my buck is in love!!!

**mygoat** · #1 07/12/05, 07:03 PM

Andre, our black pygmy buck, has always lived on a tie out. the other day i moved him next to our old tire swing. he has fallen in love with that tire. he spends 90% of his time butting and playing with it. my dad says its because its black and stupid, just like him. ill go out there and swing it as hard as i can, and he'll brace himself and after it swings away, he starts after it. its just to great to see him when he gets his horn stuck in the rope, because he tries to dance away so it doesnt hit him in the stomac and he just spinns in circles. i think im gonna put up a tire for the does to play with. i hope they like it. what toys does everyone else use? i used to feel so bad for that billy cuz he has no friends around and nothing for him to do on that tie out but destroy his own house.
o and another thing, does anyone keep whethers in with thier bucks? do they have to grow up togeather to be compatible as friends? after daisy has her baby, (and my luck it will be a boy) i was thinking of keepin it and castrating it as a friend for my buck. can you keep two bucks togeather if they dont have any females around to compete over? will one become dominant and boss the other around or will they try to kill each other?

GoldenWood Farm · #2 07/12/05, 07:12 PM

I keep my bucks together and they do just fine. Although mine are all yearlings or younger. I also keep my wethers with my bucks and they do just fine also.

I think the animals are much happier to have a companion with them. So yep it would be fine to keep a wether or a buck with him. I recommend that you but the buck/wether in with him when he ISN'T in rut..like during the off season.

MotherClucker

**mygoat** · #3 07/12/05, 07:26 PM

do pygmys even have a rut? it doesnt seem like they would since does go into heat all year long, but i could be wrong.

Jen H · #4 07/13/05, 12:08 AM

They don't have to grow up together to be friends. There will be some jostling for the pecking order, but they'll work it out and get along.

My goats love balls. They all play with their old soccer balls, but I have one that will play with me. He butts the ball over to me and I kick it back to him. They also like a rope toy - a ball with a rope strung through it - that I tied up in the middle of the barn. Oh, and an old camper shell they play king-of-the-mountain on and hide under so they can ambush things.

trappmountain · #5 07/13/05, 07:23 AM

Great Post MG! I am putting up a couple of large fences so my animals have more room to run and play and was wondering what type of things would be fun for them. We have plenty of old tires around. Would be great to have a use for them!!!!

What about bolting a few of them together for them to climb on? Would that be safe?

**mygoat** · #6 07/13/05, 11:09 AM

hmm, i think that bolting them togeather would be fine, as rubber has a very small chance of hurting goats. my doe goats also have a really old truck top that they love to hide from me in .