

[redtailgal]

She also got one of the boys attention once by pulling on his scrotum. (YIKES).

I've done this with unruly bull calves and with young stud horses. It works. I wouldnt hesitate to try it on a goat. But then again, I've been told that I am ruthless and savage.

 

[mydakota]

Queen Mum?? "Mama" sounds like a gal who knows how to get things done!

 

[Missy]

I also have a yearing buck, mounting is something to definintely watch for. I missed the early signs(following me with head cocked to the side, tongue out, snorting and snuffing). This was his first breeding season, and he was quite excited about it. Well I was bent down clipping hooves on Willow(my quiet goat) and Bob Marley made his move, before I knew what was happening, I was half under Willow with a buck on my back....go ahead laugh....

Well I quickly got up and stared him straight in the eyes and made a BBBBRRRAAWWWW noise(similar to what my herd queen does to him, he lit out in the opposite direction...right into the herd queen, who quickly picked up where I left off and broadsided him...

From that day on, he has remained a nice sweet lovable buck, but never again did he try any funny business with me.

 

[mydakota]

Good information here. Thank you everyone.

 

[terrilhb]

I also have a yearing buck, mounting is something to definintely watch for. I missed the early signs(following me with head cocked to the side, tongue out, snorting and snuffing). This was his first breeding season, and he was quite excited about it. Well I was bent down clipping hooves on Willow(my quiet goat) and Bob Marley made his move, before I knew what was happening, I was half under Willow with a buck on my back....go ahead laugh....

Well I quickly got up and stared him straight in the eyes and made a BBBBRRRAAWWWW noise(similar to what my herd queen does to him, he lit out in the opposite direction...right into the herd queen, who quickly picked up where I left off and broadsided him...

From that day on, he has remained a nice sweet lovable buck, but never again did he try any funny business with me.

I am so sorry for laughing Missy. I had my smaller buck try that to me. He did not quite make it. I popped him on his nose. They are a trip. Now he just follows me around snorting at me and sticking out his tongue. I watch him like a hawk. His brother is just happy if he can rub his head on me. And I scratch his ears.

 

[Queen Mum]

When Ian wants a head scratch, I wash his face. He is quite indignant about having his lovely perfume washed off, but he lets me do it.