My buck has lost his mind...............

[boermommy]

Titan was purchased in Texas at 4 months old. He has been petted, slobbered over and loved since the day he came to NC to live with us.

Now that he is a big boy (1 1/2 years old) he is the most aggressive animal I've ever seen. He chased me around the barn Tuesday morning, bellowing and slinging his head. Didn't know I could still move that fast, actually.

He rears up and charges whenever I go in the fence.

Any suggestions on how to break him from this?

[KSALguy]

you set the stage for it with all your pampering, now that he is sexually Mature and Hormones are Corsing through him he sees you as a member of the herd to be dominated and is trying to assurt this dominance,

you will have to eather sell him, Butcher him, or NEVER go into his pen with out a large water gun or a Cattle prod (lower voltage than the Large ones)

[boermommy]

Water gun? What for?

[Oldntimes]

Spray him with a water bottle. Goats have a thing about no wanting to get wet.
This kind of training works for many different breeds of animals. It is USUALY effective. I say usually because someone may come on with a situation where it was not effective.

[mygoat]

If you put alot of vinegar in the spray bottle it'll scare the crap out of him/sting his eyes and nose, but not really hurt him. Or you can grab 'em,, tackle him, and sit on him for a while.

[Sweet Goats]

I had a goat like that, and a water gun just made him mad. So he was sold. I hated to do it becasue at one of out HUGE shows he was placed best Buck in show three years in a row. He was beautiful, but safety comes first.

[KSALguy]

i had a LARGE Boer Buck who would get a little nasty when in the rutt, i had to be careful and often used a water hose to keep him away from me when he was being ugly.

spray water on him and he will Duck'N'Cover

[boermommy]

mygoats, it would take me, you and about two others to tackle and sit on Titan...he is a BIG boy. It's my fault he is such a monster...I feed them really well....plus he comes from Painted Warrior stock and he's a big 'un too.

So I'll buy a Super Soaker and try that. Wal-Mart should have the pool supplies and toys out by now...after all, it IS late February.

[dosthouhavemilk]

Your part of his herd. One of his harem. My Nubian buckling whom I brought home in August was singing at me this morning. He'll get his training very shortly. That is a no-no in my book. I am not part of their harem and I am not another goat. Even if they were bottle raised by me. He was spoield since he didn't stand for two months. He's already a big boy too (gotta love those genetics!).
My herdsires that I raise learn early on that I am above them, I am not part of their herd, and that they are not to treat me like another goat.
I bought an 8 month old, huge Boer buck home this past November. I knew, knew, we were going to have to come to an understanding. When I picked him up he reared up at me. I couldn't resist though. He is gorgeous and was the right price (and I had driven four hours one way to get him already!).
Back home, he went in with my William. William is the shining example of herdsires I raise. Calm, well behaved, collar trained, non aggressive. He's three years old, will be four next month. Leads with a pinky in the collar, walks beside you and comes when called. I hate having to sell him.
Anyways, this 8 month old and I butted heads shortly after he was itroduced to the herd. He was showing off and butting me with his horns (have I mentioend I hate horns?!!). Well, I grabbed his off front leg and threw him (with some diffuculty..he is stocky!) onto a hay pile and sat on him until he stopped struggling. It was very embarassing to him (I did this in front of William and all the does in that pen) and it proved my dominance. A few days later, when my father and I were working in the pen he was harassing me again. I bent over, grabbed his off front leg and pulled it under him and held it there. When he stopped struggling I let go and he walked off. I've not had a real problem since. But he's only been here four months. I can be sure he will need put in his place before rut is over this year. But for now, we are in peace.

A buck is a very dangerous animal. Especially a mature meat buck especially if he has horns.
He needs to learn his place. Does he have a companion? Or is he penned by himself and lonely?
I've never used a squirt gun, but I'm a very big girl and used to working with big old cattle, so goats don't worry me as much as they probably should. lol I just throw them down and dominate them. Works for me.
However, Charlie (William's half brother and raised the same way as Will) did worry me. He was naturally poleld,and at just over a year old he took to chasing me and rearing up at me. When the decision was made to sell a buck he was the one that left and William stayed. It simply isn't worth the risk.
Breeding bulls are gone by 15 months around here normally. It is a given they go as soon as they settle what needs to be settled.

[Tater'sPa]

Originally Posted by boermommy

mygoats, it would take me, you and about two others to tackle and sit on Titan...he is a BIG boy. It's my fault he is such a monster...I feed them really well....plus he comes from Painted Warrior stock and he's a big 'un too.

So I'll buy a Super Soaker and try that. Wal-Mart should have the pool supplies and toys out by now...after all, it IS late February.

He could come here to visit the four I have left to breed....that may wear him down a bit....or no..... that would make him worse..lol

[FarmGoddess]

Originally Posted by boermommy

He rears up and charges whenever I go in the fence.

Any suggestions on how to break him from this?

Now for the politically incorrect hotbutton question: Were you having your period?

If so, good idea to stay away from the bucks. Also if there is another buck around, look for the head butting to start.

The Menopause Fairy came for a visit a few years back, since then I haven't had any trouble with overaggressive male farm animals.

[Jcran]

I use a squirt bottle with cider vinegar in it. My yearling boer buck is not a bad boy, but on the occasion that he tries to rub on me, or rub his horns on me, I spritz. He is very respectful of it and me and no one gets hurt. I even trimmed feet yesterday with him just clipped to the fence. He would mouth my pant leg and I would just move the bottle and he'd immediately stop and stare at it.

[chris30523]

I thought it was just mine.Monday my normally mild mannered boer/kiko buck wouldn't let me in the pen.When I got in there he charged me .The next day he escaped from his pen and came after me.I was selling him this year anyway to keep from inbreeding but I am not waiting for a buyer he is going to the sale this weekend!!He is 2yo in March. I use the water gun on my fullblood boer buck not because he is aggressive but because he is a pest!!A 200lb toe stepping stinky pest.It works well on him until you are too busy doing something to squirt him.Then he tugs on your sleeve with his teeth and steps on your toes and rubs his stinky head on your leg in one swift move, before you squirt him again.

[Freeholder]

My bucks are smaller (Kinder, Oberhasli, and a couple of yearling Obers that are about 3/16 Boer), but dumping them on the ground upside down, and sitting on them, has worked so well that I haven't had to resort to carrying a squirt bottle. The four of them are in one pen, and when I had to go in to make repairs the other day, even when I was down on my knees they didn't bother me other than to be a bit of a pest wanting petted. It's actually easier to dump the Ober buck than the low-center-of-gravity Kinder -- it's leverage. You grab hold of two legs on the same side and pull them out from under the animal. (It worked with a 200-lb. doe that I had, and I think it would work with a larger animal, too. I'm not particularly large, at 5'3".) Then sit on them until they give up fighting you.

Kathleen

[annie716]

Originally Posted by dosthouhavemilk

Back home, he went in with my William. William is the shining example of herdsires I raise. Calm, well behaved, collar trained, non aggressive. He's three years old, will be four next month. Leads with a pinky in the collar, walks beside you and comes when called. I hate having to sell him.

Roseanna, What breed is William? He's just personality I'm looking for! My grandchildren want to be in the pens all the time, we just got BOB this fall, he's a good sized boer buck about 1 1/2 yrs and we have one of our own from last feb that we kept just in case we couldn't find or afford another this year. Both are horned and neither have shown any aggression except towards each other . We did have problems with our jersey steers though and they had to go to the slaughter house earlier than planned.

[boermommy]

Farm Goddess...the answer is no...menopause fairy has swooped by here too.

Tater's Pa...we might be neighbors. Dosthouhavemilk.....he has plenty of company, has BIG horns and rules the roost.


My DH is concerned about the water gun theory saying it will make Titan mean. I say he can't get any worse than chasing around the barn at 8:00 in the morning in my work clothes.

[Starsmom]

After reading this thread, I decided to try the throwing the buck and sit on him when mine acted up. Our buck likes to come up behind you, put his head between your legs and lifts you up off the ground. I hate when he does that. Well, when he tried it today he got a rude awakening. I grabbed him, dragged him to a dry spot and then grabbed his legs, threw him to the ground and sat on him. Well, when the two 1 year olds saw this, they ran over and started head butting him all over. They thought it was great. His eyes finally relaxed and he submitted. When I let him up, he was a different animal. So polite and respectful. THANKS for the ADVICE. It worked and I didn't even ask the question.

[bumpus]

.
The worst this you can do it to make loving friends with a breading buck.

You are not a goat and he is not a person.

If he were mine I would bust him in the mouth and make him afraid of me, and that would stop the foolishness, or he will get worse and really hurt some one even you.

After the first year of breading they get worse with time, if you let them rule you.

If the some blood runs don't worry he will heal but he could kill you if you let him go on and not stop this aggressive behavior.

Buck goats can get mean if you let them have their way with you, and they will try to be boss.

To many good goats have been ruined by making baby pets out of them.

You should run the farm and the heard not him


bumpus
.

[Feral Nature]

My Boer buck became highly agressive too. He was penned with a large wether for company but this Boer was not happy not being allowed with the does. He was in a large tall chainlink pen in a large barnyard and he destroyed it. He was far too dangerous to enter his pen anymore with no one else around to call 911. I sold him to a meat goat raiser who could house him in a different way. He now runs with a herd of does and another buck (which he fought and fought the first day or two til they couldn't fight anymore)...now he is much happier in a herd setting.

I have no plans on ever having an adult Boer buck again. If need be, i will use a buckling for breeding.

My Lamancha buck is a gentleman, children could safely go in his pen. I don't allow children in there, but they probably could go in there.

I hate horns too, Roseanna, the Boer had a great set....and he knew it!...oh, and being squirted in the face with vinegar didn't phase him....and i used to sit on rogue animals too til my knees got old.

[mberryrfd]

I squirted ours in the face the other day. He decided to test us.And just like was metioned up above.He seemed to like the water in the face. He stoodthere licking it as it ran off his GOATEE. Might just have to try the vinagar or sitting on him But he is already 250 lbs easy. He runs with the does at all times.
THIS GUY is even leash trained and was shown by a kid in a wheelchair. I am thinking a good wack in the chops as long as he doesnt wanna wack back. when he stands up he is over 6ft