Buck smell and spacing

[Bunnymama25]

Hi everyone!

Im new here, so I’m not great at searching previous posts yet, so sorry if this had been asked many times!

I’m getting a Nigerian Dwarf buck in a few weeks and never experienced the smell in rutting season. I’ve heard it’s absolutely awful. That being said, I’m looking at places in my property to put his pen. I have read from other blogs that the smell can bother neighbors. I’m on 3 acres, and have one neighbor way closer to one side of the property than the other. Will 250 feet be enough distance from both my house and the neighbors house to contain the smell? I’m planning on keeping them (him and his wether brother) on the other side of the property away from does to minimize milk contamination.

Final question- while I know buck ND are “ready to go” all the time, I’m wondering if they for the most part follow the “normal rutting season” of late August to early December.


Thanks in advance!

 

[animalmom]

Welcome to BYH! You have found a really great place to ask all types of questions and get reasonable answers. Tickled pink you are here!

I do think bucks get a bad reputation for smell. My bucks, nigerians, do not stink. They do get a bit strong going into the fall, but I've smelt worse odors than my bucks. It is really eye watering stinky when the farmer next door spreads manure on his fields. My chicken pen after a rain is far more smelly than the bucks after a rain.

Regarding your last question, my experience is yes the boys get more "enthusiastic" during the fall and first part of winter than the rest of the year.

My predominant wind is from the South. My buck pen is South of my home, less than your 250 feet and I have never ever smelled the bucks from the house. My bucks are separated by two fences and 20 feet from my milking does. I have never ever had the milk taste off. Cleanliness is the most important factor in good tasting milk. If you milk your does before you play with your bucks there will be no contamination. Wash your hands! Don't go love on your bucks and then hop in the car to go to church. God won't care but the person next to you might raise an eyebrow... or not depending on if you are super rural or not.

I greatly applaud you for asking question like this before getting the animals. Knowledge, not hearsay, makes for a better partnership with your goats. Just don't call them beasts because if offends them and makes them cranky.

Got to post pictures of your new babies when you get them, please and thank you. We live vicariously through all the pictures folks post.

 

[Mini Horses]

Couple of things...first, welcome!

Then -- be aware that there are musk glands in the area of his horns. If his horns are removed as a babe, generally these glands are destroyed. That helps. Bucks do have an annoying habit of urinating on themselves during rut...those wet front legs get dirty and be careful to be out of the way or your legs may get wet. Trust me, those wet shoes will smell. My big ole Nubian can be a little smelly during rut but, honestly, not like you "hear" about. Let me tell you I have been around some little pygmys that stunk worse than my entire herd of goats!!! I've often had 7 or 8 bucks on the place and unless you were near them....wouldn't notice an odor. Don't let him rub you or then you will notice the odor!

I don't think you will have a problem. If I think it's getting strong, I hose those legs off. Yes, goats hate water but, it's quite doable! Your plan should be more than sufficient.

A buck is a buck and they will check every doe on the place. But once she is bred his job is done and he'll relax. It's nature.

 

[rachels.haven]

I'm a little biased in favor of my bucks, but I don't think you're going to have a serious issue with that if the conditions are as described. They stink, but it's not super bad. Maybe make sure they're not too close to anyone's home with open windows?

Also, I've never had "buck stink" contaminate milk even with the bucks 20 feet away from the doe pen. I feel like they have to rub it on the does and their udders, then you contaminate the milk with it. You may be able to rest easy about that. Diet of the doe plays a heavier part in milk flavor than who's in the next pen, thank goodness.