keeping a buck....

Well then Tin Mom, your hubby has the answer for your situation. If he doesnt want a "useless wether" get another buck! Two birds with one stone!
These last few yrs dh has wanted a buck. The male mentality. Not a bad thing either.
But none of them have been good enough to keep as bucks. This year I think we might have one. We are also keeping a wether for his companion.

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Bob and Nancy Dickey
Laughing Stock Boer Goats
"Seriously Great Bloodlines"
and the meat goes on....
Near Seattle

The first time I had a buck, he had a pen with just a small run that he stayed in during the day. At night, though, the does went in the barn, and the buck shared the pasture with a heifer. They kept each other company just fine, and the buck didn't mind being out at night, like the does did. This, of course, only works if your buck would actually be safe from predators in the pasture at night.

More recently, I have kept two bucks. Most of the time they get along fine, and run around together, and snuggle together to rest. The only problem I've had with this is that sometimes it's hard to keep one penned when you want the other to do the breeding. Fences suddenly don't seem oh-so-sturdy when a buck is on the other side from a doe in heat.

I've never kept a wether.

I bought my first baby buck last spring. My doe pen is sort of L shaped and his pen is in the corner, so I thought that would help him not feel alone. It does help, but I can tell he is not as happy as he was when he had buddies (his own sons before they went to their own homes).

These animals are social, and need not only to have others around, but to have interaction. They aren't as happy with no touch, or play or fighting with others of their kind IMO.

I have another buckling that I bought this spring. He is growing fast and will go in with my other buck soon as he is big enough.

Why do we care if our animals are happy? You are what you think and an unhappy animal will be an unhealthy, less vigorous animal.

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Layton Hollow ADGA Nubians
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Hmmm, maybe a fiber goat for company? (And this is making me want more goats. ARGH!)

I now keep bucks together. They seem calmer and happier.....and easier to handle. They do some head butting, and pushing each other around, but it seems more like playing than fighting. When I only had one buck, I left one doe in with him.

I usually do "pen breeding," and, so far, the buks that I have now do not smell as bad as bucks that I have had in the past, and the milk has not been tainted.

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"When you are having dinner with someone and they are nice to you, but rude to the waiter, then this is not a nice person.".....Dave Barry

I would put "taint" on the fact that the doe is cycling. Having the buck in full time will lessen the chance of recycling thus cutting down on the tainted milk.

We had more issue with the ration causing a weird taste than having a buck run with the herd.

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Deja Moo; The feeling I've heard this bull before.

I had a very stinky buck penned together with my does except there was a fence to separate them. He never tainted our milk. Perhaps I was just lucky, but I am going to try again. My doe is due to kid June 4th. This buck is 10 months and has hardly any smell. I am wondering if he will get stinker as he gets older. I guess I will find out. Now I have a wether to keep the buck company so he isn't in the pen alone. I originally purchased him to keep the doe company because we had a very hard time finding Nigerian Dwarfs in our area. So we bought a doeling and a wether. Now we have a buck and the wether will be used to keep him company. I think he fulfills a very 'useful' purpose!

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LinderCroft

I have done it both ways. When I kept my bucks with the does, I didn't really have a problem with the off taste of milk. I believe I did once, I bathed the doe and after a couple days all was well with the milk.

Currently I keep 2 bucks together and they are fine. They "fight" and then like Ernie said, they lay down next to each other take a break and then get up and fight some more. I had to put up another pen for the younger bucks. Over 1, but under 2. It seems the older bucks wanted to....well, lets just say it wasn't nice. So I have to keep them separated for a bit longer. Hopefully not too long as we are selling one of the older bucks and the remaining one will need a friend. My DS likes his bucks...Weird, but they make him happy. His are well trained and very loveable...too much so during rut..YUCK!

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I seperate my boys. They do not become agressive that way. I keep wethers as companions and I consider them to be worthwhile, if someone wants to purchase just one doe, that way they can take a wether cheaper than another doe. I have people call and ask for brush eaters, etc. I see nothing wrong with having a wether or two around. They are good for so many things.

I left my bucks in with the does until breeding season. Because I had a Swiss breed, Alpines, my does never came into heat after March and before September. Once they were all bred, I put him back in with them again. My opinion is that bucks become mean if their social need are not filled. Mine were gentle enough that my toddlers could run around the goat pen while I milked.

[QUOTE=Ernie;3835524]
Y'all have yet to convince me that a wether IS a useful animal, unless it's putting on weight for butcher.
/QUOTE]

my wether is useful...he brings me joy and sunshine every day!
Frankie
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8...D550/ry%3D400/
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8...D550/ry%3D400/

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Teach only Love...for that is what You are

I run my bucks with the does year round. As the does kid out I move them wet does with kids to a new pasture

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Deo Vindice O I'm a Good Old Rebel and thats what I am, I don't want no pardon for what I am and did

Our wether was the very first kid born on our place. No way is he going anywhere! I would have a full blown family mutiny on my hands if I tried to sell him. He just a couple of months younger than our buck, and the two of them have been together since the buck was 4 months old.

Eventually I will get a second buck, but for now we are happy with what we have.

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Wags Ranch Nigerians


"The Constitution says to promote the general welfare, not to provide welfare!" ~ Lt. Col Allen West