# How far do you...?



## Lisalisa89 (Oct 18, 2016)

How far do you keep your buck pens from your doe pens? I am considering putting my future bucks on the other side of the creek. The creek is not huge and wide or anything, but I feel like maybe they are less likely to smell the does in heat from a distance? I am new to this all and quickly learned it takes a lot to keep a Nigerian buck from escaping lol so I want solid plans before bringing in anymore bucks or does. Also if you had a doe that was not fertile is it cruel to keep her with a buck? She does into heat just like any other doe but never takes and shes 5 so A lot has been tried for her to take.


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## Goatzrule (Feb 7, 2013)

During the year my pens are on the opposite sides of the yard but during breeding season I keep them next to each other with a really sturdy fence.


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

I would say yes, that is cruel. Any doe hates to be with a buck for extended periods of time. 

My buck and doe pens share multiple fence lines. I only have an Alpine buck though. I quit keeping ND bucks because of their wicked mad fence-jumping skills :lol:


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## Lisalisa89 (Oct 18, 2016)

Suzanne_Tyler said:


> I would say yes, that is cruel. Any doe hates to be with a buck for extended periods of time.
> 
> My buck and doe pens share multiple fence lines. I only have an Alpine buck though. I quit keeping ND bucks because of their wicked mad fence-jumping skills :lol:


bahaha yes I am starting to question my nigerian choice at this point. He climbed plywood! How? I am guess he kind of jumped and grabbed th top of it but holy cow! I have an uneven amount of goats right now so I am struggling. I didn't want to need to buy a whether but I am thinking I should. I just don't have enough does to even have a second buck at this point. One pregnant doe and one that can't even get pregnant and in May I will have a doeling. I may possibly be buying another doe and he twins she just had if she clears testing.


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

I would definitely look into getting a wether. Your buck will be slightly less likely to jump the fence. Slightly. Lol.


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## catharina (Mar 17, 2016)

My buck pen is actually a giant cage! It's long & narrow, 5' fence on one side & 6' fence on the other. I have wire fencing across the top, attached to the fences on either side. (My goats & I are pretty short--but boy can he jump, climb or just smash down a fence! The top of the "cage" also helps keep the fence from being pushed over.)

I think goats are like chickens in one way: you would never have just one hen & one rooster--she'd get shredded! You have to have enough females so his "affection" gets spread around enough. Hopefully he doesn't decide he has a favorite!


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## BoulderOaks (Sep 24, 2014)

Be careful when picking a wether for your buck though! My neighbor has a 300 lb Nubian buck who is just simply massive in every way. His pen is about 4.5' high. He stays in it no problem, even during breeding season. My short squat 130 lb Boer wether who she borrowed to keep him company could fly over it no problem. He was a maniac. We ate the maniac.


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## ShireRidgeFarm (Sep 24, 2015)

My bucks live on the other side of the fence from my does. They've never even tried to jump over. (Yikes, might have just jinxed myself now  ) They did manage to get the interconnecting gate open somehow when they were on their separate dates during breeding season but that's the only issue I've ever had. They do get very excited by a girl in heat on the other side and they might be calmer if they could not smell the girls at all, but overall they are happy where they are.


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## sassykat6181 (Nov 28, 2012)

My buck pen is away from the barn. They have their own little house. It is half in the woods, half in the pasture. So when the girls are out, they can visit the bucks. My boys are well behaved and have never jumped the fence. It's only the 4ft sheep and goat fence, and its not pulled tight.
My only gripe about where I put them is having to lug buckets of water out there.


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