Hi, I live in Michigan and am starting a Nigerian Dwarf herd this year and i am wondering about getting my own buck. I do not want the hassle of loading up my girls and taking them somewhere to hopefully be bred, it would be so easy to just put them together. I also don't want to have to worry about disease from some one elses herd. I have read bad things about owning a buck and I'm just nervous because I feel like a lot of people have bad experiences. I'm just wondering if there is a way for me to avoid having a bad experience, something I could do that would help. Also, since he needs to have someone to stay with should I get a whether or just get two different bucks from seperate bloodlines? Should i keep him away from the girls completely or is it ok if they share a fenceline? I have been researching goats forever it seems like but I just recently started thinking about keeping my own buck so advice from someone who does have them would be great.
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Something helpful for us - we split our buck pen into two pens and two small buildings. If there is a lot of fighting or adding new young ones you have the option of closing the gate and having two pens. I also never put a doe into the buck pen -I have another enclosure that I bring the buck to the doe. My buck Rocky is so easy - I just go to the gate and call him and he doesn't need a lead on -just heads off down the driveway to the "breeding pen" and in he goes. Comes out just as easy.
I used to put young bucks with older ones, and I don't recall having any problems. When two goats are unevenly matched, it's generally a couple of head butts, then they realize it's no contest, so it's over. Now, I usually wait until they're older. The bigger problem seems to be parasites and coccidia when putting a young buck into a pen with older bucks, so I want to wait until their immune system is more mature.
Stephanie said:
So do you have a problem adding in bucks later? Like a younger one with the older ones? I go back and forth between getting one buck and a wether and later adding another buck or just having two bucks. I wonder though if the older one will hurt the smaller one if I added later?
The only thing I would add is that I would suggest you if you are going to get 2bucks that you keep a wether as well. Because I and a breeder friend have found that if you have a buck and a wether they get along good if you have 3 or more bucks/wethers they get along good. But when you just have 2 bucks they might get along good when they are younger but as they get older they more often then not will start to fight bad, but if you add a 3rd buck or wether to the mix everybody is happier. Just my 2 cents.
You will be glad to have a buck - I can't imagine how breeding my girls would have gone if I had to transport them somewhere else. We have a joining fence line because it is the only way we can protect our animals as we have a cougar problem where we live. They need to be in a close area where we have lights and Nightgard lights up. Running a hot wire on the inside helps to keep the buck away from the fence. We had a fence breeding once and hopefully with the hot wire it won't happen again. "Hopefully".
I've picked out two does that are coming home in less than eight weeks :) I am SUPER excited, I've decided to get everything ready for them and then if money and time to build another enclosure for them happens before the end of the season I may get two bucks, if not this year then definitely next year. I feel like the pros of owning my own outway any negatives that I've heard.
My bucks are sweeter than most of my does! I love my boys and I'm so glad that I decided to have them, even if they are stinky for several months a year and drink their own urine lol.
Last year was our first year with goats. After having our does a while and realizing the hassle it would be to catch them just right in their heats and transport them somewhere to be bred, plus finding someone WILLING to breed, we bought two bucks. I was encouraged by reading on this forum how easy ND bucks tend to be.... and they were right! Our boys are super nice, great brush eaters and have been enjoyable to have around. I think one might have been a bottle baby... he likes to taste everything I wear. lol They are more affectionate than some of the does!
Plus this last fall we had does that didn't settle right away and I was very happy to have them visit the buck a few pens away rather than having to make a trip. The bucks also help us know who is in heat. Some of our does didn't have the classic signs but would silently pine away on the side of their pen closest to the bucks. I don't know how we would do it without the bucks! :)
I don't own a buck yet, but it can be hard to find a good one that the owners are willing to let outside does be bred too. I've had a heck of a time locating one, let alone the travel and syncing it up with my does' cycles. I think you'll be glad you got one.
Is there anything in particular about owning a buck that worries you? We've only had one person on this forum who has had a bad experience with a buck being aggressive, and it ultimately came out that her husband had been "butting heads" with him since he was a kid, which is a definite no-no! You should also never pet the top of their head or scratch it or anything like that. You should just scratch under the chin or on the neck so that he always lifts his head for attention rather than putting his head down to rub on you or get a scratch.
If you plan to keep any of the doelings born, you might as well get a second buck at the same time. He won't any more than a wether, and you'll be able to use him for breeding the daughters of the other buck. However, some people do breed daughters back to their fathers.
It's better if they don't share a fenceline because it will reduce the risk of unplanned breedings.
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