# Bucks not good pets?



## Gordie_olwyn (Sep 23, 2016)

I've been doing research since I got my 2 boys, almost 2 weeks ago. They are 4 months old now, brothers. I keep hearing that bucks don't make good pets. They get mean. I'm not planning on nutering them, or dehorning them. Has anybody successfully had bucks as pets?
Gordie is the grey one, Olwyn is the black one. In the last week, we have overcame alot. I can tell they were around humans at their other home, but I'm not sure if it was always good interactions with humans. Olwyn loves me. He greets me as soon as I walk outside. I sit down in the chair, he jumps in my lap and I rub him (lap dog lol) he eats out of my hand. He lays his horns on my shoulder when he wants attention. He is good on the leash (still have work to do, but he does fantastic for only been doing this a week) he jumps in my lap when I tell him "up" he jumps down when I tell him "down" if I'm standing and tell him "up" he stands on his back legs. He follows me around the yard. Gives me kisses. Even let's me brush him.
Gordie on the other hand, is complicated. He is doing good with bonding but not as fast as Olwyn. Gordie gives me kisses, jumps in my lap when I'm sitting down. Stands on his back legs when I say "up" eats out of my hand... when I put him on a leash he lays down and cries really loud and try to fight it. I can't even bribe him with food. I literally have to hold him down to take the leash off of him because he spins in circles. He also freaks out if I try to rub him. He will get in my lap, but if I move my hands he takes off running. I try to pet him while feeding and he will stop and take off running. Is this normal? He seems "meaner" than Olwyn. He constantly starting fights with Olwyn. When I'm walking Olwyn on the leash, I try to take him outside the fence to let him have a different atmosphere, but I can't take Gordie since he won't let me leash him, and Gordie freaks out and screams when Olwyn is out of his eye sight. Any idea on this? 
I don't feel like I will ever have problems out of neither with them trying to butt me. Even with Gordie personality. I want to hear success stories on having bucks as pets. Maybe they all aren't mean?


----------



## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

Bucks don't make great pets at all. They get aggressive and hormonal and pee on their legs, faces, beards, and in their mouths when in rut, which is from about August to January. You should really wether them.


----------



## Gordie_olwyn (Sep 23, 2016)

At what age do they start going in rut? They are 4 months old now, I've caught them peeing in their mouth, but they don't really stink bad yet.. and I don't really see them as "agressive" yet. Is it because they are still young?


----------



## MylieD (Sep 16, 2013)

I'm currently leasing a buck for my does and he is sweet as can be. Not a mean bone in his body. He is a Nigerian Dwarf, so he's small. But! He stinks to high heaven. If I touch him with a single finger, I then stink to high heaven and it doesn't easily wash off. My does smell too now, my backyard smells. He also does not have horns. He does want to breed. If you aren't going to breed them, it seems mean to me not to whether them. They will have no relief from their frustrations. It doesn't hurt them but for a little while and the benefits are great. My pet whether is puppy dog sweet with no smell. So yeah, they can be nice, but you can't stop the hormones or the smells. I have a horned goat and she's fine. I think horns are a personal preference.


----------



## ShireRidgeFarm (Sep 24, 2015)

Aggression is unacceptable behavior from any animal in my opinion, so that's an issue that would make or break a pet in any gender or species for me. 

My bucks are very sweet and respectful. The problem is they stink! They pee on their face and their legs and once you have that smell on you it does not go away after washing your hands or sometimes even after a shower. The cute, huggable babies they once were are gone - they are now big, smelly adults. I've gotten rather used to it, but others in my family will walk by me after I've been to the boys and say, "Uuuh, were you petting the bucks?" 

The great part about wethers is you get to keep the same huggable little goats you fell in love with, just minus the pee and the stink.


----------



## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Generally speaking, bucks do NOT make good pets. I would have them neutered. Wethers make great pets.
I see you have young children? Bucks can be very obnoxious.


----------



## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

You definitely need to neuter them. The smell alone is bad enough but once the hormones kick in, they can get aggressive.


----------



## MoonShadow (Mar 1, 2015)

I would have to say no, bucks do not make good pets. They tend to(not saying all) but they do tend to get more aggressive once the hormones kick in. I definitely would not keep them as bucks if you have kids around. 

Bucks can still be sweet, but in my experience wethers tend to stay puppy dog sweet. My buck is very very sweet and I love him, but I would never keep him as a pet buck. He is respectful, but he tend to be a bit more pushy then my does and wethers. If I ever didn't need him for breeding, I would more likely lease him out, to help calm the hormonal/sexual frustration. I don't think I could ever get rid of him. Lol

Plus, when they do begin to stink badly, the smell they will produce is very strong and is very difficult(if not impossible) to get out of your clothes. 
I know a lot of people who tend to throw away the clothes they have on after they come in contact with there buck/s or have a specific set of "buck clothes" that they keep in a garbage bag that they only use when coming in contact with the buck/s. 
Another thing, when they spray pee, they don't tend to have good aim(do they even try? lol), I almost got sprayed the other day and I wasn't even standing that close to him. Almost turned a good pair of jeans into, "buck only jeans". Haha 

Also, since they have horns, It's another strike against keeping them as a pet bucks, if they do become aggressive or pushy when the hormones kick in, they may use (and are more likely to use) there horns against you or anything they come in contact with (children, dogs, cats, other living things in general) 

If you plan to neuter them, I would do it relatively soon. The older they get the more difficult a recovery it can be. Between 3-4 months is a pretty good age to get the job done.

EDIT:
Another quick thing to consider is, if you have close(or even relatively close) neighbors, they will smell the buck stench(sometimes you can smell it for miles around, trust me). Your neighbors will not appreciate the smell and you may have animal control knocking on your door and angry neighbors on your hands. Nobody want to smell buck pee at the BBQ. Haha or at least non goat people don't.:ROFL:


----------



## Dayna (Aug 16, 2012)

I have two bucks and I'm grateful when they go out on jobs. They are SUPER sweet but the most disgusting things on the planet. And the smaller breeds can be in rut almost year round! My little buck who is here right now smells SO BAD I can smell him from my house, and the pen is a good ways a way.

I would wether them or decide that they are not cuddle pets. To me, its either/or. You can either have a neutered pet or a frustrated set of males (if you have no does) that are going to be nasty and might get cranky if they can't do their job.


----------



## Buck Naked Boers (Oct 15, 2012)

Bucks can be great though.....not all are agressive. I think if they are raised gently they can be gentle animals. Yes some are agressive. Not all though. I have one that is sold.....but he is a sweet sweet boy! But we spend alot of time with our animals. And that makes a huge difference. Our animals when they go to a home are tame and friendly and human friendly....not all are. But if you have raised the bucks....just continue loving them.

Yes wethers are less agressive that is for sure. But not all bucks are agressive.

Tami


----------



## Buck Naked Boers (Oct 15, 2012)

You can get buck aprons.....that makes them not pee on themselves.....ours is wearing one now. Also helps breeding not to happen.


----------



## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

I would never recommend two horned bucks as first time pets especially with small children in the area. With no does around they are going be frustrated, they are a breed that never goes out of rut, and the way they are being raised they are going to view you and your children as potential mates. No matter how gentle they are, it is a bad situation for you, your children, and the bucks themselves.


----------



## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I'm with buck naked. I have a buck that unless he is chasing a doe I trust more then most of my does. He has no bad habits but I also nipped them in the butt from day one because he was a bottle baby and I knew he was going to stay a buck. That means no jumping in the lap lol no jumping or rubbing, he respects my personal space and I am the over all queen of everything and you will respect me. I did loan him out to a friend at 6 months old to keep her buck company and she didn't keep going with my firm hand so when he came home he challenged me once and to be blunt me and my hotshot showed him he is not as tough as he thought he was. Here is a picture of my buck in total rut with my son that I took a a week or so ago








He is 289lbs and I'm 120 and I can lead him around like a well behaved guy even when he escapes and is being bad with does in heat lol 
BUT now that I have given my 2 cents on bucks being mean I suggest you really think on them being bucks. If gizmo wasn't my fastest growing kid, and he didn't have lines that I really liked as a buck I would have wethered him and had him as a pet. He smells god awful, he only gets scratches on his back because that is the least nasty spot to touch him. I now have many of his offspring so he has worked himself out of a job but he's my baby so no way is he going any place! I have to find him at least one girlfriend to keep him occupied while the other bucks are doing their thing or else he would just stand in a pen by himself. If he was a wether he could at least run with the boys and not cause a problem. Honestly looking back I wish I had wethered him and it has nothing to do with being mean what so ever. So again I just suggest really thinking on keeping them a buck. I was in your shoes 4 years ago asking for advise and I got the same thing about them being mean, which I knew he wouldn't be since I also have a bull that's my pet lol but if someone would have pointed out just how much of a pain in the butt it would be in 4 years I would have just handed him.........but I still love him so I deal with the headache and go with it lol


----------



## Dayna (Aug 16, 2012)

goathiker said:


> I would never recommend two horned bucks as first time pets especially with small children in the area. With no does around they are going be frustrated, they are a breed that never goes out of rut, and the way they are being raised they are going to view you and your children as potential mates. No matter how gentle they are, it is a bad situation for you, your children, and the bucks themselves.


Exactly.


----------



## Steampunked (Mar 23, 2015)

Isn't the chance something like:

If they stay sweethearts, they will merely see you as a potential mate and maybe just accidentally hurt you or children while reeking like Satan's butt - and causing you and anything near them to smell the same.

If they become mean, they will merely see you as a potential rival and probably just deliberately hurt you or children or each other while reeking like Satan's butt - and causing you and anything near them to smell the same.

I'm not sure you have a non-Satan's butt option here.


----------



## catharina (Mar 17, 2016)

Hi! If you stick with your plan to have pet bucks, I want to urge you to really learn about goat behavior & training, & buck behavior specifically. That you encourage them to get in your lap & jump up is concerning--they won't understand when they become too big, strong & stinky for this. Just like letting a cute pit bull puppy gnaw on your finger. It may also lead them to feel that they're higher in status than you, which honestly could result in you being hurt later. I don't agree that most bucks are mean, but it's in their nature to strive for the top spot in the herd, because in the wild only the top buck gets to mate & pass on his genes. As your boys approach their first birthday you will almost certainly find them testing you, seeing if they have a chance to replace you as "top goat." Then at around 3 years bucks seem to go through another stage of goat puberty & more obnoxious, dominant bucky behavior.

You can neuter them at any age if you find that things aren't going as you hoped--it will just be more expensive. Meanwhile, I really encourage you to learn everything you can. Your baby boys truly could become dangerous if they're allowed to challenge you or any other human at all--& some early challenging behaviors are not easy to recognize if you haven't done your research. There have been a few threads here on TGS specifically on buck behavior, horns, dominance, butting & aggression that I think would be really helpful to you. 

Those are 2 nice looking boys! One way or another you can enjoy their company--educating yourself is the first step. You also might want to talk with people here about your reasons for preferring bucks over wethers. I've never had a wether, only a buck, but I've noticed that petting zoos & such seem to prefer wethers even over does, apparently wethers have the best personalities when it comes to interacting with human kids. It was already too late to disbud them when you got them, so that decision is already made.

Regarding leash training the less cooperative one, a lot of folks here like to have them on leash & hooked to the fence for feeding time. Just don't leave tied goats alone, & always have something close at hand to cut a leash if one starts strangling himself. It's normal for a goat to freak out if he can't be with his herd mate--I'm not sure if there's anything you can do about that.

Good luck with whatever you decide on, & remember you can always wether them later.


----------



## Gordie_olwyn (Sep 23, 2016)

Thanks for the responses!! I'm not interested in having a herd right now, just these 2 guys. I thought about in the future, maybe getting another one.. depending on my trust and training with these guys. I'm not so worried about the stink right now. We don't have any close neighbors. They are pgmey goats, the woman I got them from said they won't get any bigger than what they are now. As long as they stay this small I will be able to stay in control. I know alot say don't let them be in my lap.. that was part of out training. "Up" and "down" and they listen really well to that. We also use "easy" when they get to excited and about knock me to the ground over food. They will always get alot of human time, I want to keep them as bucks right now, as I plan to stay stern with them when they get aggressive. But if all fails I will nuter the guys. Just hope it don't come down to that. Olwyn is sweet as can be.. Gordie will be the one I have problems with. He already tries to test me on certain things, but I grab him by the horns and tell him "NO" my son is about to be 3.. he is only aloud out there when I'm out there. They come and sniff him but he is so loud, and they run from him. We have a small dog, and they started off good with him, but now they want to play with their horns and I don't want the dog getting hurt. We will see how everything goes and I might have to get them fixed one day but not any time soon.


----------



## sassykat6181 (Nov 28, 2012)

You would be better off to neuter them now, while young. Once those hormones take over, it'll be harder for them. 
I have two of the sweetest bucks ever, but they are in rut a majority of the year. They are stinky, they blubber and spit, pee all over themselves, and fight with each other. Even when I open their gate, not touching them, my clothes stink.
You really should reconsider your stance on not neutering them. It is unfair to keep them as bucks if you have no plan to use them as bucks. In my opinion you are setting yourself, and them, up for failure


----------



## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

They will be getting bigger and so will the horns. Don't be surprised if they get to be 100 lbs. The smaller breed males are usually between 80 and 100 lbs. Also keep in mind that instinct can turn into learned behavior.


----------



## Dayna (Aug 16, 2012)

Yes, they WILL get bigger. Those are 4 month old cute kids. lol Most goats continue growing till they are well over a year old.


----------



## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

The person who told you your bucklings would stay this small was not being entirely honest I'm afraid. Even if they don't get much taller, they will get much, much heavier, and you won't believe how incredibly _strong_ they will get. Bucks grow HUGE muscles, and even miniature ones, once grown, will be able to outmatch you if it comes to a battle of strength. If you neuter them they will not get so strong and heavy and they will be far less likely to destroy your property and fences.

I'm convinced that no goat should be kept for a buck unless you intend to breed him. Male goats have an enormous sex drive, and denying him the opportunity to fulfill this need is irresponsible and even cruel. I know cruelty is the least of your intentions, but it is the harsh reality. An intact buck needs sex as much as he needs shelter or food. By keeping a non-breeding buck you are setting him up for a sad, lonely, and frustrating existence. I tend to feel sorry for bucks because they almost never get as much sex as they crave, and when they do get it they will almost kill themselves from their tireless efforts to keep going. Bucks in rut can lose huge amounts of weight because their sex drives overwhelm even their desire to eat or rest. This is not the sort of animal you want for a pet--not so much because of the inconvenience and even danger to you, but because of the loneliness and frustration to him.

Bucks in rut will go to extraordinary lengths to escape their fencing to find a female. If they can't escape, they may spend a lot of time fighting and smashing their heads against things. It's sad to watch a lonely buck methodically bashing his horns against his house for hours on end because it's the only way for him to take out his sexual frustrations. For their sakes, I strongly urge you to reconsider leaving them intact. With no plans to breed, you are basically setting them up to become aggressive toward you, your property, and each other. There is no training this out of them. The sex drive is instinctual and it _will_ come out in undesirable ways if not fulfilled.

If you're determined to leave them intact, then you need to find a breeding outlet for them so they have the opportunity to behave as male goats should. You could possibly keep them as pets for most of the year but lease them out during rut. This would take work on your part, and you need to make sure these bucks are of high enough quality that people would want their offspring.

You also need to start disciplining now and stop allowing them on your lap or to jump up for treats. By allowing them to jump on you at all, you are training them that you are an appropriate sexual object and/or opponent. Goats are not dogs and should not be treated as such. They jump on each other in breeding and dominance displays, so they won't understand why they can't escalate this behavior with you. It's better never to let it start in the first place.

If you want happy, easy, fun-loving pets, go for wethers. Bucks are for people who are serious about breeding goats. Bucks are high maintenance even when they are gentle and have an appropriate outlet for their sexual urges. If nothing else, any animal that soaks you in urine from the knees down every time you get within four feet of him is not a good pet no matter how much you love him.


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I have had the sweetest kid bucks growing up, but when they start their ruts among each other, they get all revved up. They do not need does to get aroused. They can change their demeanor when in rut and cannot be trusted. 
For pets I wouldn't recommend it. Wether them young. If you wait and find they are terrible with you ect, you will then have to go to the vet to have them castrated, never trust a buck. 
One example, I had a buck, born here, I raised, was a sweetheart, walked him on a leash went in and scratched his back ect. At about 2 years old. I was in the barn sorting goats because of rain and separating some does who were mean to the others, didn't want them to get slammed because they just bred. Had the buck in there too. The buck must not of liked me sorting his does and I thought I would be able to trust him, well, no. He slammed me, in the back leg and flipped me off my feet, flat onto my back. He was looking down at me, I freaked~~!! I got up right away, it hurt. But I didn't know, if he was going to attack more. I then got out of there. My toe broke the thongs I was wearing. My toe was bruised badly, from the impact of it going through it. My leg was bruised where he hit me and always have an issue with my shoulder going in and out with pain. I am lucky nothing was broke. He was almost 400 lbs. It was sad, he was not my trustworthy buck kid I raised anymore. DO not trust them~!!


----------



## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

As far as horns go, you can't let either of your goats push their horns on you to ask for attention. Horns on people is a huge no-no, even if it's very light and gentle. Butting is a behavior that can escalate very quickly with no warning. A goat should understand that there is never an acceptable way to touch you with his horns. If he wants attention, he can stand there and look at you or nuzzle you with his nose or maybe even the front of his face, but never his horns. 

In return, you need to respect his horns as well. I know you don't intend this, but by grabbing your "naughty" goat by the horns as a form of discipline, you are actually escalating the situation and inviting him to fight you. Right now he knows you can win and he won't question it, but as he matures he won't stand for this indignity and will get you back. I don't discipline my horned goats on the horns because it's humiliating and they seem to take it very personally. I don't at all blame you for using the horn grab method because it's a very common mistake and one I made with my first goat as well. I think my lack of respect for his horns was one reason my first wether eventually became aggressive. A quick thump on the end of the nose or a squirt from a spray bottle is far more effective and won't raise a grudge. 

I wish you the best of luck with your boys! Goats are super fun, safe, and low maintenance pets when managed correctly. There's a lot to learn when you get your first goats, but they're completely worth it. I wouldn't trade mine for anything.


----------



## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I think I'm jumping on the band wagon in your case and also voting for the advise of wethers Them. If your not planning on breeding them I don't think they would be overly happy just molesting eachother......and yes they will do that! Mine are pretty good, even the two that are not pets but they know they are going to get lucky with some girls. I don't think that will end up being the case with your boys and I would be worried they would try and get their rocks off with you. Two bucks can cover about 50 does, even if you got a doe or two that's really not going to keep them very happy. The whole saying about horney and goats is there for a reason! They seriously only have one thing on the brain when they go into rut. You can have them mind their manners to a point but honestly I don't think they are going to be very happy having the sex drive they will and nothing to go after.
I also agree that even though they will not get much taller they will bulk up so very much. A example here is gizmo is 289lb a doe about his height and width will probably only weigh about 200. I can go grab my biggest doe I have and weigh her but I can tell you she is nothing compared to him. 
You are after flat out pets, not pets to breed, I honestly think you would be much more happy over all of they were not intact. If you decide to breed one day then you could always purchase another buck that you are not planning on falling in love with and snuggling and loving on.
Another thing, bucks do not live as long as does. Wethers live longer then does since they do not reproduce. Goathiker has a wether that is very old, hopefully she chimes in on how old he is but I want to say around 14 and is till going strong (last I knew) the average lifespan of a doe is 8 years I remember reading when I first got into goats, so it's probably about 6 years for a buck. Of course there are does running around much older then that but we are still talking on average.


----------



## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

People seem to get all upset and squeamish when it comes to neutering male animals. Don't humanize them. They will not miss their male parts. They do not think like we do. Once the banding or castration is healed up, those little guys will just be happy go lucky pets. 

All bucks can be dangerous and unpredictable. They are ruled by hormones. Please consider what everyone has posted. You can always wether them later, but it can be harder on them as they get older.


----------



## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

My bucks are sweethearts, never had a problem with them. But, they do go into rut and smell to high heaven. My Nubian buck loves to surprise me at night when I go to hay the boys. He blends in with the dark. As I go to stuff the feeder, he pops up and pokes his pee soaked, smelly nose on my nose, wanting to be petted. It's not fun. 

However, look at it from the bucks point of view. They come into a raging rut. Their brains tell them to breed, breed, breed. How frustrating is it for them to have the strong urge and not be able to do anything about it? You will end up with aggressive, frustrated boys who will start trying to breed the family dog, human kids, anything that moves, or doesn't move. They will end up sodomizing each other and can cause injury and health issues to each other. If you want to be fair to your pets, have them wethered.


----------



## MoonShadow (Mar 1, 2015)

Another thing I thought of is, if you do live in a neighborhood type area your local codes might not allow bucks. Most laws regarding goats in neighborhood type areas only allow wethers and does. There is usually a zero buck tolerance because of the smell and behavior. 

You may want to check your codes and regulations before deciding on keeping them as bucks (if that's ultimately what you decide on) because down the line, if something happens(neighbors call animal control or you move to a place that doesn't allow bucks), you will be forced to ether get rid of them or wether them and by that time wethering may not be your best option because of age.

Definitely many many important things to consider in making your decision.


----------



## Exponentialdolphin (Nov 16, 2015)

I would definitely neuter now. I have a mini alpine that we got neutered at 8 months because he had undescended testicles and the vet said it would be best to wait in the surgery to see if they'd drop on their own. Well he started to erm... mature... when the vet finally agreed to do the surgery he had developed a buck smell, and some super gross buck habits (not nearly as bad as a full grown buck in rut, thank god) anyway he got the surgery and he stopped stinking after a couple weeks, and he started keeping his lil wee wee inside where it belongs most of the time. However, even to this day, a year and some months later, he still pees on himself, chases my other goats (another wether and 2 does) around flapping his tongue and grunting, and he is constantly trying to challenge me. I also have a little boy who was banded at 4 months, he is the sweetest little guy in the world. He runs around with me and follows me everywhere and he gets along great with my does. Wethers are the best by far, and the 4 months difference between getting my boys wethered made a HUGE difference in their personalities. I would suggest getting them neutered, and sooner rather then later. You will likely regret it if you don't.

If you are certain you want a buck I recommend banding one of them. It is highly unlikely that you will end up with two well behaved bucks. 

Also if you are worried about pain for them, you can have the vet do a surgery, while it is more costly it is done under a local anesthetic and is far less painful then banding.


----------



## arielmadison (Jul 25, 2016)

I really think you're missing the point if you are still considering keeping them intact. I wont even touch my nigerian buck unless I absolutely have to. His smell lingers even when he is not there. It is strong enough to make you gag if you get a big whiff of it. And he is STRONG. Yours will be too. Don't be fooled just because they don't smell now. I can promise you that you didnt stumble upon two scentless bucks. My nubian has peed on my legs I don't even know how many times and he isn't even a year old yet. He was the sweetest little boy growing up and now I have to spray him with water because of his pushiness. They will ejaculate on you and your children and suck on their own pizzle constantly in front of the whole family. They will pee on their face and become encrusted in it.
Don't get me wrong, I love my bucks and they can be sweet and entertaining but at the end of the day the ONLY reason I have bucks is because I have does that need to be bred. If there had been decent stud services around here I would've never gotten them. You could always get them some ladies and start a little herd.


----------



## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

> Also if you are worried about pain for them, you can have the vet do a surgery, while it is more costly it is done under a local anesthetic and is far less painful then banding.


I used to think the same as this, but as it turns out, banding seems like the least painful way to go. I've had four bucks surgically castrated at ages five months on up to a year, and I can honestly say it ain't no picnic. They are _very_ sore the next day and for a good three days afterwards. My banded guys are noticeably sore the first day but seem to recover pretty quickly after that. The worst part about banding is waiting for those nasty, moldy, dried-up testicles to drop off. It seems to take forever!


----------



## luvmyherd (Apr 9, 2011)

I could add my own stories but there seems little point. 
They are all the same.
All I have to add is that the folks here have *YEARS* and* YEARS* of combined experience.
I firmly believe that if you keep your boys intact; you will be posting these same type of answers to another newbie asking, "Should I neuter these guys or keep them as pet bucks?":ram:
I have been posting on TGS for many years. Believe me, no one here is judging you; but we do like to warn someone we feel is making a big mistake.

>>>>But if you have raised the bucks....just continue loving them.<<<<
I really think this is part of their issues. It is hard to keep loving them in rut. I have raised many sweet bucks but when they come up for lovin' when they are filthy and stinky I tend to brush them aside. I think it hurts their feelings.


----------



## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

arielmadison said:


> I really think you're missing the point if you are still considering keeping them intact. I wont even touch my nigerian buck unless I absolutely have to. His smell lingers even when he is not there. It is strong enough to make you gag if you get a big whiff of it. And he is STRONG. Yours will be too. Don't be fooled just because they don't smell now. I can promise you that you didnt stumble upon two scentless bucks. My nubian has peed on my legs I don't even know how many times and he isn't even a year old yet. He was the sweetest little boy growing up and now I have to spray him with water because of his pushiness. They will ejaculate on you and your children and suck on their own pizzle constantly in front of the whole family. They will pee on their face and become encrusted in it.
> Don't get me wrong, I love my bucks and they can be sweet and entertaining but at the end of the day the ONLY reason I have bucks is because I have does that need to be bred. If there had been decent stud services around here I would've never gotten them. You could always get them some ladies and start a little herd.


Oh my gosh yes about the smell! I recently just added more of these post things in the bucks pen for the hot fence and even though he has not touched that wire, and if he did it was a small touch and I'm sure just once and I smelled so bad! I'm not sure if he peed on it or what the deal is but OMG!
I also ditto the surgical castration. I'm not really sure about pain wise but I had a goat get knocked out once and NEVER again! She never woke up and have since learned that it's not uncommon so nope it would have to be life or death before I allow that again and depending on what the situation is I might even put the goat down before I did allow it


----------



## Exponentialdolphin (Nov 16, 2015)

Hmm interesting, when my boy got surgically castrated he didn't seem to be to sore afterwards, not that I've ever banded, I bought my other wether with the band already on. I just figured banding hurt more, but I guess that serves me right for assuming  and I've heard of them having issues with anesthesia, but both my boys have been put under before and came out of it fine, anyway, my point was simply that if she's against banding there are other options.


----------



## nicolemackenzie (Dec 27, 2014)

I agree with the others;
Most bucks I have met are quite sweet BUT

They won't live as long
They will pee on themselves and others and can get urine scald all over their face and legs.
Breeders usually wear gloves handling them because of the penetrating smell.
They will be sexually frustrated and seek an outlet such as you or your kids.

Training; for ALL goats never encourage them to jump on you. They won't know they can't do it to your kid.
Never play head butting like games or punishments that include pushing on their head or grabbing their horns.

Goats speak goat not dog so what works for training dogs will not work with goats.

Why do you feel so strongly against neutering?

If you do choose to keep them intact consider anti breeding aprons, get them used to baths, shave them each summer, and work on appropriate goat training methods.


----------



## Steampunked (Mar 23, 2015)

Honestly, even if they are tiny, they will be bigger than my big, loveable (neutered) tomcat who is on my legs right now. He is gorgeous. He weighs only a few kilos.

If he is terrified or very angry he is capable of half-ripping someone's face off, and he has nothing NEAR the strength of a buck


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

All have good advice. 

Hopefully all advice is read closely, so it helps you decide what to do.


----------



## nicolemackenzie (Dec 27, 2014)

http://www.thegoatspot.net/forum/showpost.php?p=2008977

Here's a post about keeping bucks clean


----------



## Gordie_olwyn (Sep 23, 2016)

They have a vet an appointment Monday and I will discuss weathering them with the vet when we go. We live way out in thr country, and don't have any close neighbors. Our closet neighbor breeds goats. So the smell isn't the problem, but I don't want them to become sexually frustrated and I'm not sure on breeding.. so they will most likely get fixed. Right now they are still babies so that could be why they are so gentle right now. My fiance says they holler the entire time I'm at work.. Is that normal? When I'm home they are as quiet as can be... but I also spend alot of time with them.


----------



## luvmyherd (Apr 9, 2011)

Yes, goats will bawl when "Mama" is away.:GAAH:


----------



## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

A vet appointment is smart. Since you live so far out in the country, this would be the ideal time to get the boys banded. It takes only a couple of minutes per goat so there is no reason to make a future appointment. Four months is an ideal age for banding. They are still young enough for the procedure to be easy, cheap, and relatively stress-free, but old enough to avoid problems associated with banding too young. The vet can give your boys a shot of banamine to ease the pain of that first day. 

If you wether your boys now they will stay very much the way they are. They will get bigger, but they should retain their sweet personalities and they won't become unmanageably strong and heavy. They are also a whole lot less likely to develop dominant, aggressive personalities or a desire to challenge you (or other people) at every turn. They also won't be prone to tearing up the yard, their toys, their fences, and each other. I have five wethers right now and I adore them. My three older boys have been trained to do circus tricks, pack gear on hikes, and pull carts. Wethers are really fun to work with. Since they aren't distracted by hormones they have (in my opinion) more ability to bond with people than intact bucks or even most does. You'll be able to kiss, pet, and scratch them all you want without getting peed on, blubbed at, or pawed. Bucks can take affection very much the wrong way so you have to be always on your guard against accidentally giving them the idea that you're "in the mood". It never occurs to wethers that you want to do anything risqué. And as has been mentioned, wethers have a longer life expectancy than bucks. I have one now that is going on 15 years. It's uncommon for bucks to live much longer than ten (if that). I think you'll find that if you wether your boys now and get it over with, you'll be very glad you did. It will only get harder for both you and them if you wait, and by doing it now you'll avoid having to train out any undesirable buck behaviors that develop as they mature.


----------



## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

You might be able to talk to the neighbor that breeds goats and ask them if they will slap a band on them for you. It will be much cheaper then a vet visit. Honestly bottom line is there is going to be some pain no matter what way you go. With handing they lay around the first hour or so and tell you how their life is over but then it slowly goes numb and they go in their was with a little discomfort for a day or so. Going to the vet, no they will not feel the process but when they come around there is pain, even with pain meds it doesn't keep them totally pain free. 
With the cattle I have done it surgically for years and at the time I was just grossed out about the thought of a body part rotting off! We started banding and I can honestly say I do like the banding much more. Never had one get infected or have to worry about it being to hot and them bleeding to much. I know since you only have two boys and you have probably never had to do anything like this it seems like a big deal of a thing but if your neighbor is willing to help you it will save you some money


----------



## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

My Oberhasli buck Charlie is 3.5 years old.... He's a sweet boy, I've never been afraid of him... I've had him since he was 4 weeks old... I consider him a pet, however a very stinky pet in the fall and winter months.... I just bought a polled Nubian buckling this spring and I'm hoping for the same result with him..., yes I consider them as pets, but wouldn't have a buck if I didn't have does to breed


----------



## wndngrvr (Dec 10, 2011)

Bucks can be even tempered and they can also change in a split second. I had a Nubian buck for severals years - could have one finger in his collar and lead him to the barn for a breeding or what ever. One day out of the blue - he challenged me and pinned me against a tree. It was frightening. It took all my strength to get him under control again. It can happen. If it had been one of my children he could have done some very serious damage. He had no horns - thank heavens or I would have been hurt seriously I am sure.
I would also never have horns around small children - even just in every day handling a horn could gouge their face -eye. I have three bucks and I wouldn't let a child go into the pen and they are pretty mellow bucks with no horns. 
I had one doe with horns out of my ten big girls - I had the vet remove the horns this week. I have been accidentally poked several times when I am bending down doing something with her and she is a love bug.


----------



## arielmadison (Jul 25, 2016)

There is also the burdizzo method of castration


----------



## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

arielmadison said:


> There is also the burdizzo method of castration


That is true! I'm not a fan of burdizzos but only because I like proof that it worked lol but that's because of the girls I have so in this case I say that is a very good option.
I dislike horns.....I admit it but I still have goats with horns and I still have small kids. Not once has my kids been harmed by their horns. Sure since I'm the feeder I have had ones push on me or when I have one in a head lock trying to shove something down them I end up black and blue but for the most part they know to respect my space. If they do get pushy, only when feed is involved they get corrected for their mistake. But just going out and loving on them? I have never been harmed by a horn, and that's why my small kids are not in charge of feeding or shoving things down them lol


----------

