# Buck Smell?



## joecool911 (Jul 3, 2010)

My boys are about ready for their removal of manhood. They are almost 6 months old and getting pretty offensive. Just wondering where the buck smell originates? I know that buck deer have glands on the insides of their legs. Don't see any on my goats.

They are also doing some strange behavior. Arching their backs/squatting and extending their penis'. It's time!!!


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## imported_ashley (Jun 9, 2011)

I have two that are the same age doing the same thing. I honestly (in my completely unprofessional opinion) believe that the nasty smell comes from them peeing on themselves. They get that greesy look and the smell is there..I am not sure about sent glands but wild goats/deer have them so maybe they do too. The breeder I got mine from punishes them if they act "bucky" around..so when they tried to shoot themselves with pee she smacks them. Don't get it on you if you have not figured that out already...thats a smell that does not go away...I have a mountain hardware fleece that can attest to that.. Nasty little creatures they are......


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## idahonancy (Dec 13, 2008)

I am not an expert but I read somewhere the origin of the smell is at the base of the horn. It is an oil like substance that is accentuated and dispersed by the urine. Hence the pee on the face is to spread the oil and smell into the thick hair on the neck. And of course this stench has a purpose that we just don't appreciate.


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## Cazz (Jun 9, 2010)

A buck's smell comes from several places. Firstly, all goats have 'musk glands' located just behind their horns, which are far more active than those of does, especially during breeding season. Secondly, and this is by far the main reason, a buck will spray himself with urine and semen all over his front legs, face, beard, and in his mouth. :roll: 

I do the same as the breeder of Ashley's goats - none of our bucks or wethers are allowed to spray themselves when I am around, and the wethers are not allowed to mount the does. The more practice they have humping/mounting the does, the further they can extend and the more likely they are to try yucky buck-y habits such as drinking their urine and spraying themselves. Also, these behaviours (mounting in particular) are dominance, and can lead to behaviour issues if they feel 'manly' enough to lose respect. I prefer to keep all of our boys as gentle, sweet and non-smelly as possible, so the obvious reason for me is to wether buck kids well before they start showing unwanted behaviour and to punish such behaviour - which helps keep down the stink.  It doesn't help that my milking shed is only ten metres from the buck paddock.   
Cheers,
Cazz


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

The absolute main reason for the smell is the pee. Not sure if I believe in the horn thing, but its another logical spot. But the main smell is from them peeing on themselves. My prospects are starting to stink also but I can still rub all over there horns, scratch the bases and come away with out stinky gloves. I rub the back their front legs or around the face and P U !.


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## joecool911 (Jul 3, 2010)

Sounds like a good bath is in order prior to their visit to the vet for castration. Wonder if my wife will let me up them in the tub in our bathroom? :shock:


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## Nanno (Aug 30, 2009)

Hmm... putting a big old smelly goat in your bathtub sounds like a recipe for disaster. But I hate giving cold baths in the outdoor spigot. I now live in a house that has a hot water spigot outdoors! I think the previous owner installed it for bathing horses. 

But before we were spoiled without outside hot water, we used to attach a gizmo to the kitchen faucet that would allow me to screw a hose onto it. Then I would run the hose out the kitchen window and we had outdoor hot water for goat baths. Cuzco actually likes being bathed as long as we use warm water. Use liquid laundry detergent instead of shampoo. I've never had any trouble with skin irritation and it does a much better job of getting smells and stains out of the coat, it's cheaper, I can use a smaller amount, and it smells nicer than regular shampoos. Good stuff!


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## Rex (Nov 30, 2008)

A goats Sebaceous glands are located at the inner base of the horns and secrete an oily liquid all year. They swell with an intact buck during breeding season and the oil can be seen as a wet smear down the side of the goats head and neck. The long hair on their beard and neck mane hold more of this oily residue and hence, more odor. The odor is thought to stimulate does to come in heat. There are also mentions of other smaller glands in the skin on the head of a goat but I have never been able to find any literature that specifically points out their location. Many breeders try to cauterize the gland when they dis-bud a young buck but generally the gland opens upon reaching sexual maturity anyway. I read of university trials where they removed the scent glands surgically but the numerous smaller skin glands still produced an odor, though admittedly not as bad as the main glands at the base of the horn.

Urine in itself is not very smelly compared to the secretions of the glands on the head but the continual spraying causes the oily reside to spread over the entire front half of a goat thereby making him more attractive to the ladies.

The same behavior of using urine to spread the scent from Sebaceous glands can be seen in deer and Elk.


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