# Do I need to keep the buck separate from the does



## desnri (Dec 22, 2003)

Just curious. We have been keeping our buck separate from the does. But, is it really necessary? Can we keep our goats together without any problems. It seems to me, in the olden days, that herds ran together. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks.


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## TexCountryWoman (Jun 22, 2004)

Many of us keep our bucks separate form our does because we want to know the exact breeding date and thus know the exact due date. Being present at the delivery is important to insure delivery of healthy, live kids and in the case of those that practice CAE prevention, not allowing the kids to nurse even one time. Also, if you rasie dairy goats, you may want milk at certain times of the year or may want to stagger production. In raising meat goats, you may want to aim for certain markets. Also, having kids of one age group instead of all different ages makes routine care much easier. Having kids born the right time of year helps health matters also. Kids born in the summer heat often do not do well, more diseases and paracites. if you live in the severe cold, you would not want them born during a blizzard. I plan each breeding, keep careful notes, and am present at each delevery. My does have come to expect it!


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## Key (Apr 2, 2005)

I run my herd together all the time except often I remove just-freshened does with their kids for a few days to ensure the kids are drinking well and mom is feeling well. So, now, all my does are bred, but my buck is in there with them. He doesn't create any probelms at all....
Some may choose to keep their buck out to ensure only annual breedings, but my Boer and corss does have their kids around January, and they don't rebreed until late summer/fall. I always let the kids on their mothers though for at least 8-10 weeks. None of my bucks oevr the years have injured a kid.
If you have more than one buck, I am not sure if this set-up would work though. If you don't have PLENTY of room and a creep feed, I also would discourge this type of set-up as the kids need to be able to "get away and get feed". My does have never bred too early-nature's clock seems to guide thier heats here in PA...they always are plenty big when they are bred.
It is very nice to have an EXACT date to mark on your calendar to count 150 ahead for kidding, but I usually know approximately and this has kept my herd and I happy. If you try it, see what works for you and your goats.


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## gryndlgoat (May 27, 2005)

Our buck is in with the does year-round also. Our does come into heat only in the fall and have their kids in February/March. Our buck has stopped smelling now, and the does are showing no sign of heat, so we expect Feb/Mar babies again. Not an exact due date but so far it has worked for us. Just means we have to keep a very close watch on the does for a couple of months when the babies should be coming. We only have four does so it works fine so far. When a doe goes into labor we put her in her own stall and leave her and the new babes for a few days until we are sure they are up and healthy. Then they rejoin the herd, including the buck. Our buck seems to be very proud of his babies and is very gentle around them.


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## topside1 (Sep 23, 2005)

My two bucks run with the herd most days. Certain days they stay in their clubhouse because of weather, or I've gone to town. The biggest reason for isolation is to separate does that are to young to be bred. I only have one youngster not heavy enough yet, so each morning if the bucks don't chase her as if she's in heat, than they are rewarded by spending the entire day browsing as a herd. It works for me...Tennessee John


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## TexCountryWoman (Jun 22, 2004)

Good point, TennJohn, smallish doelings need size on them before being bred. Also, it does depend on where you live as far as the heat cycles go. Here in Texas, does of many breeds cycle year round. My Boers and Lamanchas (and my friends Nubians and Nigerians) have baies any month of the year. I mark everything down on my calendar. In 2005, I had goats starting to cycle in April and the last doe cycled and was bred in February....so every month was a "breeding season" month except for march! So in a herd situation, the kids would be born staggered throughout the year. This may be fine for some goat breeders, but not acceptable for others.


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## maryanne (Jul 20, 2005)

my buck was aggrevating the he** out of my does ans I tried to seperate them., spent an hour of hard work for nothing, the girls went right through the fence to be on his side...I was ticked..so I dont and cant keep my seperated..


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## Ark (Oct 5, 2004)

Well, it may have a lot to do with the buck's personality as well.

I milk twice a day and now that I have the breedings all done (staggered just the way I want them) our Nubian buck and our LaMancha buck stay with the herd. The LM is rather stinky, but I just lock the bucks and wethers up separately to be fed morning and evening while I am milking.
As soon as I am done milking, the boys get to rejoin the girls and they are all much happier. 

I dont have any problems with the milk tasting bad either. Our bucks do not hassle the girls now that they are all bred.


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## Michael W. Smith (Jun 2, 2002)

Last year I let one of the bucklings born in the herd be the breeder, so he was in with them the whole time. However, when the first doe kidded, he wouldn't leave her alone - he seemed to confuse the smell of delivery fluids with heat smell. The other problem was knowing when the does were bred. I ended up with kids in February and had trouble with cold weather.

I haven't got my buck for breeding this year yet, but should in a few weeks. I would like to keep him seperate so I know for sure when does were bred so I know when they will kid.


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## pokyone42 (Mar 1, 2006)

I kept my buck separate until all of the does were bred, so that we would not be playing the "guessing game" this year..we witnessed all of the breedings but one, and then saw signs of it... so, the calendar is marked. yay!
All of our does are due in Feb. and March... Everyone is happy and peaceful now, as after the last doe was bred, we turned the buck in with the does.. much quieter  Happier barnyard!!!!!! We have 7 bred does.. cannot WAIT for baby-time again! SUch fun, tho scary, too.. lol...


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## nursefarmer (Oct 29, 2006)

I let my LaMancha buck stay with my does all the time.He is a big baby without them,and my fencing is much less stressed while he is in with the 'main herd'.I always let nature take her course,and she tells them when they are ready to be bred.I always marvel at the old photographs from Italy were there are wild goats ambulating all over,and things just work out on their own.I also work with a woman from Nigeria,when she visits home,she brings back to USA photo after photo of authentic Nigerian dwarves all loose, all of the time,all around her village...it is such a beautiful sight(sigh)how I would LOVE to have goats all around all of the time,sleeping on my porch,walking through the kitcen !! awesome!


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## FarmGoddess (Sep 21, 2006)

I try to keep mine separated, since I have more than one buck. So it all depends on who's going to bred to whom to determine who gets to be herd buck for the day. That way you can plan kidding around the weather.

Of course, that doesn't allways work. My big buck got out on August 1st and managed to get himself in with the girls and bred everything that moved. I'm going to have a crop of winter babies that I really didn't want, but what the heck, babies are babies and I love little goaties...just gotta make sure they don't freeze...I forsee babies in the house....literally... :shrug: :shrug: :shrug:


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## nursefarmer (Oct 29, 2006)

I have Nigerian Dwarves,and LaManchas.The Nigerian bucks I do keep separate,only because of the fact that they are so small,and I fear kidding problems.I have had the big goats for 6 years and never really had any delivery problems with the bigger girls-no matter how old or young they are.


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## moonspinner (Jul 2, 2002)

As was mentioned, the only things I'd be worried about w/ does and bucks constantly together is A) the possibility of young juniors being bred too young B) not knowing which doe is bred to which buck - obviously a concern if you raise registered sales and or/ show stock C) if there is a chance of significant inbreeding going on.
I never let does and bucks run together because I need to know due dates and have certain matchups slated for each doe. Also I have found bucks can sometimes stress out does with endless breeding attempts.
But again, if this works fine in your situation, no problem.


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## PygmyLover (Oct 12, 2006)

my concern would be to young does being bred and doe being bred by a father or brother etc.


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## desnri (Dec 22, 2003)

Hubby thinks it is best to keep the herd together. He thinks maybe the boys won't do the bucky thing and pee on themselves as much. We have one boy that is about a year and a half old, one that was born to us in May, and 4 girls. All the girls are bred except for one. We had them separated for awhile, but, they are now all together as of about a week ago. They all seem very happy. Do you ever get concerned about any of the bucks getting aggresive with you? We had one a few years ago. Hubby had to wrestle him a few times to get him to be submissive to him. I never handled him.


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## trob1 (Jun 18, 2006)

Two boys together with the girls are gonna fight when the girls go in heat. You only need one buck unless you have alot of girls. Two boys are also gonna encourage the bucky thing. As far as bucks being aggressive I havent had that problem but I get my bucks when they are young and mine want my attention and want to be petted and scratched. I have two boys and they are separate from the girls but live together and get along great unless a girl in heat comes to the fence.


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## Rob30 (Nov 2, 2004)

I let a buck run with the does until mid summer then seperate them before breeding seoson starts so I can time he pregnancies. This year I had one doe bred out of season. She was bred some time in June, because she is going to have kids any day now.


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## mberryrfd (Apr 1, 2006)

Our buck runs with the does all the time.
We only have the one so who breeds with who isnt a problem.Most of all of ours are registared boers.If we ever get another buck or keep one in tact then he would be the one seperated.Also seemed like every one came in season about the same time and those that wernet bred then seem to all be that way now


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## PygmyLover (Oct 12, 2006)

Rob30 said:


> I let a buck run with the does until mid summer then seperate them before breeding seoson starts so I can time he pregnancies. This year I had one doe bred out of season. She was bred some time in June, because she is going to have kids any day now.



That works well for dairy breeds but be careful if you have ND or pygmies and even boers I am told, they go into heat all year long.


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## goatkid (Nov 20, 2005)

I never run the bucks with the whole herd. I usually have at least two bucks and need to know for sure who the sire of the kids is. I also have different breeds, sizes and ages of does. I wouldn'twant a Nubian buck breeding the Nigerians. I also don't want the does who's milk is used for food living with bucks in rut. I hand breed most of the does. Since the doelings sometimes have silent heats, I will set up a pen for them to live with one buck. I then watch them very carefully for signs of heat or being bred and write this down.


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## lamanchagoatgrl (Oct 27, 2006)

Our Nubian buck is such a gentle, well mannered guy he stays with the does most of the time. Our LaMancha on the other hand doesn't behave so well with the does, so he gets to stay in a pen on his own. This surprised me, since I've always known LaManchas to be very all around gentle, nice animals. The only problem I have with the buck and the does together is the smell. During rut, not only the buck stinks but the does too. It's kind of annoying for me to try and do anything with a doe that stinks, especially milking, since you have to go around smelling the same way. But, oh well, what can ya do. :shrug:


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