# To own or not to own a buck?



## 91baby (Jan 15, 2013)

I am just getting started, will get my first Nigerian does this spring. I am trying to decide whether I need to get a buck or not. Only want them for pets and my own milk, not interested in expanding my herd. Don't know if I would be better off to own my own buck or have the does bread? Seems like a lot of extra trouble to have my own buck since he will need to be seperated from the does and goats don't like to be alone.


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## dayflowr (Jan 10, 2013)

Depends on how many does you have and if you have a buck nearby that you can breed them with. You also need to be vigilant about heat cycles, which at my place means looking at a lot of rear ends. I decided to get a buck after my does went into heat late in the year and after I missed several of them. After 5 trips to the breeder and the $ I spent on fees it just made more sense for me to have a buck on-site. That being said, I know I will be paying for his feed in the winter, but I am hoping that it makes life easier. He gets to hang out with the sheep when he isn't doing his job so he isn't lonely. I would focus on your does before adding a buck to the mix. Try it without, if it turns out it would be easier to take them to a buck, you can make that decision down the road.


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## clearwtrbeach (May 10, 2012)

You are pretty much answering your own question. 1. You are right they don't like to be alone so a wether buddy would be a fair idea for him. Then you are feeding another mouth all year, and goats need copper which sheep can't have. It also depends on how many does you are going to have. You could take half and have them bred and in milk, then the other half the other half of the year- again depending on how many does you'll have. Some does are reported to milk all year with out being bred again. Plus the extra pen you'd need for him, and they do get stinky when they are in rut and when you're down hill you get a whiff. Just food for thought.


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## 91baby (Jan 15, 2013)

Thanks for the input. I think I will take your advice and wait. We are only going to have 2 does so not much of a problem to take them to be bread.


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## crocee (Jul 25, 2008)

With only 2 doe's I would either take them to be bred or borrow a buck for a couple weeks. I love my buck but he can be a royal pain in the patootie.


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## luvmyherd (Apr 9, 2011)

dayflowr said:


> After 5 trips to the breeder and the $ I spent on fees it just made more sense for me to have a buck on-site.


That is why we keep a buck. I got talked out of keeping my proven buck when I was a newbie. (I am sure she was trying to be what she thought was helpful; but I never got a successful breeding after that.) I spent money on breedings that did not take and we even finally bought another buck who was sadly disappointing.
So this time around we got a buck right away and got him a wether companion. This year we have two bucks and they do just fine together. And when I see somebody in heat I say, "Okay honey, time to see the boys," and put her in their pasture.
Luckily, this year's boys are very gentle and the smell was minimal. That is not always the case.


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## crocee (Jul 25, 2008)

The older the boys get the stinkier they are. Mine is almost 3 and he reaks.


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

I only have 2 does which we have for showing (4-H) and for milk. So I haul them to a breeder. It's a pain in the butt at times and it's not necessarily cheap (We just paid a total of $150 for 2 breedings at a farm that is an hour away). It can also be comlicated by your does not cycling into heat when it's convenient for you. (Which totally explains why my does are due in June instead of in the Spring!). On the other side of the coin, Bucks have to be purchased with money. Bucks eat. Bucks stink and they are noisy when in rut. Then there are shots and potential vet bills...and all that may not be worth 10 minutes of "work" with your doe. In our case, we also have 2 breeds, so I'd have to buy 2 decent quality bucks. Ugh!

I think that as long as my herd is small, we will NOT keep a buck on the premises.


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## Dayna (Aug 16, 2012)

Because I want to milk, make cheese and other milk products I decided to get a buck. I got two brothers (I pick them up at the end of the month). I will band the black and white one and breed the brown and white one.

I did some research and bought the best buck I could. His father is registered and his mother is not.

I think it was the right choice for my farm.


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## Stacykins (Mar 27, 2012)

While I am new to goats as of 2012, and only have a small herd, I did add a buck to my herd. The person who was selling my doe Yoko was also selling George, and offered me a deal I couldn't pass up. She wasn't selling him because he was bad, she wanted to focus on LaMancha's instead of Nigerians. 

Thankfully, I already had a wether who became an immediate companion for George. The wether was originally going to be for meat, 'til my mother named him and got attached. So now he has a purpose as a buck buddy. 

I've found having a buck on hand is very valuable for determining heats! It is very obvious from their behavior and his! So when I bred Yoko, I just penned them up together and let them...do their thing, hah. No stress, no having to run out and do a driveway breeding, easy!


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## 91baby (Jan 15, 2013)

I have also found it to be difficult if not impossible to find a breader willing to offer their bucks for stud service. Seems like if you want breadings, around here anyway, you have to have your own buck.


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## pdpo222 (Jun 26, 2011)

I personally love bucks. I have Rick and he is one great buck. He is gentle ALL the time. No trouble with him when he's in rut. He doesn't smell like our Nubian buck did, who reeked. The buck smell doesn't bother me, but the Nubian buck almost did me in. lol Sure you feed them, vet them, care for them, but with the price of gas, your time, it's worth something, and finding a buck, to me it just makes sense. We don't have a lot of goats around here, not sure IF I could find a pygmy buck. Not sure I want my does on a strange farm either. Plus if the does don't settle, you get to do it all over again. The price to keep a buck and a wether out weigh looking for a breeder and shipping my does to a stange farm, because I only know what the breeder tells me. Plus Rick is lots of fun to be with. He will do almost anything for a treat. He's a sucker for a horse treat. lol As a matter of fact I had him and his son before I had the does. I just like bucks. If I had the room I would get a Nigerian buck just to fool around with, but I don't think it would be fair to him, since I would never use him for breeding. Just add up the expense of caring for a buck and a wether, and the cost of taking your girls to a breeder and make the choice that fits YOU. With your buck you know he is healthy, he has the characteristics you want in your babies, plus he will get the job done. Usually no misses with your own buck. This is just what works for me.


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## Zarafia (Mar 25, 2012)

pdpo222 said:


> I personally love bucks. I have Rick and he is one great buck. He is gentle ALL the time. No trouble with him when he's in rut. He doesn't smell like our Nubian buck did, who reeked. The buck smell doesn't bother me, but the Nubian buck almost did me in. lol Sure you feed them, vet them, care for them, but with the price of gas, your time, it's worth something, and finding a buck, to me it just makes sense. We don't have a lot of goats around here, not sure IF I could find a pygmy buck. Not sure I want my does on a strange farm either. Plus if the does don't settle, you get to do it all over again. The price to keep a buck and a wether out weigh looking for a breeder and shipping my does to a stange farm, because I only know what the breeder tells me. Plus Rick is lots of fun to be with. He will do almost anything for a treat. He's a sucker for a horse treat. lol As a matter of fact I had him and his son before I had the does. I just like bucks. If I had the room I would get a Nigerian buck just to fool around with, but I don't think it would be fair to him, since I would never use him for breeding. Just add up the expense of caring for a buck and a wether, and the cost of taking your girls to a breeder and make the choice that fits YOU. With your buck you know he is healthy, he has the characteristics you want in your babies, plus he will get the job done. Usually no misses with your own buck. This is just what works for me.


Sounds like you've got a good thing going !
I made the mistake of keeping a buck intact who wasn't registered, or even a purebred, just because I think he is adorable and special. In truth I now think that I should have had him wethered as a baby, like I did with my pet goat, and bred my ND doe to a registered buck (which I cannot afford to own). 
I'm just saying that if you choose to maintain your own buck, don't be "barn blind" (horse term meaning keeping and breeding a stallion just because you personally love him). Think about the babies you will be producing, can you keep them all just because you love them? Can you keep the buck happy for all his life? Will other people want to breed him? Will other people definitely want the babies?
I love the extra energy that both bucks and stallions have, that drive, it definitely adds a dimension to their personalities. One of my favorite equines ever was an unregistered small welsh pony stallion that I tamed and trained for his owner. His "stallion kick" made him SO eager to please! He learned to do many tricks, including to bow and lay down on command. He made some really nice babies for his owner. But his true value (and what ended up getting him the BEST home and a super-happy life) laid in the pony he became after he was gelded. In the long run only his owner would breed him because he was unregistered. Yes, she got some great babies, but their value was not what it could have been because their dad was unregistered and so were they.
Oh, goodness, I'm really rambling today. Another old horse saying is "a good stallion makes a great gelding". Just put a lot of though into keeping a male animal intact. Papers DO matter!


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## mjgh06 (Sep 4, 2012)

I've always kept a buck. In fact I started out with just a wether and a buck. I know when my does go into heat and it's easier for me to breed them because he's right here. One more mouth to feed really doesn't add up in $ especially if you have some pasture. Plus my bucks are more friendly than most of my does, but that's just my opinion. I couldn't live without my bucks. Yes, they can smell when in rut, but I guess I've gotten used to it over the years and it doesn't bother me anymore. It also helps that their pens are downwind from the house. Plus I've found having a buck has helped keep snakes away. It just works for me. I also don't have to worry about disease or illness being brought back onto my property or my does catching something from other properties.


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

For the first 3 yrs we banded everyone, even if Bob wanted to keep him intact as I was super picky.
We hauled the 4 girls clear across state for breeding where they came from originally. 
So we bought one. Wondered what took me so long.
If she didnt take the first time all I had to do was bring her out, almost didnt need a collar she knew where the buck was.
He paid for himself the first season with no hauling, no arranging, no stud fees or memos to sign by someone else.
Just cost of feed. And a couple of vet bills.


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## 91baby (Jan 15, 2013)

Having a buck really sounds like the way to go. We don't have goats yet but will get 2 does late spring or early summer. I'm going to start looking for a buck. We will just build two pens instead of one when we prepare the site for our goats. Current plans are to keep a wither from our first kidding to play with the buck and keep him company. I am really getting excited about getting the goats.


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## pdpo222 (Jun 26, 2011)

Zarafia said:


> Sounds like you've got a good thing going !
> I made the mistake of keeping a buck intact who wasn't registered, or even a purebred, just because I think he is adorable and special. In truth I now think that I should have had him wethered as a baby, like I did with my pet goat, and bred my ND doe to a registered buck (which I cannot afford to own).
> I'm just saying that if you choose to maintain your own buck, don't be "barn blind" (horse term meaning keeping and breeding a stallion just because you personally love him). Think about the babies you will be producing, can you keep them all just because you love them? Can you keep the buck happy for all his life? Will other people want to breed him? Will other people definitely want the babies?
> I love the extra energy that both bucks and stallions have, that drive, it definitely adds a dimension to their personalities. One of my favorite equines ever was an unregistered small welsh pony stallion that I tamed and trained for his owner. His "stallion kick" made him SO eager to please! He learned to do many tricks, including to bow and lay down on command. He made some really nice babies for his owner. But his true value (and what ended up getting him the BEST home and a super-happy life) laid in the pony he became after he was gelded. In the long run only his owner would breed him because he was unregistered. Yes, she got some great babies, but their value was not what it could have been because their dad was unregistered and so were they.
> Oh, goodness, I'm really rambling today. Another old horse saying is "a good stallion makes a great gelding". Just put a lot of though into keeping a male animal intact. Papers DO matter!


I keep goats for fun. A hobby. Mine are purebred. Papers don't matter in this area. I couldn't sell a goat around here for 200.00-300.00. I will sell mine for 75.00-100.00. It's what the market will bear. So I won't pay out the big money for registered and sell them at grade prices. That is just insane. My little stud pony was great. He did tricks and learned fast. He really wanted to please. That being said, I always remembered he was a stud. That was always in the back of my mind. I get the feeling you don't like buck goats and that is fine. But in the long run I still feel it's cheaper to have a buck than cart your does to strange farms and hope they settle. It also makes a difference if you have a stud goat in your area. Which I don't. So as far as I'm concerned papers don't matter. I will get 75.00-100.00 with or without papers. Yes I can keep my buck happy. No I will not breed every year. I may not let him breed with other does, just mine. I don't claim to raise show goats. Just purebred pygmy's. Yes my goats are pets. And yes I will keep the ones that don't sell. Will I keep them intact? Only if I see one that shows promise. I have two wethers now so Rick will have plenty of company. If your objective is to raise show goats, papers matter. That in not and never was my intention. The goats can't read them anyway. lol


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## Zarafia (Mar 25, 2012)

pdpo222 said:


> I keep goats for fun. A hobby. Mine are purebred. Papers don't matter in this area. I couldn't sell a goat around here for 200.00-300.00. I will sell mine for 75.00-100.00. It's what the market will bear. So I won't pay out the big money for registered and sell them at grade prices. That is just insane. My little stud pony was great. He did tricks and learned fast. He really wanted to please. That being said, I always remembered he was a stud. That was always in the back of my mind. I get the feeling you don't like buck goats and that is fine. But in the long run I still feel it's cheaper to have a buck than cart your does to strange farms and hope they settle. It also makes a difference if you have a stud goat in your area. Which I don't. So as far as I'm concerned papers don't matter. I will get 75.00-100.00 with or without papers. Yes I can keep my buck happy. No I will not breed every year. I may not let him breed with other does, just mine. I don't claim to raise show goats. Just purebred pygmy's. Yes my goats are pets. And yes I will keep the ones that don't sell. Will I keep them intact? Only if I see one that shows promise. I have two wethers now so Rick will have plenty of company. If your objective is to raise show goats, papers matter. That in not and never was my intention. The goats can't read them anyway. lol


I guess you are right, read your area. There are so many registered goats and babies right here around me that I fear for unregistered kids. Lots of people eat goat around here, and I must admit that I loved goat meat when I had some. I can never look down on the people who raise goats for meat, or who buy goats to raise for meat. They usually take very good care of their goats and the goats are happy until they are swiftly gone, usually no suffering. I have no argument with that, unless one of my precious pet babies got their lives cut short because I let them get in that situation.
You are wrong on one point, I love the one buck I have known well! I had him wethered because, around here, with him being unregistered, I feel his life will be better long-term with him being a wether. I have to find him a new home at some point here and I cannot know that he will always be valued as a breeding animal where so many other registered bucks are available. I can feel safe knowing that his delightful personality will keep him loved as a wether placed in a loving, children-filled environment.
I was stating the things that were important to me, in my situation. And I didn't come by them quickly. I truly do love intact male hoofstock for reasons you obviously do know .


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## imthegrt1 (Jan 13, 2013)

So I figure ur only out about 25 bucks a month
Bale of a hay a week 
That's a flake. Day
Bag of feed a month 
That's 1 and 1/4 pound a day
Thats what I feed my Pygmy buck
So 250.00 a year to keep a buck
So there your answer is 250 bucks worth a buck to keep a year to breed


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## pdpo222 (Jun 26, 2011)

imthegrt1 said:


> So I figure ur only out about 25 bucks a month
> Bale of a hay a week
> That's a flake. Day
> Bag of feed a month
> ...


WTG on figuring it out. It will be even cheaper for me because I don't grain bucks in the summer and then they are on pasture so even the hay is less. I was going to try and figure it out, but just never got around to it. Glad you did though.


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## 91baby (Jan 15, 2013)

imthegrt1 said:


> So I figure ur only out about 25 bucks a month
> Bale of a hay a week
> That's a flake. Day
> Bag of feed a month
> ...


Then compare the gas to haul your does to a breeder, breeding fees, hope it takes, and the biggest thing, being able to find someone willing to breed your does.


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