# LGD and mean buck~ cross post from goat forum



## Cheryl aka JM (Aug 7, 2007)

I decided to cross post this here because I would really like opinions from LGD people as much as from goat people on this issue. So if you've already seen this post on the goat forum~ it wasn't an accident I cross posted it on purpose for differing opinions~ Thanks!

I've borrowed Carols bucks to breed my does this year. Three weeks ago the bucks got here~ the nubian buck is running with two of my does and one of Carols here. I've seen some breeding but I'd like to keep the buck another month or so to be sure the breeding took, and so Carol doesn't have to deal with the bucks and the doe for a bit longer at her place (fencing is a bit of a problem at her place and she may have trouble setting the doe up at her place).

This would be a great plan~ but that buck is MEAN and he is terrorizing my dogs! I have two Anatolian Shepherds (mother and 6 month old daughter) running that pen with the goats. The dogs have to be there~ the coyotes are definitely out hunting right now (can hear them at night right on top of us almost) and the younger dog needs the experience working the goats with her mother. Well that buck goes out of his way to harass the dogs. The dogs come into a kennel twice a day to eat~ he guards the kennel and I have to threaten him with a stick to make him back off enough for the dogs to get into or out of those feeding kennels. He goes out of his way to chase the dogs and hit them if he can catch them. The adult female Cricket has been limping a little for a couple days now~ and then this morning I heard a ruckus so I got out there as fast as I could (I injured myself again yesterday and am limping again too) So when I finally get there I see the older dog Cricket ON the buck snarling. I'm thinking "Oh God she's killing Carols rotten goat!" so I started to hollering at her. She jumped right off the buck~ who has not a single scratch on him~ not even dog slober on him so she must have just been on him warning him to cut it out~ and he does seem to have cut it out for now. He let them into and out of their feeding kennel this morning no trouble from him~

But......
If he keeps harassing my dogs....do you think Cricket will actually hurt him? She is 3 1/2 years old, run with goats her whole life and never hurt a goat before~ but while she is accustomed to occasionally being hit by a goat with an attitude this is the first goat that has gone out of it's way to harass her the way this buck is doing. Should I send the buck home before he injures my dog or induces her to injure him or will they work it out with a little time do you think?


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## BarbadosSheep (Jun 27, 2011)

I think I'd get rid of that buck before he either teaches your dog to kill goats, or he seriously injures her.


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## ONG2 (Sep 22, 2010)

How about tying the goat to a cement block? He could still get around but would not be a threat to the dogs.


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## thaiblue12 (Feb 14, 2007)

I would bring him back if none of the below works. There is teaching respect and space by butting the dogs and then there is crossed the line into mean, or just a very rutty buck who is being a jerk about his girls. 
Some of my does will butt the dogs if they get too close to their food or kids and that to me is a good thing. I do have one kid bottle raised who does not like the dogs too close and she butts them, but that again is a " get out of my space, area, butt, food etc" hitting that I have no issue with. 

Now he is going out of his way to be a jerk to them and it might be due to breeding. They are "his girls" and he wants no competition. He might not be a mean buck just a very horny one who wants the dogs away from what is his. 
Either way I would not keep them in the same pen. 

Can the girls patrol outside? 
Or can Tater go in there instead? 
Can you pen him up somewhere else and if you see the does in heat bring them to him? 
It really takes less then 30 mins to get a doe pregnant. The buck makes a few attempts and once you see him toss his head back you know for sure the deed is done. I do not run mine with the does I bring the does to them. I see the head tossing thing, I take the doe out and count 150 days. 

If none is a workable option I would send the buck home. Limping and keeping them from food are large problems and it might get worse. One or the other may get injured to the point that a vet bill would be incurred or it might change Cricket and her guarding. It sure will make an impact on her younger daughter even now so I would do something about him sooner then later.


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## Cheryl aka JM (Aug 7, 2007)

I've considered tieing the buck~ but I was a little worried about him injuring the girls with the chain~ he gets pretty worked up. I also considered putting Tater over there....but he is not as patient as Cricket is and I am pretty sure he won't put up with as much as Cricket has before he reminds the buck to leave him alone. Especially with the food thing (the younger anatolian had a pretty hefty vet bill earlier this year when she put her head in Taters food bowl one too many times!)

I think I'll tell Carol he needs to go home. I think he's done his job~ and I can put the Boer buck with the dairy girls to bat clean up if any were missed.
Thanks everyone~ I was worried I was over reacting but afraid I was under reacting!


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## westbrook (May 10, 2002)

remove the dogs.. it is only 1 more month!


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## Cheryl aka JM (Aug 7, 2007)

Carol just took the buck home. I feel bad I couldn't offer to feed him for a while longer in exchange for his work but I've still got her boer buck and her doe here so I can earn the breeding by feeding them for a while. I'll run the boer buck with the dairy girls now~ hopefully they are already bred but if not the little boer can take care of it!


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

The buck was doing his duty, protecting his ladies. If you use him next year, try giving him his own pen.


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## CarolT (Mar 12, 2009)

Both were trying to do their duty IMO He was trying to protect the does and if you'd heard the blubbering, snorting, etc and didn't know what was going on, you'd have thought he was attacking them, too. LOL

Brought him home and he bred my last girl, so hopefully his job is done for the year. Poor fellow, he enjoys it so much...


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

CarolT said:


> Brought him home and he bred my last girl, so hopefully his job is done for the year. Poor fellow, he enjoys it so much...


Ha! Ha! I always took my ram out of the herd at Labor Day. I put him back in with the ewes on Thanksgiving. I always felt he was the most thankful 'person' on the homestead on that day.


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