# Bucks Fighting, what can I do?



## animalluvr (Feb 12, 2011)

We are having a big problem with our 2 bucks arguing at the gate. We have 2 separate pastures for 2 different breeds. There is an electric fence dividing the 2 pastures, but there is also a small gate that doesn't have the electric wire. We also have barbed wire running along the bottom & top of the fence. Our fence wire is also small, so they can't get their heads through it.

Well, our Boer buck & our Myotonic/Fainting buck keep butting heads at the gate. They keep making a sneezing/farting sound with their mouth, lifting their lips, jumping in the air/butting heads, hitting the gate so loud I can hear it in the house. Our myotonic buck even fainted a few times after butting heads with our Boer buck. It's making me nervous that one of them (especially our big 300+lb Boer buck & when he stands, he is as tall as the fence) will get into the others pasture & start seriously fighting. Plus I definitely don't want our Boer buck breeding our myotonic does (it can kill them). 

Many years ago when we first started raising Boers, we had 2 bucks in the same pasture (we didn't know any better). Well they fought so much until one of them broke the others leg & we had to put him down. We NEVER again had 2 bucks, ever, at the same time until now (even though they are in separate pastures). We didn't plan on having 2 different breeds, it just happened... we took in a friends fainting goat she no longer wanted & it went on from there.

Our bucks have been doing this on & off for a while now. We tried spraying them with water & using a hot shot, but nothing works. When we got our Myotonic buck he was rutting & our does were in heat so he bred them all. After he bred them, everything calmed down. Now they are trying to breed the does again & the 2 bucks are arguing again. This year we only had 1 doe from each herd actually have babies... 1 boer doe had 2 kids & 1 myotonic doe had 1 kid. I find this odd because we have been raising Boers for a long time & every year we have lots of kids, but not this past year... I don't know if it's because the two bucks are more worried about each other or if the does just missed or something.

To stop the bucks from butting heads at the gate we now have our myotonic goats in a small pasture far away, where they can't meet at the fence, but it's not enough land for 8 goats & our feed (and money) are going down fast. We have been debating on whether or not we should just sell the Boer goats (we only have 1 Boer buck & 4 Boer does right now & one of our Boer does is 12 years old). Me & my husband seem to constantly worry & argue over this.  It's time to either sell them or find a way to make the bucks get along... or at least not be able to get near each other. Right now they can't get to each other, but they can see each other... the 2 bucks keep standing at the corners, looking at each other, not worrying about their females.

Anyone have any advice on what we could do? If not, it looks like we will have to sell all of our Boers. We have done everything we could think of.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

What about keeping one buck and just having some mixed kids? Do you absolutely need to keep your Boers pure? They are both meat goats. 

Why not move the 12 year old in with the fainting goats if you would want to keep her. 

It sound like those particular bucks really don't like each other if they are posturing even from far away. When it becomes a problem, then it is best to move one on.


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## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

Completely agree. Bucks normally spur, but being in different pens- they will never get a chance to prove who is above the other. Either throw em in together and let em have at it or sell one. Especially that they have it out for each other. That's not tolerated here. We have not the space, patience, or time for childish behavior from any animal.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

Bucks in rut are more "energetic" then when in rest but should do well in the same pen as long as Does arent around..I have three together with no problem..they chase, run and ride eachother, but no one is trying to kill the other...sounds like your boys just do not like eachother...if you watch them, you should be able to tell who the aggressor is...who is coming at who, and replace him...also if you have does running with the buck who are sharing a fence line, this could also create a problem...they are now protecting their ladies...and by doing so no one is getting bred because Hubby is too busy protecting their honor..
You could run a path between the fences so fence dont touch...you can use pallets to create a cheap or free privacy fence..or consider that one buck will do the job and sell the other...or replace one of the bucks. best wishes


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I don't know the right name for this but they have plastic gate parts for hot fence. You hook up the hot fence to one side then there is a hook on the other end of this plastic handle so you can unhook it then go threw and rehook it. Since the gate seems to be the issue and they seem to respect the hot fence I would look into that if you want to keep both.


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## animalluvr (Feb 12, 2011)

Thank you everyone!! We have decided to sell our Boer buck & all of the does except for the 12 year old one. It's just not working out. We've had the Boers for so long so I guess it's just hard to see them go, but it must be done. Thanks for all of your help!


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## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

animalluvr said:


> Thank you everyone!! We have decided to sell our Boer buck & all of the does except for the 12 year old one. It's just not working out. We've had the Boers for so long so I guess it's just hard to see them go, but it must be done. Thanks for all of your help!


Is there any way you can get a new friendlier buck?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Why not keep a couple of your Boer does that you like best. Then at least you have a couple.


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## animalluvr (Feb 12, 2011)

The Boer buck we have now is the friendliest buck we've had. Our last buck rammed by husband in the knee when his back was turned & now he has a torn ligament. Our current Boer buck has always been very friendly & laid back until we added another buck. Now he's acting aggressive. This is our 2nd Myotonic buck (we sold our first one because they weren't getting along), our Boer buck didn't like the first one either lol. We will probably keep another doe with the 12 y/o.


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## surveyman (Jan 19, 2013)

You could put a single hot wire on one side of the gate. That will keep the goats from touching each other through the gate. I had some does separated by a gate, and they broke the chain from butting each other. I put a hot wire on one side and that was the end of the problem.


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