When to buy your own buck?

[Ariel72]

Sometimes it seems like it would be convenient to keep your own buck on your own property. Especially if he's a breed that isn't readily available in your area. Is it worth it to keep a buck for just one or two does...or is it more trouble than its worth?

 

[Ariel72]

And...how many does make a buck worth keeping?

 

[SDGsoap&dairy]

I have nigerians and I love my buck! Yes, he's smelly and it adds a little extra work to have separate housing but to me it's well worth it. He's super sweet and just as easy to handle as my does. In fact, we're about to add a second. I don't have any experience with full-sized bucks though. I think in the end it's more of a "is it worth it to YOU" question since everyone's situation and preferences are different.

Edited to add: some folks might find it "worth it" to have a buck even if they only have one or two does to breed. I think that depends on the availability of clean, suitable bucks in your area.

 

[freemotion]

Yep, got one for only two does last year. It was worth it financially, at least in my area. To breed a doe here, it would cost as much as buying a lactating doe each time. To a clean buck, that is.

Build a fortress to keep him in. They are determined little buggers, as are the does you don't want bred. They conspire in the night!

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Oberhaslis aren't readily available in my area, so I bought a buck last year for my doe. I kept him until I was done with him (well, untill my doe was done with him), and then sold him. I could have bred back to him this year, but I decided to buy a buck kid this year. I'm going to be keeping him because it's just too hard to find the breed around here.

 

[julieq]

We love our smelly bucks and would definitely have one only if we had a couple of does. We've had ND, Alpine and Nubian bucks over the years and haven't had any problems with them at all. Our standard sized guys were all bottle fed babies and always very friendly and easy to handle.

 

[PattySh]

We have 12 goats and two are bucks. We have a 3 yr old togg/alpine boy that is really sweet and easy to handle and I just bought a little Nigerian kid to be his future pasturemate (he lost his little wether buddy recently). The little nigerian will also be used to breed my daughters two goats, a nigerian and nigerian/togg/alpine who is nigerian size. It is so much easier when you own a buck to get the does bred especially when you have a busy schedule. I check them at feeding time for heat and take any goat I want bred to Silas for a few minutes, then right back to their pen. Quite easy.

 

[chandasue]

I'll have 3 does to breed next fall (possibly 4 the following year) and I'm really hoping to get a buckling this spring to breed them. I've brought my does to a buck for the last year and I've decided that's more difficult to get my does bred through buck service when I want them to be bred, on someone else's schedule and putting my girls through the stress of loading them up, rushing off for a bad date, and hoping for them to settle with one try. :/ I might end up having to buy and sell every other year depending on the smell but it'll still be worth it. Going this long without milk is pure torture.

 

[swest]

I have nigerians and I love my buck! Yes, he's smelly and it adds a little extra work to have separate housing but to me it's well worth it. He's super sweet and just as easy to handle as my does. In fact, we're about to add a second. I don't have any experience with full-sized bucks though. I think in the end it's more of a "is it worth it to YOU" question since everyone's situation and preferences are different.

Edited to add: some folks might find it "worth it" to have a buck even if they only have one or two does to breed. I think that depends on the availability of clean, suitable bucks in your area.

+1 We have Boers, 4 does and 1 buck. Everyone's got their own opinion/take on this.

 

[phoenixmama]

I am planning on getting a buck for my two does later on this Spring. We've done the buck service thing over this last fall and winter, and I've been a stressed out, frazzled mess over the whole thing...I feel like it would be so much easier to just keep the buck with the does over their breeding season and be done with it. I know a lot of people want to know a "due date" and don't want the does having babies out in the snow...but we live in the low Sonoran desert, and it's sunny and in the 70s this time of year.

My main concern with keeping a buck, was the bucky smell. We live in a suburban area and I wouldn't want to offend any of the neighbor's delicate sensibilities. A friend gives her bucks baths when they start getting really sticky and smelly...so I will likely go that route to keep the buck smell under control.