# Housing bucks and bucklings together



## Squires (Sep 14, 2010)

I am getting a couple of stud-goatlings this week, and am trying to decide the best way to house them. I want to quarantine them from my other animals, but don't want them to be lonely. One is a yearling mini-Nubian buck, and the other is only about 3 months old - -also a mini-Nubian buckling. Can they be housed together, or is that too much of an age and size difference? 

Would it be better to house them side-by-side in runs or pens so that they can keep each other company with a fence between them? They are traveling here side-by-side in dog carriers, so will be familiar with each other's scent, I think. 

Any suggestions? 

Thanks.

Chris


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## Burns Branch Boers (Apr 11, 2011)

sorry I can not offer much help-but I am curious to see the answer! LOL my bet would be that it may not be safe for the little guy-but we will see what others say. Do you know if they were together at the prior owners place?


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

are they coming from the same farm? how agressive is the older buck? 

its not rutt time so thye more then likely will get alone just fine but if the older buck is known to be aggressive I would be cautious.


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

I would leave them seperate with a fence between them so they can at least interact and feel more safe with another goat near them. 

Since there will be a size difference it will be easier to feed them seperately and know they are both getting the proper amount and you won't have to worry about the little one getting pushed around or beat up. :thumb: ...At least until he's big enough to fend for himself.


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## Squires (Sep 14, 2010)

OK, I think I will set up two pens, side-by-side. Right now I am SO excited! 

They came from two breeders who know each other, sometimes share a buck, and have clean herds, but the blood lines are totally different on the two goats I bought. One is very well bred from high-performance milk lines in Nubians and Nigerians, he's an F2 generation, and has gorgeous moon spots! The other is a plain black-and-tan color with frosted ears (like the big boys! A true "miniature" little Nubian) from a totally different line of breeding. 

The breeders were kind enough to bring the two bucklings to one spot, so my friend could pick them up on the way through town. Now he's on the road -- possibly crossing the Mississippi river today. Hope to have them by Friday morning (knock on wood). I am SO excited! 

Now have to build those two pens. I think the fences need to be cattle-panel -- my four month old doe kid can jump a hog panel easily and I don't trust her around bucks! 

Chris


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## jdgray716 (Aug 8, 2008)

We house our bucks together and have no issue. I have a few bucklings with our older bucks and have not had issues. These boys here tend to have more patience then the does do with the bucklings but that is our luck here and they are a different breed so it is not much telling. However, I know many breeders that do the same and so long as no girls are there they too have no issues. You can always introduce gradually or try together and seperate if need to, just a few ideas.


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## Squires (Sep 14, 2010)

I just realized that I have a lot of old tires -- sometimes when I am introducing mature rams I put old tires on the ground so that they can not get a clear run at each other and ram each other with any force. It is an old shepherd's trick. It would also provide some entertainment for the goats, I guess.  

Has anybody tried this with goats? Mini Goats? 

Chris


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## kelebek (Oct 5, 2007)

All of my kids go in and out of the buck pen through the fence - just no way of stopping it. I had 4 bucks in rutt in there and babies would do in and they do awesome all together. Once they get a little older their fat hineys are to big to go back and forth and then the bucklings are left in the boys pen and the doelings in the female pen


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I put Chief in with Hank when I got him..He was 10 weeks and Hank was 4 years, then Teddy joined the both of them a year later. The only thing I did was to make sure the young one had a safe place to go if the bigger one got too nasty, in my case, theres a box built into the back stall of the buck shed.

Also, be sure theres enough open space to avoid crowding, the tires in the ground are good, I have one in my doe pen that they play on, and it helps to be able to take out frustrations without hurting each other.


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