What happens to boy pygmy goats

[BYFarmer]

if you leave them intact? We are new to goats and are mothering two orphaned 2 week old bucking pygmy goats. They are such a treat and we were originally going to get both of them "banned" or fixed. But we are enjoying them so much and wondering if we were to keep one in tact for future breeding possibilities if it would make him more aggressive?? What kind of affect will we see between one wether and one billy?? Any tips?

PS we have NO other goats or females around, except chickens !

 

[ksalvagno]

Intact males pee on themselves. They get very stinky. They can also get more aggressive with all that testosterone going. Someone recently was complaining that her intact male was butting her and very hard. I would suggest that if you don't have females, then band both of them.

 

[Roll farms]

I second that....Pygmy bucks are especially odorific since they tend to be 'woolier' than other breeds...more hair to catch the stench.

They will be more aggressive, stinky, get bigger horns, just generally be more manly than a wether would be.

I would never encourage a person new to goats to START w/owning a buck.

 

[SDGsoap&dairy]

I too felt a little guilty about wethering the kid we got to keep our buckling company... for about 10 minutes. And he didn't mind as much as I thought he might! If they are pets then wethering is the way to go.

 

[FunnyFarm]

Ditto.... get them banded! They are a treat now but once they start peeing on themselves you won't even want to touch them anymore because the smell is so bad. After I touch my Billy I have washed my hands 10 times in as many cleaning agents as I can find & can still smell it.

You do feel bad for them when you get them banded but they only have discomfort for a short time. After the initial pain goes away they really are perfectly fine.

 

[BYFarmer]

Sounds fine to me! We will get them band. DH was the one interested in keeping one intact, but I told him it's not a good idea. So, we decided when we get a female of breeding age we may have her visit the farm we got her from to be bred, if it's ok w/ the man we got her from. Thanks for all of your input!!

 

[RockyToggRanch]

I love my buck. He only stinks during the season. He's wooly and beautiful otherwise and I do cuddle him and kiss his head. He was a bottle baby and is a yr old. He bred all 3 of my does in the fall.

He has his moments when he's a brat, but then so do the girls. I will be banding one of his son's to keep with him.

 

[dkluzier]

Same as above.. my pygmy buck only "stinks" when the girls are in heat. Otherwise he is the most gentle boy around.

 

[FunnyFarm]

Mine wasn't that bad his first year either like RockyToggRanch said but as they get older they get smellier.

 

[cmjust0]

Buddy of mine vasectomized a pygmy buck to use as a teaser/heat-detector.

Buck's name was Stinky.

And he was.

Extremely.