Buck-Doe Segregation

[CircleStarRanch]

I know that to keep the "goaty" taste out of goats' milk you need to keep the buck spearated from the does. How much of a physical spearation is needed? As there is just 2 of us, we have pretty much decided on two Dwarf Nigerian does and a buck, keeping a future wether for freezer camp.

I am planning two separate pen and shed areas. One will be a 20' x 20' girls-only pen with a small combination doe-barn and chicken coop. The other will be a 20' x 20' boys-only pen and a connected 10' x 20' pig pen with a combination buck & pig shed.

How far apart, minimum, should the doe pen and the buck pen be?

-Dutch

[Ark]

I guess I am different than most here....

My buck/s run with my does year round. Even the biggest stinkiest ones, right in the middle of breeding season have never caused my milk to taste bad.

My husband is super picky, with a super sensitive nose, and he would tell me in a FLASH in the milk tasted the slightest bit bucky.

I simply clean the udders REALLY well, strain and chill milk immediately.

But, OTOH, I have friends who SWEAR that doesnt work for them.

It works for me though! We have Nubians.

[Oat Bucket Farm]

I would keep a wether to be a friend to the buck, so that he doesn't get lonely and has someone to play with. Ours are seperated by an eight foot tall chain link fence. I don't let the buck run with the girls because I want to know breeding dates and so they aren't bred before I am ready for them to be. Edited to add that although they are right next to eachother outside, the milk has never tasted bucky.

[julieq]

Originally Posted by Ark

I guess I am different than most here.... My buck/s run with my does year round. Even the biggest stinkiest ones, right in the middle of breeding season have never caused my milk to taste bad. My husband is super picky, with a super sensitive nose, and he would tell me in a FLASH in the milk tasted the slightest bit bucky. I simply clean the udders REALLY well, strain and chill milk immediately. But, OTOH, I have friends who SWEAR that doesnt work for them. It works for me though! We have Nubians.

Totally agree with this. Our ND bucks are housed in the same barn as our does, in fact right next to one doe pen. And we do put the bucks in with our milking does during breeding season. No problems at all. Our barn smells bucky, but never our milk.

[Alice In TX/MO]

Running a buck with the does will *not* make the milk bucky. Having bad milking hygiene will.

I've had a buck with my does for weeks now. NO bucky taste in the milk.

Just be sure you don't handle the buck before milking. Wipe down the udder and teats with a teat wash before milking. Make sure your hands are clean CLEAN. Cover milk as soon as you are done milking and filter and chill it quickly. NO problems.

[Alice In TX/MO]

I don't think you want your pig in with your goats at all.

[CircleStarRanch]

So if I put a 20' x 20' girls-only pen, connected to a 20' x 20' boys pen, I would be ok? Or should I put the pig pen between them?

If I put the goat pens together could I enlarge the barn to accomodate all the goats and only have a shed for the pig?

Secondly, is 20' x 20' good space for 2 ND does and another 20' x 20' for a ND buck & wether? I am still in the planning stages so I can increase if better.

Sorry for all the noob questions, but I want to do this "right"

-Dutch

[Alice In TX/MO]

I think that is too small if you have room for a larger pen or pens. What they can tolerate is different from what is good for them. How much acreage do you have?

Put the pigs AWAY from everything else, including your house. Have you had pigs before? They stink WAY worse than any buck goat.

[southerngurl]

Pigs will kill and eat other animals.. and little humans too.

[Alice In TX/MO]

Yes, I have a dear friend who SAW pigs eat a little girl who fell in the pen.

[southerngurl]

I have heard terrible stories of them getting into a house when people were out working and eating babies. I don't care for them much.

[LoneStrChic23]

I too agree with having the pigs far away from the goats...don't even let them share a fence line! I used to show Hampshire hogs and Durocs when I was in high school. We had a sub teacher for about 2 weeks and she decided to rearrange our Ag barn even though we told her not to....She put 2 show lambs in the pen next to my Hampshire. The next morning we came in and my hog had somehow got the lambs leg, ate it and pulled parts of him through the panels..... poor lamb was still alive when we got to school...it was awful. And my pig was a sweet pig, loved me, played fetch, was the sweetest pig ever..... I had never seen him be aggressive and if I wouldn't have seen the evidence, I would have never believed he did that.... Please don't keep your pigs close to your goats..... Nigerian kids are tiny escape artist and would make a quick piggy snack if they ever got within reach. I'm not saying every pig would do that, but it's not worth the risk.

As for bucks and does being housed together... I think that's a personal preference. For me, I don't want bucks housed with my girls. I don't want them breeding when I don't know about it and I want to be able to go in the girls pen without worrying about coming out smelling like a buck....plus my kids are constantly playing with the girls and I don't want my munchkins getting rubbed on by a stinky buck
I had milk from does housed with bucks and it did have an odor and strong flavor.....but I've also had milk like that from does not with bucks so I'm more inclined to think it has to do with the handling of the milk.

Either way, I personally won't own bucks until I can have a separate pen for them.....that's why I bought all my does pregnant so I could put off the buck thing for another year

Best Wishes,
Crystal
http://noodlevilleadventures.blogspot.com

[CircleStarRanch]

Originally Posted by Alice In TX/MO

... How much acreage do you have? ...

We are looking at two potential parcels ... 120 acres and 160 acres.

[Alice In TX/MO]

Then, absolutely figure small acreage for the does. They need exercise, things to climb on, browse, and room to recreate. Bored goats get into trouble.

[mygoat]

I agree - bigger the better, pasture wise. If you do it right, you won't have to feed your bucks anything, and will only have to feed your does grain on the stand (I'd free feed alfalfa pellets though). And it does keep them out of trouble AND will reduce your worming needs.

[Heritagefarm]

Milk must be chilled as fast as possible. Tossing it in the fridge won't work. The freezer, or ice water vats in the fridge. If that doesn't work, the goats milk might just taste bad for some reason. Try separating each goats milk; if some still taste bad those goats have eaten something odd.

[motdaugrnds]

I don't think housing goats with or adjacent to chickens (or pigs) is wise. Chickens can get mites easily and transfer it to the goat bedding; pigs will share their odor with anything!

We built our barn large enough to accommodate the entire herd (3 does & 2 bucks), creating half walls inside the barn that allows us to divide the herd up periodically as needed with each having its own exit to the pastures. (The back of the barn also has an exit into our garden, which helps a great deal in composting their used bedding each year.)

I house our bucks with our does except during breeding season. At that time we divide up the does, giving some to each buck and both small herds then have their own housing/browsing pastures (and pen). (The "buck house" is one of these and is located in the back acreage; whereas, our "main barn" is the other & is located in the front acreage.) After breeding is done, both bucks are housed in the main barn (at different ends) where they can see the does at all times. The does are housed in the "middle" of that barn (approximately 30' x 15' in size). Each morning they each get a pan of grain (Roman, our 12-yr old buck gets his mixed with a gallon of hot water.) and the does are "always" let out to graze over 3 acres at will. The bucks are, also, let out to graze with the does ONLY we alternate the days for each buck to graze. (The buck that does not get out that day is given baled hay.) This has worked quite well and, since the barn is near the house, it makes winter care much easier.

No, the barn does "not" smell bad! No, the milk does not taste bucky! No, the bucks are not lonely nor do they fight each other, though they would if we let them run together with the bred does. And yes, both bucks are gentle & sweet natured, bottle fed from birth and have never once butted me or David.