How much space for a buck?

[Kittikity]

I plan to have kinders some day.. I have about an acre of land to house them on.. Since there seems to be no other kinder goats in Florida I'm going to have to have my own buck.. I want to have two pastures to rotate the does on.. When the does are in one pasture, I'm going to have a couple chicken tractors with chickens and rabbits in the other.. I'd like to allow the buck into the second pasture also but don't want him climbing on the tractors.. I also don't know how much he is going to smell so don't want to offend my neighbors who's houses are close to my property lines.. So I figure the best bet is to have his own permanent area where he won't be near any neighbors with outings to the pastures to graze.. But I need to know how much space my buck will need so I can figure out how much space I'll have left for those two pastures..

I'm not even sure pasture is the right term for a half acres of grazing area.. lol Excuse my ignorance.. I was born and raised in the suburbs and have never had the opportunity for a farm education..

Here's an aerial picture of my property from a couple of years ago.. I got it from the property appraiser's website.. Wish they would get a more current one though.. (The grey thing behind the house was an old shed that we tore down..) I have about an acre and a half of space behind and beside the house.. But I'm going to need some of that for a large veg garden and a rabbit shed for my rabbits that I can't put in a colony setting.. That's why I figure I'll have about an acre for the goats.. The area in front of the house and just behind where the old shed was will be for the family and the two outside dogs..

[Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians]

Just like you would never think of having a doe alone, you should think about purchasing two bucklings to raise together to use alternately. If a good linebreeding you could use them for a very long time on each others daughters.

Start visiting places. See how others house their bucks, places that are similar to what you want. I keep mine in a much smaller area, fenced like fortknox during rut, during the spring and summer they live in a huge wooded acreage with just feild fencing that during rut they would be over or through in a heart beat if someone was in heat! Having my buck barn away from the girls on the front of our property may offend your noses when you come during rut, but the girls can't see or smell them and vice versa and makes my life easier. Bucks smell like money and having your niche of no other Kinders in your area...congrats! Go after it right, a small quality herd purchased from the best. Tested CAE negative stock. Also visit my diary goat forum dairygoatinfo.com and let us help you.

A barn, has stalls, opens to a corral and then opens to a pasture. Is the terminology. Have a barn for your boys, and mine are only in theirs during the rain, that opens into a small tight corral you can fence like fort knox....then a gate that opens to a pasture when they are not in rut. Vicki

[Kittikity]

Sorry, I forgot to mention that I do plan on having a wether to keep the buck company.. But you're right, it would be a better idea to have two bucks.. But would two bucks be ok together or would they fight? I'm going to have to start my own kinder herd though.. There's a lady about an hour away from me and I asked if I could lease a nubian doe when I'm ready to start my herd.. Waiting for a response.. She has some does with some high and tight udders.. She shows and her goats are supposed to be CAE, CL, and Tub/Bruc negative.. I haven't checked on a pygmy buck yet since I'm not ready to start my herd yet..

For the bucks shelter I was thinking a hoop house since it gets so hot in Florida, I want to promote as much airflow as possible.. I can completely cover it with tarps in the winter to protect from cold breezes.. The does shelter will be more elaborate and have individual stalls..

It was very shocking to find out there are no other kinder breeders in Florida.. They are such a neat little multipurpose goat..