# Introducing Bucks and Does



## danverguy (Jan 5, 2015)

Hey All,

I trust everyone is staying warm during these cold months! I have a couple questions about introducing new animals. While I have introduced a doe before, I have never done what I am about to do and would appreciate any advice on how to do it. Currently, we have three does with kids and a young buck (very friendly). Pretty soon we are going to have to introduce three new young does to the pre-existing does and a young buck to the other buck. I know... a mess! I've sort of been procrastinating about writing this post because it sounds like such a mess. Also, one of the new young does is polled and all of the rest of the does are horned. I know that I will have to pay special attention to her so that she doesn't get hurt until everyone becomes comfortable. Whats the best way to introduce the two groups of does together and what's the best way to introduce the bucks to each other? The new does are quite a bit smaller than the pre-existing does, whereas the new young buck is a little bigger than the pre-existing buck. I appreciate any advice y'all can give toward my situation! :think: :cart:


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Honestly? I just throw them together. I split my herd up all the time and of course if they don't see each other longer then a day they have never seen them before In their life but I just throw them together and keep a eye on them. If it looks like one is being worked over to much I'll catch her up and give her a break for the rest of the day and try it again the next day. I think I've had to do that once. The good thing about introducing more then one to the herd is the fights are kinda split up. It's not 10 against one new one and they will also have friends till they all settle down. Bucks I do the same thing. It actually seems like the boys go at it really bad but figure it out really fast. Mine did at least.


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## sweetlifegoats (Jan 24, 2014)

I have a good sized herd and a couple of my girls don't have horns and it's never been an issue. I just put them together and watched closely for a few days. 
The only time I've had to pull anyone is a doe that's low in pecking order when she's pretty far along in pregnancy. 
My does without horns seem more aggressive than ones with them.
I think it helps to if whichever doe turns out to be queen is pretty mellow.
Our queen is really good about getting between any does that are getting to crazy. 
My bucks also fight when first put together but after couple days figure it out. Again it helps if bucks are mellow to begin with. We don't keep any that are too aggressive just don't want that temperament in our herd.


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

I have a smallish, but growing herd, with multiple bucks of multiple sizes (ND all the way to massive Alpine) I also have multiple adjacent pens that all open into any or all of each other. Pretty easy for me to move people around or prevent people from moving around. I don't introduce bucks together during full rut, they just don't seem to have the friend-making-gene switched on. Once full rut passes, I let them together in a neutral pen and they have not failed to work it out and become friends. Then they stay friends even during the next rut.

Our does are a mix of disbudded and horned (no polled!) My current queen is a disbudded Alpine. She took over when the previous queen, a horned pygmy, had to be separated from the herd for health reasons. Neither is dangerous to the rest of the herd, but the disbudded one IS more of a bully than the horned one.

I try hard NOT to separate out the one being bullied. Instead, I separate out the bully, make her be alone for a day or two. That way the bullied one has a chance to gain/maintain a place in the larger doe herd. When the bully rejoins, she often has a better attitude, but if not, out she goes again. The only times this has completely failed is when the doe is also dangerous in other ways, to multiple animals (including her LGD) and will also attack people. Those does are rehomed, usually via the auction house, because bullying behaviour is both genetic and learned. The learning is what I prevent at all costs. 

I just last night brought a new-to-me doe home, and she went into one of the pens by herself and the rest of the herd, bucks and does, met her through the fences. This morning the gates will be opened to allow doe mingling. 

As a result of this directed isolation, mingling, culling policy, after a few years, I have a pretty darned calm herd. My advice is always to keep the bullied in with the herd, isolate the bully.


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

I should also state, that I don't have high priced show animals. My most expensive goat so far was $600, and I still have him. So I have a lot of freedom when it comes to culling.


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## VVFarm (Dec 14, 2015)

I do the same as Jessica84... I just toss 'em together and let them sort it out. I've rarely had a problem. 
I also agree that mixing several at once helps divide out the fighting. I try not to introduce a lone goat without an established buddy to stand by her. They like a comrade.


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