Much like a rooster dances, a goat buck will strut around and stretch in funny ways that really aren’t as flattering as they probably think…well at least to us humansĪ rutty buck may also stomp to get the girls attention, or even to warn a potential challenger that “these are my girls.” Goat bucks in rut like to put on a show for their does. For this, I have no simple explanation other than the does urine has hormones in it that signal her readiness to breed.
Ok, this one’s pretty gross, but yet, he will run-up to a squatting doe and smell or even drink her urine. They look pretty funny doing it because they stick their upper lip up and stretch their necks to the sky. This is when they utilize nerve endings in their lips to “smell” a strange, or in this case exciting, smell. Ed, the talking horse, you have seen an animal flehmen. So maybe hold off on cuddle time until rut is over. The smell comes from both his urine and scent glands behind his horns.Īnd I’m not kidding when I say that the does like this smell, and the more the buck smells like it, the better his chances of breeding are.Īnd get ready for this one, your buck may even pee on his beard or face to really stink himself up.
If you can’t stand the smell of a rutty buck, then don’t stand downwind because it’s potent. Ok, so here’s a truth bomb for you, bucks smell most of the time, but during rut…it’s pretty intense. So if you observe any of the following goat behaviors, don’t assume there’s something wrong with your buck…he may just be in rut: – Stinky Buck Smell Luckily, after further observation, I realized he was just showing off, awkwardly, for the does he was hoping to court. I’ve actually watched my buck act “rutty” but mistook it for a medical concern. If you’ve noticed some bizarre, maybe even disturbing behavior, your buck may be ready to breed. They tend to do most of their breeding from August to January. Most breeds of goats go into rut during Autumn. The Seasons Change and So Does Your Goat Buck
It’s been known to happen, but it’s not too common. In fact, some young bucks can breed their does at 7 weeks of age. This is also why it’s not advised to keep bucklings with their mothers for more than 3-4 months (otherwise you may have kids shortly again). The truth is, a buck can breed does all year long, but when he’s in rut, he is more determined to do the deed than the rest of the year. In simple terms, rut is a window of time when a goat buck experiences a surge of hormones and is ready to breed does.