# How long can a buck stay with the does?



## Goat Song (May 4, 2011)

I'm looking at buying a buck of my own this September, and I am wondering just how long he can stay with the girls. All of my does are dry, so I don't have to worry about the milk being tainted, but can I keep him with them until kidding time? I have a stall that I can fix up for him if he needs to be separated, but it would sure be a lot easier to keep him in with the does for awhile.... I don't know how old he'll be, as I'm looking at a few different ones... Some are 2 years and up, and some are only 4 month old bucklings. What think ye'? :shrug:


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## Amos (Oct 2, 2008)

That's certainly do-able. He might get picked on a little at first if he's younger, but it should be alright after a while. 
I never do this simply because I like to know exact due dates, but if that's not an issue for you, I see no reason why you couldn't.


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## Goat Song (May 4, 2011)

I do like to know due dates, but it's usually pretty easy to tell when the girls are in heat. :roll: When I rent bucks, I do it for 1-2 months to make sure that everyone gets bred, and oh dearie me... You can tell when the girls are in heat... :wink: 

But that is great to know that he can stay with the girls over the winter! Hopefully he'll be over on our neighbors property by next spring (along with companion wethers and a LGD or two), but for now, he can keep the girls company.


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

You'll probably want to remove him a month or two before kidding, because (I've heard) when they get close to kidding, he'll start to bother them and they might go into labor prematurely. I don't know how common that actually is, but I took no chances with my buck.
Another issue is pen breeding. I've heard pen breeding, as opposed to hand breeding just once early in the heat, gives you a higher ratio of males to females.
Just a few thoughts.  Have fun with your buck!


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## TinyHoovesRanch (Jan 16, 2010)

Oh my Buck Jasper will tell you that YES they can be with the girls LOL

I kept my boy in the doe pen from september to february. I knew the dates because I saw him breed so that wasnt an issue. He was VERY happy though and protected his ladies.

But when they started getting close he would mess with them and thats when I seperated each doe, left Jasper with my other girls until I moved.


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## Devin (Feb 6, 2011)

I plan to keep my buckling, Pepper, with the others from Dec (when I want to breed) until it is almost kidding time in the spring. One, he won't have as much attention from us in the cold weather, and we won't have a companion for him until our doe kids, then we will put our wether Toby in with him in the buck pen. Its just easier that way in a lot of ways. He won't be lonely in the cold cold weather, everyone can be watered at the same place, and everyone can help keep each other warm. Of course this ALL depends on how everyone is getting along. They have a 1/4 acre so there is plenty of room to avoid each other as well, and we will put the buck house in the pen just so there are 2 places to bed down if needed. So far he has been really mild. He scared the dog by trying to head butt her, but he was just playing like he would with another goat, he wasn't being overly rough, just trying to have fun. I corrected him though and he hasn't done it since.


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## luvmyherd (Apr 9, 2011)

I used to let the buck run with the herd. I never had any problems and the milk always tasted fine. I do not do it anymore as I like to space my kiddings to have year 'round milk and to avoid underage breeding.


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## RMADairyGoats (Jun 20, 2011)

I personally would not run your buck with your does. You will never know the exact breeding date and they can make the does life miserable by trying to breed them all the time. Bucks can breed does (if they are in heat and the buck can do the deed) at 7 weeks old. I just don't think it is the best idea. Plus it causes stress for the buck always worrying about the does.


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## fatboyandmimi (Apr 26, 2011)

I leave my buck in with the does, and I DO know exact breeding date so that is not a problem (how could you miss that). Another good part is no one is breaking out of the fence trying to get to the other side. He is calm and seems to keep them calm. Yes, I'd pull him out before kidding, my does nearing kidding sometimes cause bucky behavior in other does, so I just avoid that possibility to be safe. You are fine.


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## WarPony (Jan 31, 2010)

fatboyandmimi said:


> I leave my buck in with the does, and I DO know exact breeding date so that is not a problem (how could you miss that).


You might be surprised, lol. There are some bucks who are sneaky. very very sneaky. I was out with my herd 6 times a day. I checked the girls bums every time I went out, my buck was so non-bucky acting that I asked here if there might be something wrong with him. When I do the math I now know he'd already impregnated them all by the time I asked, lol. I NEVER saw him breed them, I NEVER saw any kind of discharge on the does, none of them ever showed signs of being in heat. All I ever saw him do was some tongue wagging, lol. If I left him out with my does i would never know when they were bred because he seems to want his privacy. Romantic type, I guess, wants to romance the ladies by moonlight.


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## Jessaba (May 13, 2010)

I keep Toby with the girls up until they kid. I know when girls are about to kid and such. He never bothers them when they are about to deliver..he knows to leave them alone....Before I didn't have somewhere for him to be so he had to stay with the girls while and after they delivered..he didn't bother them at all. Now he does get rotated. He stays with a group of girls till they are about to kid, then switches to another group so that he doesn't breed right after they deliver. I guess it just depends on the buck :? :shrug: 

Toby hates being alone and even when separated by himself he gets out and goes to the girls which is why we rotate girls with him...he seems much happier this way, and we don't wanna sell him, so this works for us for now anyway


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