# Our journey - 7/27 I think he's in 'rut'



## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Okay so I've posted pics before of our buck, and the 'journey' of him becoming deathly ill for a couple of months at the beginning of the year.
I'd love to have some opinions on him though, if you think he's looking okay? I know he could use some filling out around the loin and more butt/legs, we're currently feeding him almost 2lbs of 16% medicated pelleted goat feed, and a couple of flakes of alfalfa/grass mix horse hay, along with browse/grass, but we only have a couple of acres so not a whole lot of 'pasture,' but we're slowly working on that.

Dec 10th - 8 months old and 4 days before he started showing signs of being sick 


















He got bad around Christmas, then seemed to be getting better, then I think Dec 27th is when he started going downhill again...
Here's a video from Dec 28th....this had been the worst so far, and he was so emaciated 

__
https://flic.kr/p/6589284309

Day after I took that video he couldn't get up off his knees, back end was completely useless to him. Got some meds from the vet and he was able to stand again almost immediately and started a slow recovery..

1-6-12 Still very skinny, not eating very well at all for what we were able to offer him 









1-29-12 Slowly gaining, but still not doing all that great, so we took him to the vet around this day to have an exam, blood work and fecal. Blood work was a little abnormal from his body not absorbing nutrients, and the vet thinks the stress of becoming so sick caused a worm load. 


















3-5-12 


















3-17-12









3-28-12









Yes he knows how to open the gate LOL If he doesn't pull on the chain, then he puts his horns in the gate, lifts the gate and pulls it open... :laugh: 









4-17-12
always attached to my leg...I know it's an awful habit!









This is the look he gave me after knocking over my rake lol


















7-10-12
About a month or so ago we shaved everyone bald, he had a bad lice infestation - we got rid of them over the fall/winter, then he got them again really bad - think they came in on the new goats we had bought since they were in his pen during the day while he was out with the herd.

Starting to get hair and not look so ridiculous being bald lol




































7-22-12 from about 8pm today.

Not a great picture, but shows you how wide his 'barrel' is


















He's licking his lips LOL


















In Dec he had to stand on a pallet and could barely reach this doe....so he's definitely growing - she's our biggest/oldest doe.









He's all about some lovin' bad habit.....bad bad habit :hair: but he gives you those 'puppy goat' eyes and you can't help but love on him



























IMO he looks fine until you get past his barrel of a belly. He's lacking in the butt and legs.

If he were your buck, you had a limited income and refuse to do a bunch of supplements, what would you do? How much of a 16% medicated pelleted feed would you feed him? 
The thing is, I can't give him beet pulp if I feed him alone, he'll pick through it. 
I'm thinking I may start graining him 2x a day again, a little feed in the morning, then grain him with the 3 adult does in the evening and that feeding I'll add the beet pulp.
I fed them together tonight, and he was licking the feeder clean.

I know he's not going to look like these show bucks we see, we absolutely can't afford to feed him like those bucks are being fed....but I really would like to see him filled out more.

Thanks for being patient through my rambling... 

Forgot to add that he is almost 16 months old now


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

*Re: Our journey with our buck this year...opinions?*

I can see definate improvement over the last 7 months... I think that just continuing what you have been will be fine, to me he looks like a really nice Boer buck...thick! :thumbup:


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

*Re: Our journey with our buck this year...opinions?*



liz said:


> I can see definate improvement over the last 7 months... I think that just continuing what you have been will be fine, to me he looks like a really nice Boer buck...thick! :thumbup:


Thanks so much Liz! I am glad to hear that from someone else, some days I am like okay we're on the right track, and others I am so down and out, hate that feeling!

Somehow a sentence is missing out of my post LOL in the bottom I meant to say I started giving them beet pulp, but I can't feed him by himself or he'll pick through it.


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## packhillboers (Feb 2, 2011)

*Re: Our journey with our buck this year...opinions?*

He looks much better. What a funny buck he is.. opening the gate like that. You are all doing well with him as he is looking much better.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

*Re: Our journey with our buck this year...opinions?*

I agree... he looks fantastic... :leap: and for him to look that good... after all he has been through..."Priceless" .....He seems very grateful to all of you... for helping him to get through that......I see that from the pics.... :thumb:  :hi5:


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## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

*Re: Our journey with our buck this year...opinions?*

He looks quite healthy in his recent pictures. Not sure why you would want to change him much as that looks about right going into the breeding season.


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

*Re: Our journey with our buck this year...opinions?*

He really looks healthy now for sure! *Beautiful*
beautiful shiney coat. I love the look in his eyes, a big hugable obviously friendly guy.
You done good bringing him back like that!
:hi5: 
As for his feed he's only 16 mo old has plenty time! He'll keep growing into his 4th year you know.
My guy gets about 2# a day right now but he's only 6mos old.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

*Re: Our journey with our buck this year...opinions?*

Thanks everyone, I appreciate it very much and you definitely make me feel better about the way he looks!  He's such a brat, spoiled....spoiled...brat LOL

I started the beet pulp and will slowly give him a little more grain, but not much, just slowly increase. I'm really happy that he's eating up the beet pulp that I am mixing in with their feed. I'm going to start feeding him with our yearling doe who is a slow eater, they used to eat really good together, so we'll try it again


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

*Re: Our journey with our buck this year...opinions?*

How wonderful! What a sweet boy you have <3


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## RPC (Nov 6, 2009)

*Re: Our journey with our buck this year...opinions?*

I think you are doing a great job with him. Keep up the good work!!!!


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

*Re: Our journey with our buck this year...opinions?*

Thanks Roger and Woodhavenfarm! He gets on my nerves sometimes because he voices his opinion about everything LOL noisy critter when things aren't going his way, but he's sure a good boy. 
My kids are more interested in him now, because they got to see his sire, and see how well he is doing in the show ring, so it's been fun learning about him this summer - he's won grand champion buck at 2 shows we've gone too, he was the reserve grand champion buck 2011 at NAILE, and I know he's done well elsewhere also. It's funny, my 5yo daughter sees the boy who owns him and says 'Where's Big Thang's daddy?' --- LOL She has trouble saying Big 'Bang' so it sounds like 'thang.' He has a really great personality too, so it's in his genetics.

I remember complaining about how hard of a keeper he was earlier this year, well that has changed. He no longer waits around for grain. He goes out and grazes/browses, he eats hay, and then looks forward to his grain in the evenings.
When the does are laying around the barn area, he will come over, stand over them and push on them until they get up, because he wants them to go out and graze with him LOL


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

*Re: Our journey with our buck this year...opinions?*

:thumbup: :hi5: :hug:


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## Maggie (Nov 5, 2010)

*Re: Our journey with our buck this year...opinions?*

It looks great! I would just keep feeding what you are now, he looks like he is in wonderful condition for breeding. I wouldn't want him looking like a show buck unless you are actually going to show him. I don't like to see breeding animals too fat, its not healthy... me saying that when I have a few fatties myself lol. At least they are on diets! Hes a really nice buck, you should be very proud of him, and I still looove all his babies


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

*Re: Our journey with our buck this year...opinions?*

Well.... I think he is officially coming in rut! I've never seen a buck in rut before - our last buck was just so laid back he just bred them when they came in heat.... But Bang is trying to get them in heat! He's been paying a LOT of attention to our doe that has 3mo triplets, but so far she's not interested, but now and then he paws at her and yells at her...it's actually kind of hysterical LOL
Of course I don't want Ithma bred, seems like she's always got kids/pregnant/nursing. BUT...going against my own words, I may let him breed her if that's what SHE wants. Then I can get her on schedule with the others. she's been kidding out of schedule and I really want her kidding Dec-early March, not May-Oct.

Anyway, it was kind of funny, I brought the 4-H goats out with me - first time they've been with the herd in the woods in a couple of months. One of them was trying to challenge Ithma and Big Bang was stepping in to 'protect his woman' LOL He was yelling at those young does telling them to leave his women alone...too funny....

BUT, he is also yelling at my 5yo daughter, I don't know why? So we don't want her around him. She is good about staying away from him though, and he isn't coming after her he just sees her and yells....sometimes I think he has a screw loose...lol


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## SkyesRanch (Nov 11, 2010)

He definitely looks better than he did! In some of those pictures he looks like a slightly masculine doe. Which is probably because he is a younger buck, idk anything about boers but I am sure he will mature better and get more structure width and not just width in the belly. LOL


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

SkyesRanch said:


> He definitely looks better than he did! In some of those pictures he looks like a slightly masculine doe. Which is probably because he is a younger buck, idk anything about boers but I am sure he will mature better and get more structure width and not just width in the belly. LOL


He reminds me of one of those young college boys who think they are too good for everyone, too clean, etc. LOL Hard to explain I guess.
He needs filling out from his loin back to his back leg muscles and I think it'll help make a difference.
His sire doesn't have a lot of 'rolls' on his neck, which makes me feel better <his sire is 315lb. 2 1/2yr old buck who is a big 'show winning' buck right now>. Of course we can't afford to feed him like a show buck LOL

He's getting about 3lbs. of grain now, and almost a full cup of beet pulp mixed in as well. I use a large cup that probably measures to be about 2cup capacity.

The big step will be seeing him mount and successfully breed a doe. He still has some weakness issues with a hind leg that may never go away, but as long as he can breed, he'll be fine. He stands up on his hind legs to reach tree leaves, etc. so I think he'll be fine with a doe in standing heat. 
We have 5 does we'd like bred between now and Oct. 3 are adults, and the other 2 are younger/shorter does. He's as big or bigger than the adult does.


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