# Calming a buck down, any ideas?



## wendylou (Oct 5, 2013)

My alpine buck is in rut but is knocking down people and chasing us. His behavior is getting so out of control, we had to put him in a separate pen because he knocked down 81 year old paw paw. Anything we can give him to help calm him down that won't hurt him? I heard vitamin b1? I am new to goats and really appreciate any successful remedies and / or dosage as well as where to get it. He is normally a sweet boy but he is a 100 pound beast right now! Help!!
Wendy


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## enchantedgoats (Jun 2, 2013)

we have the same problem. i dont know maybe chamomille.


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

Most likely this isn't going to be an answer you like. I don't tolerate people aggression at all. I've heard that you can grab their beards and pull hard....they don't like that and will leave you alone. My personal opinion is sell him. I've had several bucks and not all of them are agressive like that. If it was a bottle baby, that often makes them more "aggressive" toward people. It's cute when they are babies, but definitely not cute when they are grown. Like I said...I don't keep any people aggressive goats around. period....doe or buck.


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## wendylou (Oct 5, 2013)

kccjer said:


> Most likely this isn't going to be an answer you like. I don't tolerate people aggression at all. I've heard that you can grab their beards and pull hard....they don't like that and will leave you alone. My personal opinion is sell him. I've had several bucks and not all of them are agressive like that. If it was a bottle baby, that often makes them more "aggressive" toward people. It's cute when they are babies, but definitely not cute when they are grown. Like I said...I don't keep any people aggressive goats around. period....doe or buck.


Thanks kc. I would like to try other things before we come to that decision but it is one that we may have to make. No answer is a bad answer, I just wanted to see what others have done as far as remedies, I don't know, maybe some melatonin! I out Vicks in his nose so he couldn't smell the does in heat but that didn't work. Grrrrrr


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

An Alpine buck should never show that kind of behavior toward people. I also would get rid of him. His tendencies should not be bred into the Alpine gene pool. This is only his first rut, it's only going to get worse as he gets older. 

I do raise my bucks on a bottle. They are gentle and respectful towards humans. They are never played with or allowed to not give us our space or demand attention.


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## GoatieGranny (Jul 26, 2013)

I would try chamomile. He could either eat some flowers or you could make an infusion, (strong tea, steep 15 to 20 minutes), and put it in his water. You can buy chamomile at www.mountainroseherbs.com I'm sure there are other places, too.

If you can't get him to stop this behavior, I would sell him.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Licorice Root calms anxiety and Yarrow calms as well.


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## breezyboers (Oct 10, 2013)

If you get a spray bottle of vinegar ad spray him in the face every time he acts up in a bad way spray him. It won't hurt his eyes but it will bother him so he will not do that again


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## wendylou (Oct 5, 2013)

breezyboers said:


> If you get a spray bottle of vinegar ad spray him in the face every time he acts up in a bad way spray him. It won't hurt his eyes but it will bother him so he will not do that again


Thank you everyone! The vinegar I have on hand and will try. Freddy really is a good boy but this year he is terrible. This will be his second rut and I see that everyone is right in saying it will only get worse. I have been looking at all the factors trying to eliminate what is causing him to to act this way, such as competition with this other buck. Not sure what he is but he looks like he has a Mohawk going down his back. Freddy and him are always going at it and I would rather rid of Mohawk then Freddy. I am so new to goats so forgive me if I have left simple details out. These goats were left with us as a favor to a friend and 7 months later, they are still here. I call them squatters. Lol. 
The "friend" wants to sell this herd but doesn't take any part in caring for them. I have been learning on feeding and vaccines from this forum and have saved two kids from dying(I lost one) from worm infestation that I didn't know anything about. 
I think I will take Freddy to the friends doorstep today and have him deal with it! Ha!!


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

My 5 mo. old Alpine buckling was acting like that- and if he is that nasty at 5 mos. what would happen at a year?
(he had never shown aggression up to this point)
I really was going to sell him intact, but after he came at me  - I decided
that he was going to be wethered! Right then! So, I banded him.

Boy, that changed his entire outlook! I just couldn't see letting him 
get more and more aggressive as he got some size on him or throw that 
trait into any future kids!

(and, it didn't seem to bother him much, as far as pain or discomfort, I did 
give him a half cc of Banimine about 20 min. before I banded him.)


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## CAjerseychick (Sep 21, 2013)

Curious about this myself I know they use saltpeter in Army Bootcamp (used to anyway?) and there is a herbal remedy for dogs and cats to help calm them, there has to be a goatie equivalent ....


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

That is a big detail that there is another buck there. If you don't need both bucks, then I would get rid of one. Competition between intact males is a great drive for aggressiveness.


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

wendylou said:


> My alpine buck is in rut but is knocking down people and chasing us. His behavior is getting so out of control, we had to put him in a separate pen because he knocked down 81 year old paw paw. Anything we can give him to help calm him down that won't hurt him? I heard vitamin b1? I am new to goats and really appreciate any successful remedies and / or dosage as well as where to get it. He is normally a sweet boy but he is a 100 pound beast right now! Help!!
> Wendy


I would suggest a one-way trip to the closest sale barn with a big red X on his side. That will calm him down. I will not tolerate aggressive behavior - whether in rut or not - from my bucks. There are too many good bucks out there to put up with this kind of crap.


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## lottsagoats (Dec 10, 2012)

In 30+ years of goats, I have (knock on wood) never had an aggressive buck. I wouldn't tolerate it. I get them as bottle kids and raise them to respect me as the supreme alpha being on the farm. I would get rid of one buck to se if the other calms down. 

If I had a nasty buck that I really wanted to keep, I would get a can of pepper spray. If he charged me, I would spray him with it. I bet he wouldn't do it again.


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## wendylou (Oct 5, 2013)

CAjerseychick said:


> Curious about this myself I know they use saltpeter in Army Bootcamp (used to anyway?) and there is a herbal remedy for dogs and cats to help calm them, there has to be a goatie equivalent ....


I have heard some people have used melatonin as well as valerian root. I have researched melatonin but have not really found any concrete evidence of it being safe or a correct dose. As far as valerian root, I'm still researching...


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## wendylou (Oct 5, 2013)

Well, Freddy wasn't going to be any better. He went to the sale barn yesterday. Since he has papers, I hope someone will give him a good and fine home where he can be the one and only buck.


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## whisperingsage (Nov 19, 2017)

wendylou said:


> My alpine buck is in rut but is knocking down people and chasing us. His behavior is getting so out of control, we had to put him in a separate pen because he knocked down 81 year old paw paw. Anything we can give him to help calm him down that won't hurt him? I heard vitamin b1? I am new to goats and really appreciate any successful remedies and / or dosage as well as where to get it. He is normally a sweet boy but he is a 100 pound beast right now! Help!!
> Wendy


I see you have sold him now but for future reference. Pocket taser or cattle prod. I've only had to use it one time for one second. Per buck. They remember that and never bothered me again. 
My problem however is a little different. When bucks beat other goats up in the pen. I know the answer is going to have to be separate pens. Also I had one that we didn't dehorning when we had the chance and he took to hooking others legs between his horns and giving everyone the half nelson. He lamed one if my nicer preferred bucks this way. he went to a fellow goat friend who put a pipe between the horns. He managed to do that again. I don't know where he ended up. He even did it to does. We are careful to debud everyone now. 
Ultimately, we know we will have to separate them during rut, which is also cold season. The father of the one with the horn problem killed 3 other goats and a sheep from simple harrassment. He was dehorned. One companion wether to him died of hypothermia because he wouldn't let him eat. I couldn't catch him to get him moved because he ran away from me.


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## Calfee Farms (Oct 10, 2017)

You can use a spray bottle with half ammonia/ half water and spray him (not directly in his eyes) near his face. I choose a small hand held cattle prod that is the size of a pistol. After I shock my buck a couple of times, I now only have to touch it to a metal gate so he can hear the electrical "pop" sound and he immediately backs the heck off. Good luck!


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