Need some goat advice ...

[mangled]

We've had our Nigerian dwarf and Pygmy females for 2 years. They're 4 years old and have always been together. They free range over 13 acres and are generally sweethearts. Recently, we've been working towards becoming more self sufficient and decided we want to try milking the goats. We bought a buck, a Pygmy, who is 3 years old, so we could get the girls milk bearing again.

We have kept him penned up for about 2 1/2 weeks, and he has been sweet to the girls through the fence. We decided last night to let him out for a few hours and see how he did. I was there in the yard, monitoring the situation the whole time.

He immediately went sweet on the Nigerian. They got on real well for about 2 hours, until our Pygmy female came up to our Nigerian, and then it was on. He just went crazy on her, butting her, chasing her, it was terrible. She ran back to the barn, with him in hot pursuit. I ran down in time to see him get her pinned in the corner of the pen and he just began butting her, brutally, repeatedly. My husband and I ran into the stall and just tackled him. We wrestled him like a wild animal back to his pen.

Ginger, our Pygmy, seems fine this morning. She got a once over with the brush and doesn't seem to be tender or lame. She got an extra serving of grain this morning, poor thing. Oreo, our Nigerian, seems fine. He's sweet and approachable this morning, let me give head skritches, so he's not holding a grudge against me, lol. He isn't getting out today, that's for sure.

I guess I don't fully understand what happened, so I'm asking for your ideas on it. He came from a herd of girls and I know his history. My kids can approach him. After what I saw yesterday, I'm concerned. If one of my kids would have been in their path, I can't imagine how badly they'd have been hurt.

Any ideas or advice would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Em

 

[shadowpaints]

chances are he was just asserting him self as a buck. bucks are icky to have and not really fun, especially when they are in Rut. just like any herd animal, they have a pecking order, and it will take a bit for it to be established

does he have horns? if not, and you are wanting them bred, i would say let him out with them again, or wait till your doe is showing heat (in the fall) and put them together just for breeding.

also, remember that goats gestation is 5 month (145-155 days) so if you breed them now, the babies will be born in october.

we generally breed in october and november for spring babies
good luck

 

[mangled]

He does have horns. That's what concerns me. Poor Ginger was just helpless against him. He's penned up indefinitely now. He isn't happy about it, but the girls do visit him through the fence...

We don't wish to breed now. He was definitely interested but got no where fast with either one of them. We just were curious how they would interact. He's such a sweetie with Oreo. My goodness.

Thanks-
Em

 

[shadowpaints]

yeah bucks tend to be a bit crazy when put in with does. your girls should come into heat this fall, when the buck goes into rut, and then he shouldnt be so rough. but that is normal buck behavior. thats why we banded out bucks horns, because we were worried about him hurting the other 2 bucks or the does, as none of our others have horns

 

[Stacykins]

yeah bucks tend to be a bit crazy when put in with does. your girls should come into heat this fall, when the buck goes into rut, and then he shouldnt be so rough. but that is normal buck behavior. thats why we banded out bucks horns, because we were worried about him hurting the other 2 bucks or the does, as none of our others have horns

Nigerian dwarves and pymgies like the OP has come into heat all year round rather than just in the fall. Every 21-28 days (depends on the doe).

 

[mangled]

Thanks for the replies. He's penned up in our small isolation pen, and is quite unhappy about it. He's taken to butting Ginger through the fence. He can't get her, but he sure tries.

We're going out and getting the equipment for a small electrified pasture tonight. We figure if we triple strand it, that ought to keep him in and the girls out. He'll have his own area and my girls will be safe.

Will he be lonely pastured separately or will the indirect contact be enough for him? My husband suggested getting him a wether for a buddy.

Thanks again-
Em

 

[elevan]

Some personalities don't get along. It sounds to me that he just doesn't like this particular doe. You see this in every species whether it be chicken, goat or people.

I have 2 bucks and they are wonderful animals, so I think that to state that bucks are "icky and not fun" is just a little inaccurate as it doesn't apply to all (nothing applies to all as personalities are individual).

Horns or no horns a goat that wants to hurt another will do so. I have both in my herd and my "meanest" goat is unhorned.

You'll most likely have to do hand breeding of this doe and wait until she is in raging heat and then lead him to her. While having her restrained and him on a leash bring him to breed and then remove him. You can do pen breeding with the other doe if they get along well.

 

[LR Gamefarm]

does he still have his horns you might want to get them removed but if you want to breed them than you need to wait until the does are in heat are you can make like a little head lock with side on it then put the doe in and bring the buck up behind her so he can sniff her then they should mate the buck should stop when he knows she's bred

 

[LR Gamefarm]

you might contact the people you got him from and see if they got a goat to put with him and you might want to put up hog wire to keep him in