Storey's Guide to Raising Dairy Goats by Jerry Belanger

Author:Jerry Belanger
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: goat breeds;how to milk a goat;how to raise a goat;goat’s milk;goat cheese;goat housing;proper goat fencing;kidding
Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC
Published: 2017-12-01T15:54:54+00:00

Living with a Buck

As already mentioned, bucks do smell, especially during breeding season. Girl goats (and some goat people) are inclined to like the musky aroma, but it will travel far beyond your barnyard; it will pervade your clothes, and even your living-room furniture will get to smelling like ripe billy goat, which for most people is less than desirable. Your neighbors might also have an opinion on the matter.

Also of interest to people who are new to goats is what they often call the buck’s “objectionable, disgusting habits.” Most city people are shocked when they find out that the cute and playful buck kid grows — astoundingly rapidly — into a male beast who not only tongues urine streams from females (and makes funny faces afterward) but who also sprays his own beard and forelegs with his own urine. This is natural goat behavior, but be that as it may, even many broad-minded people find it difficult to accept gracefully. Needless to say, the lovable buck kid loses a few friends when he reaches this stage.

Bucks are powerful animals — I’ve seen them snap 2 × 6s just for kicks — and one that has not been raised properly or finds himself in an untenable position can be a dangerous animal. I have never owned a buck that was any more hostile or aggressive toward humans than a doe, but they haven’t been effeminate either, which would be a fault in a buck. Still, enough other people speak of “mean” or “dangerous” bucks, so it seems likely that they exist, and you should be forewarned.

Some women goat owners have said their breeding bucks tend to be inappropriately amorous toward them, perhaps because of some confusion of pheromones in the heat of the rut. Pound for pound, the buck probably has the advantage, so women should be aware that “bearding” the buck, or firmly grasping a handful of his beard, is a good emergency control method. It’s probably not a bad thing for men to know about, too, but don’t overuse it. Any animal will fight back if it is receiving hardhanded treatment.

Because they are powerful, and because of their natural sexual instincts, a buck requires much more elaborate and expensive housing than the does, especially during the breeding season. They must be housed separately, if only to avoid off-flavored milk, and an inadequately penned buck will soon be found with the girls.

While there are many advantages to buying a proven sire — a buck that is not sterile and who throws daughters with the traits you want in your herd — such bucks are either very expensive or old and otherwise worn out. Most bucks are sold as kids, fresh off their dam. Reputable breeders will take orders for their bucks in advance and either castrate or dispose of buck kids that are not spoken for. Half of all kids born are bucks, and only a small fraction of those are needed or good enough for breeding prospects.

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