body language

susanne · #1 12/30/04, 09:30 PM

my little buck is about six month old. when i got him he was very shy and i could't pet him at all. but he is totally different now. if i go in the pen he is coming and want to be pettet. i can trim his hoofes with no problems. on thing i don't understand is why he is jumping at me? or better said he stays on his backlegs in front of me. other times he is touching me with one of his front legs. does he want something from me? still he is little but what if he is full grown?

susanne

Lt. Wombat · #2 12/30/04, 10:06 PM

If he is like our last buck he wants you to be his girlfriend and he is letting you know this. Ours got to the point that no female, during their menstration, was safe around him. Other times they were fine near him. Bucks are strange animals that are not to be completely trusted; no matter how tame they are.

susanne · #3 12/31/04, 09:12 AM

is there anything i can do to make him clear that i'm not one of his girl?

Stacy Adams · #4 12/31/04, 10:08 AM

Animal behavior, goats are goats.. they like to climb and jump on things including other animals (of which your are) and each other.. the easiest way to "teach him not to do it, is to not allow it. If he comes at you on two feet, back away until he's on four. If he does manage to put his feet on you, gently but firmly push him away and only pet/scratch him when he's on four.. the girls will do this also and can be a pest when older as well. With gentle persistance, he will learn the apropriate behavior and be a good boy.. this is much easier to do when they're younger, but I think he'll learn.. If he's been allowed to jump on you, it'll take a bit longer, but it's doable, just be persistant!
I have a yearling doe that likes to come up to me and put her front foot around my leg and just stand there.. I'll push her away and then give her a scratch and she's usually content with that, though one day, she wouldn't leave me alone and kept hooking that one foot around me so I grabbed it and examined it "What is wrong with you?? and found a tack imbedded in her toe..

She's quirky and still likes to let me know when she want's a scratch.. but she does know that jumping isn't tolerated...
good luck with your little guy!!!

#5 12/31/04, 01:49 PM

sounds/looks like LOVE to me!!!! A spray bottle of water for the naughty boy.

Also if you can handle him twist his head back towards his rump to show him you are the boss. I learned this from an old lady that kept goats for a very long time....and I use it on my boys as needed especially when they are little....so they get the idea before they are too big.

AnnaS · #6 12/31/04, 08:48 PM

That front leg thing he's doing means he's checking to see if you're in heat. Sheep do that too.
This little guy needs to learn that you will never, never like him "that way", and he should learn this now while he is still small enough for you to wrestle to the ground if need be. Not only will he be a menance as he tries to mount you, he will also eventually try to fight and dominate you as all feral bucks will do to does in heat- which is wjhat thinks you may be. A 250 lb buck who butts, fights, and tries to breed all the people he comes in contact with, will have a very poor (and possibly short) quality of life.

My grandma would grab a buck by the ear and the tail and pull them together. The buck swung around until he got dizzy and fell down. Then she sat on his head until he gave up, then sat a little longer, let him get up and chased him off. This really communicates who is dominant without physically harming the buck. After this treatment, you can "warn" him when he is getting out of line by stomping your foot.

I had to do this two weeks ago when a 250+ lb buck decided he had to "rescue" one of the does from my evil hoof trimming and reared up to charge me. He actually seems more relaxed and secure now as he knows where he stands with me- he's just here on a lease.