talk to me about keeping a buck for only 2-3 does

cathleenc · #1 03/31/08, 03:53 PM

We're having a bit of a tough week (sheep have lice, baby goat gifted to us in the proecess of dying, mysterious illness killing goats up the road) and I find myself seriously considering keeping a closed herd (aka no unknown animals on our farm, our animals go no where other than our farm) to protect all of us.

I never wanted to keep a buck - 1) the added expense and burden on limited grazing land; 2) potential danger to our small children; 3) the smell.

Despite these reasons, we have on site at this moment an adorable purebred nubian buckling, about 1 week old, who we acquired solely to keep the sick doeling warm and happy. The buckling is from a healthy professional dairy herd and not related to any of our does.

I see three options: 1) band him and move him to the freezer as originally planned; 2) keep him as a herd sire; or 3)give him to a friend for free with the caveat that we could get free stud service from the buckling.

WWYD and why? How much trouble is a buck for such a small family farm? We're trying to fill our tummies and freezer, nothing more.

thanks,
Cathy

southerngurl · #2 03/31/08, 04:01 PM

Well, if I were you, I would really search for an excellent buck, out of an excellent doe if you are going to keep one. Just IMO.

I'm about to get a buckling from Vicki, I only have a couple does I will be breeding him to, but I like having a buck right there and not having to go all over the countryside to find bucks and have the does not really be in heat, or not take or whatever. And as you are concerned with, no outside animals that could potentially be harboring a disease.

cathleenc · #3 03/31/08, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by southerngurl

Well, if I were you, I would really search for an excellent buck, out of an excellent doe if you are going to keep one. Just IMO.

I just don't think that this is a priority for a small family farm - we are not breeding to sell or even to give away - offspring moves to the freezer each fall.

This buck has excellent milk lines from both dam and sire. I think he should exceed our expectations!

So it's not the quality of the buck that I'm asking about, but whether it makes sense to keep a buck here at all.

Rockytopsis · #4 03/31/08, 04:42 PM

JMO but if you want a closed herd then I would think you would have to keep a buck.

nubiansinny · #5 03/31/08, 04:46 PM

Why not keep him, breed your does in the fall then put him in the freezer!
You get your does bred without having to carry an extra mouth for the winter. he should not smell that bad his first season, mine didn't.

susanne · #6 03/31/08, 04:49 PM

double post

susanne · #7 03/31/08, 04:50 PM

i think if you have this buckling, take the opportunity to keep him until he is old enough to breed your does. after they are confirmed bred, put him in the freezer or sell him. since you are only keeping your does for family purpose,
save one bucklings from the next kid crop, (hopefully there will be one

)
breed all your does, proceed with him like the one the year before, and so on and so on. but be aware that this is only because you do not want to raise replacement animals , means you are butchering kids and not sell them

of course you could get a new buckling from another herd every spring, but then you would not have a closed herd anymore.

Oldntimes · #8 03/31/08, 05:00 PM

I personaly would not be with out my own Buck in my case Buckssssssssss LOL!!!! The convienance (Sp) is worth it IMO. Even If I only had 1 Doe I would still have a Buck...

Cygnet · #9 03/31/08, 05:08 PM

If you just want to get your does bred, consider keeping a dehorned pygmy or nigerian buck. Then sell the extra offspring as "mini-whatever" if they're too small for the freezer. A little buck is a lot safer to work around, can get the job done, and doesn't eat much, and doesn't need the elaborate fencing a big buck will need. (You can use a lesser gauge of wire, and fewer posts and a wimpier gate, but don't underestimate how high they can jump. A little buck can sometimes jump higher than a big buck.)

While I never trust any livestock with testicles 100%

I will say that my Nigerian buck is as easy to handle as my does, if not easier. He's probably an exceptional animal, but he doesn't even smell much and he keeps the weird behaviors to a minimum. He seems to live on air, he eats so little. He has a home for life here.

Pygmy buck would give you meatier kids, but there might be more of a market for kids crossed with a Nigerian.

-- Leva

shelleydar · #10 03/31/08, 05:13 PM

IMO, I would give the buck to the neighbor with the understanding you would be allowed to breed your does to it. That way you won't be spending money to feed and maintain it (and live with the stench) but will still have a convenient way to breed the does. IMO

Lizi · #11 03/31/08, 05:48 PM

Keep your young buckling and grow him into a sweet buck who knows YOU. I have Boers, they don't smell, but you could always have someone burn the scent glands on his head if you are concerned. With a small herd he will help provide the milk and the goats you want to eat. He is already familiar with you, give this little man a chance. And he is from a known healthy herd. What more do you want?!?

Chinook · #12 03/31/08, 05:54 PM

As far as temperment goes, I think Saanen bucks are the best. They're generally very gentle and sweet. Ours sure are. We have a buck and it's actually a lot less trouble then we first expected. A buck's diet doesn't have to be expensive or trouble like a milking doe's can be.

mary,tx · #13 03/31/08, 06:12 PM

I've always liked having my own buck. The only problem I see would be if you keep that little doeling. You could have issues with her getting bred too young if you don't separate them after a few months.

If you don't want to keep a buck long term, you still could keep him until he settles the does in the fall, then sell.

mary

cathleenc · #14 03/31/08, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mary,tx

I've always liked having my own buck. The only problem I see would be if you keep that little doeling. You could have issues with her getting bred too young if you don't separate them after a few months.

If you don't want to keep a buck long term, you still could keep him until he settles the does in the fall, then sell.

mary

ah, Mary, I wish keeping the little doeling was going to be a problem.... she's 75% dead and moving along quite quickly. My 6 yr old is curled around her, loving her up, crying as I type. Sad night here. We've tried everything - something is just internally wrong with her. Had the vet out, a local dairy goat expert, ..... sweet little thing. Wish her a quick passage.

Backfourty,MI. · #15 03/31/08, 08:36 PM

I'd keep the little buck, I always like having my own buck no matter how many doe's I have. You can always put extra buckling kids (wethered) in the freezer.
So sorry about the little doeling, Your little dd is going to take it pretty hard it sounds like, Give her my HUGS!!

sammyd · #16 03/31/08, 08:37 PM

We keep a billy for 3 does.
We had issues trying to find something to breed our original doe with.
Didn't want to run down to the sales barn and drag all kinds of neat diseases back.
Didn't really know any goat people to buy one or borrow one from.

So we picked a billy up when we bought a couple of does last year from a nice farm in southern WI.
He only smells when it's the season. Right now he isn't bad at all.
We have been lucky to have a steady supply of quality hay at decent prices though and that helped a lot in our decision.

Minelson · #17 03/31/08, 09:01 PM

Cathleenc, I am so sorry. It sounds like a horrible night for you. I pray the little doeling is playing in goat heaven real quick.

cjb · #18 04/01/08, 03:31 AM

I have considered keeping an ND buck on my place to breed to the ND does and our standards for mini's. However, we are borrowing an ND buck right now and the smell is sooooo bad that we can hardly imagine keeping him for the remainder of the 3-4 weeks.

I am out of the country for work right now and my wife wrote me asking "do we reeeally need to keep him any longer?" You can easily smell him from our house and he is in a field 200' or so away. If your clothes touch him or even touch the does that have been around him, you can smell your clothes all over the house.

Just my experience - I have heard others say that their bucks don't smell that badly but I just wonder if they are used to it. I wonder how many people go to the mall/church etc. thinking that they're fine and others are going "what IS that smell?!!" lol

Beorn · #19 04/01/08, 05:59 AM

We have a buck for two does and he is wonderful. The only time I smell him is on my gloves after rubbing his head, and he is much better mannered than the girls. If your little doeling is going to bond with him I suggest trying to keep him and see how he develops. If his behavior becomes a problem, or if he's tainting milk, you could always wether him and teach him to drive, make him earn his keep around the place. RE limited grazing, only you know if there is sufficient grazing on your land to support him. If not, and you don't want to purchase his feed, then he's got to go and the decision's made. But I adore my buck, he's quite the handsome gentleman. (Ours are Nubian as well.)
Beorn's wife

mary,tx · #20 04/01/08, 07:52 AM

Cathleen, I am sorry to hear about your little doe.

If you can stand one more bit of advice on the buck, raise him with the idea in mind that he will grow up to be one. Teach him to lead early, and do not allow him to jump on you or play butt with you.

mary