How many goats to justify a buck?

When I was a young'un my grandparents and I would borrow a neighbor's buck or buy one and then sell him when the does were bred. Once I started with all my own goats, I got a buck when I had 2 does. I now have 4 does (hopefully six next year) and 2 bucks (had 3, gave one away cause he and I didn't get along and I got a better one). My plan is to stay at six does and two bucks and sell all the offspring unless something comes along that I absolutely cannot see myself selling. That way I don't have to rotate my bucks out or inbreed. As far as bucks being obnoxious and smelly, I agree completely with what Vicki said, though occasionally you'll get one that is just a plain booger (like the one I gave away) no matter how well ya raise 'em. My buck Zeus is the sweetest thing in the world and wouldn't hurt a fly, my only problem with him is that he still wants me to pet and love on him when he's in rut and just pee'd on his face lol. My other buck is a sweety too, and they both were taught to be that way.

In my experience, it does. When I first bought goat milk from a large goat dairy, I remember wondering what that odd smell was. It was everywhere! I was a "city girl" and I thought, maybe it was the hay? The milk tasted like it too, and these girls were milked on machine like an assembly line, barely touched by the people who worked on them. Their udders were washed well, I saw it myself. It was only later when I began investigating getting into goats that I realized that the smell was BUCK! I saw later when I visited them again that they have their bucks with the does all the time.

I didn't like that smell in my milk then and I don't like it now. And I know that's what people are talking about when they talk about "goaty" milk. I pride myself on sweet tasting milk that people are delighted to realize "tastes just like milk!"

This buck was bottle raised by an elderly couple who have had goats all their lives. They were recommended to me by a nationally famous goat breeder. They certainly know a thing or two about goats. He's only a year old, he hasn't been raised in isolation, and has been with plenty of does.

I've seen a few other bucks before, and none were as insane and creepy as this one is! He isn't mean, not at all. He is just really, really intense. He moves like he is in fast motion, and then stops, tense and still as a statue, and then bursts into motion again, completely random and unpredictable. He snorts loudly and suddenly, and his tongue flaps around faster than a doe's flagging tail. If you move your hand from side to side, he follows it with his whole head, suddenly like a ferral thing. It is freaky to watch. It's also really, really funny.

I will always keep a buck or two or more. Hauling the girls is a pain in the rear and I dont plan on doing that for very long. I'm lucky to know someone very close to us. But I am wanting to breed a doe to a Saada buck down south...about 3hrs...one way. Lol. Oh well it'll be well worth it. LOL

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FCNubian
ADGA Registered Purebred Nubians
Faithful Crown Nubians

I have a buck running with my does for clean up. believe me, the milk is as sweet as it was before. if the milk taste bucky, it is a milk handling problem and/or unclean shelter for the animals.

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Susanne Stuetzler
Ain-ash-shams
Nubian Dairy Goats

please visit us at
http://www.ain-ash-shams.net

Here we have one buck an one doe for now. Later will get another doe or two.

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If you don't know how to hunt the right things,then forget it.

I bought three milkers (already in milk) my first season. Added one at a time (had a couple pet goats for the first milker) and found three suited our families milk needs. They all went to the breeder that first year.

What a pain.

I bought a buck next season.

I have three bucks now - and nineteen does. Two bucks are working with one bloodline - but different sires and dams. I lost my first buck - which left me in a bind - so will never have fewer than two while I maintain a herd.

I don't love bucks - the smell, the obnoxious behavior. I consider them a necessary nuisance. But, I am nice to them (they really can't help themselves - my girls are SO sexy!) and treat them well - and buy the best I can afford.

Niki

Susanne - that has been my experience also. I was so surprised that the milk didn't taste bucky when I kept the buck in with my milkers for a few months to do his job. Shocked. I figured I'd have to throw the milk to the pigs during breeding season. I kept him in there longer due to the fact that the milk was just fine.

niki

Have milked By hand and with a Milker and never had Bucky tasting milk.
If clean practices are done there is no reason it should. Bucks and does can be ran together.
what people dont think about when they do run together is that the buck smell can be on your hands when you milk. it is not coming from the doe
Dont pet and rub the doe until you are done milking the doe and wash your hands between
Bucks and does can run together and still have great tasting milk.

This is the first year I have ever taken my does away from the farm to do breeding with an outside buck. It was very easy to tell heats because I have 5 bucks in a pen between the doe and the doeling pen. Believe me, they let me know when the doe was in heat! I did five outside breedings and all took on the first breeding. Two does and three doelings.
But even being experienced with the signs of heat, I would not have tried this without a buck to tell me when they were in heat. I just don't have the money or the time for wasted heats. I have had many frustrated doe owners bring their does on breeding "dates" and find out the doe is not in heat after all. That can get mighty expensive. I reccomend keeping your own buck if you cannot find a breeder who allows you to leave your doe at their place to be brought in heat. Keeping your doe for a month is a pain for the breeder and so I rarely offer it even to friends. Only on rare occasions do I offer to keep the doe and when I do, I keep them separate from the rest of the herd for the safety of both. And its still a pain with my facilities. So keeping a buck is usually much easier than finding someone willing to breed your doe.

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Emily Dixon
Ozark Jewels
Nubians & Lamanchas
www.ozarkjewels.net

"Remember, no man is a failure, who has friends" -Clarence

I only have one milking doe and two doelings and I have one buck. He is in the barn with them at all times. He smells bucky and pees on himself constantly and it seems like the girls are in heat constantly. I don't plan on breeding this year because of limited space and the doelings small sizes. I milk my doe twice a day and my milk tastes very sweet and smells great. Don't see any problems with keeping my buck and he loves to be made of and is very kind.

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Lonesome Oak Hollow
Nubians & Mini Nubians,Rouen Ducks &
Various Breeds of Show Birds

I have been buying a buck, breeding, then selling after I am pretty sure the girls are bred. One year things weren't going well, and I ended up very late looking for a buck. I am still buying, then selling, but once I find a really good buck, I'll probably hang on to him, and just leave him with the does. I'm still in the process of adding and improving paddocks, so I'm not sure exactly how many goats I will end up keeping on the place fulltime, but right now I have five does and one buck.

Wow, thanks everyone! Sounds like it might be time for me to get a buck! We have three does now. Two are too young to breed. One just got back from the breeder and I may be buying another doe from this particular breeder. I have two LaMancha's and two Nubians. Nubian bucks are very easy to find around here but the LaMancha's are not. This lady is the only one I know of at this time. We have some nice Nubian bucks walking distance from our house but I may definitely look into a LaMancha.

I started with 2 does and no buck, now I have 5 does and no buck, and my frustration in finding one. cant find one to save my life in a decent price range, and currently it looks like no milk or babies next year unless something changes. dont make the same mistake!

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