I thought bucks were hard to handle...

Wonderland · #1 03/16/10, 06:24 PM

But the little guy we're borrowing from a local breeder to court some of my does is mild mannered and sweet!

I haven't been around many bucks, but this is definitely the most well mannered one I've seen. He's in a pen right next to his "girlfriends", but I let him out with them when I'm down there. He barely bothers them at all. He sniffs them and makes a few sexy-goat faces, but since they're not interested, he just lets them be. I think I could leave this guy loose with my girls and he wouldn't upset them. (I want to be sure of my dates, though, so I'm not doing that.)

On top of him not pestering my girls, he's very sweet to me, too. He likes to have his head scratched and tries to eat my jacket (okay, maybe that last part isn't sweet, but it's funny!)

So is this guy an exception to the rule, or should I expect most bucks to act like him? Do any of y'all have really sweet bucks?

This loaner buck sure is making me wish I had a permanent place to keep bucks!

QoTL · #2 03/16/10, 06:43 PM

My first buck was someone's favorite baby. He was a really good boy.... until the does were bred. Then he thought he'd court me, got frustrated, and started chasing and butting me. It was a total shock. He last about 2 days here after the chasing/butting started, and then he got shipped. He had been here for about 5 months by that point..

The buck I have now is a super sweetheart. I had been planning to use him and lose him

but honestly, he's SOOO good he's staying. He's a bit timid with me, does flirt with my girl some but he's not a pain in the rear about it. They are together until the buck pen gets set up (like I said.. wasn't planning to keep him) but she's not in season, so everyone is minding their manners. He will protect his hay pile, but that's about it.

I don't know how everyone else's bucks are. I've seen some nice grown boys, and I've seen some younger boys that were ready for the freezer..

Wonderland · #3 03/16/10, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by QoTL

My first buck was someone's favorite baby. He was a really good boy.... until the does were bred. Then he thought he'd court me, got frustrated, and started chasing and butting me. It was a total shock. He last about 2 days here after the chasing/butting started, and then he got shipped. He had been here for about 5 months by that point..

Oh wow, that's strange. What a change!

I'm glad you found a "keeper" though.

LomahAcres · #4 03/16/10, 07:07 PM

It depends on their temperament as well as training/handling. I also think being able to pen a few bucks together helps keep them calmer around people, then just a single buck with a wether pal, or does for herd mates. Our first buck Jacob was the hardest for us. Mainly because he was a bottle baby and we spoiled him. He wasn't always aggressive, but he did have his pushy moments. He didn't lead well and would run, but I never took time out to train him better. Now that he is 5 he has settled down quite a bit and is slower going. I have 2 kinder bucks that are VERY laid back and just super easy going weather in rutt or not, however, they are also the best escape artist. We raised a bottle buck last year, and for a month or so he had to be penned separate. He started getting pushy towards people, but as soon as I was able to get him in with some other bucks he calmed down again.

QoTL · #5 03/16/10, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wonderland

Oh wow, that's strange. What a change!

I'm glad you found a "keeper" though.

Yeah, it was a TOTAL shock. Honestly, I had other issues with him too. He was hard on the fences, broke door latches... just generally a HUGE pita. Between him and a very well loved lap roo I had who turned nasty, I've pretty much sworn off cuddling barn studs. It may work out for other people, but not so much for me.

Pony · #6 03/16/10, 07:31 PM

We got Beaux Tie as a 4 or 5 month old. He was a little skittish at first (dam raised) but got over it well enough to where he'd come up and ask for a scratch or a treat. He was very sweet when he was younger.

Then, when he was in rut, he got a little confrontational. I let Nick handle that, and now Beaux runs from Nick when he sees him. LOL. He settled down for the most part, though I'd have to give him the "off" command (which he actually obeys about 75% of the time) more often than usual.

Past few days, though, he's been a beast. I think I let him get away with too much (even though he's good with being leashed and tied to a tree so I can trim his hooves and such), and he misses running with Trub. But now he's trying to "goat play" with me, and that won't do. An animal who is going to weigh over 200 muscular pounds has no business trying to play buck stuff with me.

I already wrote a thread about my Magic Bowl, a clanging bowl that he runs from when I rattle it. I'm going to try to do some work with him so that he won't challenge me any more, or he will have to go away.

Pity, because I genuinely like him and think he's a great looking buck. We'll see what he throws if Trub ever kids.

farmmom · #7 03/16/10, 07:45 PM

My buck was an angel! Lead quietly, was gentle with the does and never pushed me or my children around. I sure hope is son will grow up like him! We're already working on lead training.

Backfourty,MI. · #8 03/16/10, 08:53 PM

Our last buck was an angel but he got UC & although a trip to the vet & ammonium chloride everyday we still lost him 2 years later. We have his son now & he's a real bugger on some days & other days acts very good. He'll be a year old next month. If he doesn't straighten up & act like a gentleman at least most of the time he won't be here long.
I do think some of it has to do with the young one we have now has horns & his dad we bought from a different breeder & had him disbudded before we picked him up.
We'll see but if I end up with a new buck he will be disbudded & see how that goes.

My doe's & wether's do have horn's & have always been sweetheart's, I think it's the combination of the horn's & male testosterone!

Wonderland · #9 03/16/10, 09:50 PM

It seems like a lot of bucks are temperamental when they're in full rut, but there are some really good bucks that are nice all the time. I can't really blame them for being a little antsy when in rut, though. They're probably very distracted!

deineria · #10 03/16/10, 11:06 PM

Man, our Ace is an angel even in full rut at nearly 4 years old. He is the most loving buck ever.

Wags · #11 03/17/10, 12:54 AM

I have young Niggie bucks - the two year old would love to have more attention than he gets. He can be a little pushy when he has just had a doe in with him, but most of the time he is just wanting someone to fuss over him. The yearling is shy but will hang around to see whats going on. The youngest is just a month old and a bottle baby. I'm trying not to be too friendly with him - I'd rather he now want to include me in his harem. I hate getting pee'd on! As long as I can catch them with a minimum of fuss, I would prefer if they weren't begging for attention.

#12 03/17/10, 01:01 AM

My Saanen buck likes to get too cuddly with me. He RUNS up to me and then 3 feet away puts the skids on. Then he puts the top of his head on my thigh and waits for me to pet him. That running thing scares the heck out of me, though!

He's usually sweet until he starts to stink! Once he pee's on his head his behavior matches his stench for about a week.

hoggie · #13 03/17/10, 01:36 AM

My boys are both really good on the whole. Although Wilfred I do tie up when I am in and out of the pen, the is more because his horns are HUGE and he wouldn't have to mean to hurt anyone. He just needs to swing hsi head and he could get you by accident if that makes any sense? He is very sweet natured, shares with the girls and the only problem is actually getting hold of him to tie him up when he is rutting. Then I have to grab him on the go past

Chestnut, who was born here is also very sweet natured and until recently was a TOTAL baby still. He is now two, and just occasionally tries to be "the boss" but we don't have any of that.

The only thing I have real problems with is leading - which I have with the girls as well. I never "taught" them to lead, so leading them can be a bit of a nightmare. Much more work needed in that department I think.

hoggie

wintrrwolf · #14 03/17/10, 09:18 AM

Ahh hmm k well Pony knows the buck Mr. Cletus that I got back in November, he is a determined little guy and I feel bad that he is in a pen by himself. What really freaked me out one day I was in his pen repairing the fence again (he has made huge dents in the chain link) he started making noises at me and making raspberries at ME like he does the doe's, I said "Seriously? Don't even think about it!"
Unfortunately I did try to put my other buck Piper(now 7 months) in with Cletus again, Cletus rammed little Piper into the fence, into the goat house, and then into the tree trunk. At that time I had to remove Piper before he got hurt. So Cletus has to stay by himself. It is very sad.
Piper though is very quiet, still sounds like a baby goat. When do bucks voice change? You know when do they get the manly billy goat naanaaa?

GoldenWood Farm · #15 03/17/10, 04:34 PM

All my bucks I have ever had have been perfect gentleman. But anyone who wasn't would either be eaten or sent down the road. I won't keep mean, nasty, or ill mannered bucks. My oldest fellow who is going to be 6yrs old this year is the sweetest boy and passes on his awesome temperament to all his kids (THANK GOODNESS!). His twin sister who I also own is the same way though. He was bottle raised and the only time he raises a fuss is when we have to stick anything in his mouth but I think that is more just a him thing than anything. It freaks him out for some reason.

Although I did have one guy who I had to flip a couple of times because he thought I was his "girlfriend". I had to remind him I wasn't his type

. I am honestly more afraid of the dam raised bucks than bottle bucks because when it came to do anything with them the dam raised where MUCH wilder than bottle raised. And a wild 200# plus pound animal is NOT fun to deal with

(I got bruises galore from that experience).

I think I have been very lucky although I do believe you can breed for temperament for sure. I am getting a new buckling (I posted about him...Abraham) and I am going to make sure he is a very well mannered fellow. Seeing as his dad is 300# I don't want no funny business with this guy (although his sire seems like a very mild mannered fellow).

Justine

Slugmar · #16 03/17/10, 06:20 PM

Currently I have two bucks on site one is 4 years old (Tubby) and a bottle baby and he is still a big baby, When trimming hoofs you just hold his head and hell stand still. He likes all kinds of treats.

The second one was born 10/26/09 and dame raised and closing in on 100lbs already ready we just got him in hes fullblooded and papered south african boer. So far he will come near me when I have the yellow buckets full of grain but I still cant pet him. I think hes about ready to get a radio in his pen and tied to a poll to help calm him down for when hes at the fair.

**ladycat** · #17 03/17/10, 06:38 PM

The buck I borrowed (returned him on Saturday), was really sweet and nice. Very puppy-like.

Wonderland · #18 03/17/10, 11:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoldenWood Farm

I am honestly more afraid of the dam raised bucks than bottle bucks because when it came to do anything with them the dam raised where MUCH wilder than bottle raised. And a wild 200# plus pound animal is NOT fun to deal with

(I got bruises galore from that experience).

Is that also true of does? All of my does were dam raised, but one is shy, one is totally wild, and the other three are sweet. I've never been around bottle babies, really.

Wags · #19 03/17/10, 11:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wonderland

Is that also true of does? All of my does were dam raised, but one is shy, one is totally wild, and the other three are sweet. I've never been around bottle babies, really.

Goats all have their own personalities. My goats are usually dam raised, but I had a doe die last year just a couple of weeks after kidding so we ended up with bottle babies. The doe kid was more standoffish and the wether was getting pushy. Our dam raised kids get plenty of human contact from birth, and most of them are very sweet and want attention without being pushy.

Natural Beauty Farm · #20 03/18/10, 01:16 AM

With 15 adult bucks here they have to be good gentlemen or off to camp they go. I think genetics plays a large part in temperament, because now its only out cross animals that we ever have a problem with. We train them not to invade our space also though from a young age, so I think that has a lot to do with well mannered guys. Anybody who pushes has to wait for feed, we call it goat time out.