# Preventing aggression in bucks... Pics Added



## comingsummers (May 6, 2010)

Hello all. As some of you already know I have found a buckling that will become my herd sire. He will be arriving at my home in a couple weeks along with his brother and his mom. They will be returning home without him mid may. He will be right at one month old when he gets here. So, my question is; how do you prevent a buck from becoming aggressive? I really hope to show this boy and I need him to be calm and friendly for that to work. Also I have a young son and several young relatives that visit often. While children are never allowed with the goats unattended I refuse to have any dangerous animals at my home. So, what do you all do to keep your boys mellow and well behaved?


----------



## AlaskaBoers (May 7, 2008)

*Re: Preventing aggression in bucks*

start him off by never pushing on his head (encouraging butting), letting him butt you (a good smack will stop this) and NEVER let him jump on you. get him used to you gently messing with his legs and ears.. ( to show tattoos, a lot of bucks hate their ear touched)


----------



## bleatinghearts (Feb 26, 2010)

*Re: Preventing aggression in bucks*

Just curious as to what breed he is.


----------



## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

*Re: Preventing aggression in bucks*

I agree. Don't play "butting" games with him...and rubbing his ears is good to let him know it's ok to be touched there.
No jumping up on you either.
Though, I have experience with 3 different boys and I am leaning towards how they are handled from baby up as well as genetic temperment. I never "babied" my pygmy buck when I got him at 7 weeks...he wasn't handled except for the neccesary management and he's standoffish with me, allows me to trim his hooves etc, and comes to me for food but heisn't an in your face boy. My nigi buck was a bottle baby and though he's not aggressive, he's a PITA when it comes to food and will be in my face when I'm in the pen. My now wethered boy that is a pygmy/nigi was handled more than the pygmy buck but was not a bottlebaby and he is very sweet in nature, good manners except with the other boys. I never handle the horns or head, and never had a boy want to use his head against me.
Bottom line is this...treat him as you would your does, but be sure to enforce that you are "top goat" when he starts to act up, nip it in the bud before it gets out of hand....oh, and if you need to handle him, don't be in with the does before you go to him, he'll be too interested in all those different girl smells on you and won't be too willing to do as you want. :wink:


----------



## comingsummers (May 6, 2010)

*Re: Preventing aggression in bucks*

All good advice and I will definitely be following it. Bleating, he is a purebred Sable. He should be a pretty big guy when he grows up. Any other hints and tips guys?


----------



## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

*Re: Preventing aggression in bucks*

We bought our buck last summer and he'll be 3 years old next month. We had a young buck up until he was about 7 months old last year that we were going to use before we decided to use a registered buck.... Young buck wasn't handled as a baby, so he was wild when we got him. He tamed down with lots of work and was such a good boy, even when he truly discovered........girls....hehe.

Our buck wasn't handled as a kid, and not much by his previous owner. We knew this when we got him. He stayed with our does from mid July until Nov. He was a really good boy, didn't bother you if you came in the pen, never harrassed the girls either <unless they were in heat>. Of course he learned what treats were all about and was all over you at feeding time too, so we were able to break that 'shell' a little, but he still has some trust issues. The whole thing IMO has to be gaining their trust, but making them aware your BOSS and you'll put your foot down if they start their macho stuff, hehe...
I can go in with my buck and some days he rears up, but he has NEVER come at me <Boer>, and when he starts this, I stand my ground and talk to him in a firm voice <I usually baby talk him....LOL>. He's also about body language too, doesn't like you to move around too fast, especially if he has his back turned to you, it makes him uncomfortable. I've noticed this about other animals too - stud horses. So I'd think when they mature your body language will say a lot.

Not much help, but I know your worries. I have kids ages 4, 9, and 12 that are in the goat pen all the time, and I am proud that this guy was so good around them. BUT, now that he is in his own pen he's changed, and doesn't particularly like kids, so they aren't allowed in his pen unless we are in there with them. They are scared of him though, and he knows it.


----------



## myfainters (Oct 30, 2009)

*Re: Preventing aggression in bucks*

I agree 100% with the tips everyone else has beat me to posting, one thing not mentioned however is, Have you met his father? Genetics play about 50% in temperament...the way you raise them accounts for the other 50%.


----------



## naturalgoats (Jan 3, 2011)

*Re: Preventing aggression in bucks*

just one thing I want to point out about handling ears though I think that it is a good idea... ears are how my boys seem to play dominance games. great if you can "nip" his ear when he's being bossy sometimes and be friendly at others.. just be aware that that is definitely a spot were dominance comes into play. 
good luck!


----------



## comingsummers (May 6, 2010)

*Re: Preventing aggression in bucks*

myfainters, I have met both his mom and dad. Mom is an angel and super mellow, dad was really sweet and mellow until rut this year (he's two) and then he started being aggressive with the lady's human kids. Never bothered an adult that I know of and he was a perfect gentleman around me. I'm thinking his hormones just got a little heavy one day and he decided to pick on the little people. 
I just want to kind of go over what I'm thinking and see what you guys say. This is what I have gotten from this thread, and reading everything I could find online about bucks and aggression. It seems like I want to spend plenty of time with him, but never let him play with me, affection is fine. Never allow jumping up or butting type behavior, smack him or squirt him to stop that. If he ever gets truely aggressive I should pull his feet out from under him and sit on him until he gives up. This last thing seems like it will be all but impossible when he weighs 200lbs, but I hope to never need to do it. Am I missing anything that is really important, or do I have any ideas that are way off? Thanks to everyone that has responded so far and I promise I will add pictures in the next couple days!


----------



## myfainters (Oct 30, 2009)

*Re: Preventing aggression in bucks*

I teach all of my bucks and wethers to come up to me with their heads up...that way butting never becomes an issue. chin and neck rubs..then a treat daily. NEVER pet the top of the head or neck...that makes them lower their heads.


----------



## comingsummers (May 6, 2010)

*Re: Preventing aggression in bucks*

I never would have thought about petting the top of the neck as being a problem, but I see what you mean. Thanks!


----------



## Coyote Night Acres (Dec 27, 2010)

*Re: Preventing aggression in bucks*

I would never mess with a buck that is being nasty, if you are around him petting etc.... and he starts peeing on himself or doing preverted things stop messing with him and either leave or make him leave. Although this is not aggression, just trust me you do not want him thinking you like that behavior.

Another thing is watch his signs, it's easier to stop behavior early on than it is to stop when they have gotten to a red zone case and are 200 lbs.

I also don't tolerate them hanging around you like a bad rash, I want to be respected and not hassled constantly. It's okay for him to want pettings and such, but when he has had his petting he doesn't need to be stuck on you like glue.

Also mess with him a lot while he is young. Lead him around just for the fun of it, this teaches him that you are the boss and you are in control. Once he's big he will be much easier to handle without that power struggle because he knows whats expected of him. Mess with his legs and feet, you want to be able to trim his feet without a huge ordeal. Set him up in a show stance, once again this teaches him that you are in control of how he sets his legs etc... It's really nice to have a buck that will do what you want him to do not what he wants to do. Also don't ignore him in the rut, just because he stinks is no reason to stop giveing him correction, setting him up, brush him, lead him around etc....

A great way to correct a buck is vinegar and water in a spray bottle.


----------



## rrooster76 (Jan 30, 2011)

*Re: Preventing aggression in bucks*

We have a yearling alpine buck we bought as a bottle baby. "Moosey" He was handled a lot by the kids.. no jumping up allowed but lots of pets and leading him around. My 9 year old daughter is the one who primarily feeds him (supervised of course). No problems what so ever. All through rut (we bred 3 does to him). Of course he'd run the fence line between him and the does acting like a fool, but when we go into feed him no funny business. A wack on the nose if needed, he really doesn't even need that very often. This is the first buck we have ever had and I wanted to make sure he was mellow and well behaved. I don't want anything around that isn't able to be trusted/handled. With little kids we have to have safety first. We don't tolerate naughty with the larger animals anymore than we do the small ones. His sire is also way mellow and the size of a monster... :wink:


----------



## comingsummers (May 6, 2010)

So here he is! I haven't picked him up and I can still change my mind if I need to. The only reason I would do that is his floppy ear. I wanted to get on here and see what you guys say about it before I take him. The breeder says it should totally straighten out and that it already is much better. What do you guys think? And if it doesn't, what kind of an impact will it have on his show career? Thanks for all the great advice so far!


----------



## maple hill farm tina (Mar 14, 2010)

How old is he? Our new buckling had the floppiest ears I'd ever seen when he was born (both ears, not just one), but they straightened out by about two weeks. They're perfectly normal now. And I know I've read several other posts on here about floppy ears as babies, but every one I've read has said they straightened out as the muscles in the ears got stronger.


----------



## comingsummers (May 6, 2010)

Well that's promising. He's about 2 1/2 weeks in the picture. I really hope the ear gets better because I'm in love!


----------

