New Billy Goat?

[FarmerFrenchy]

I already have a male pigmy Nigerian goat but the rest of the herd are female dwarves and I don't think he will ever grow tall enough to breed the females. Would it be safe to introduce another male to the flock? Should I separate the males? I don't want them to start fighting and the little one gets hurt in the process. Thank you.

 

[funkychickenmom]

They will fight over the females I have two male pygmy goats and only one female she is to young to breed rite now so I have her separated but she is rite next to my boys and they fight over her already. I am currently in the process of making a different setup so she is not so close to them so they do not fight.

 

[funkychickenmom]

Although I have seen people with bigger herds having more than one male in with the females.

 

[Fields Mountain Farm]

If you don't think he'll be big enough to breed you might consider having him neutered. A buck and a wether will usually get along OK since the wether isn't seen as a challenge by the buck... Usually....lol

 

[Zoomie]

Adding another buck can be a problem... I have done it, but yes, they will fight, so you have to figure that out. Separate pens or groups, preferably where the bucks can not even see the does, is better. Make sure your buck does not live alone though and a wether, as suggested can be perfect.

How old is your buck? I have a pygmy wether, and he is pretty much the same size as all the Nigies I have ever seen, so I would not assume your current buck won't be able to breed your does. But of course, you can actually see them and I can not, so you probably know if it's possible.

 

[cassie]

His size really should not be a problem. I have used very young small bucklings to breed mature does. You just need to help them a bit. I used a pallet. I nailed some plywood on the top make a solid surface. You back the doe up to the pallet and hold her. When the buck stands on the pallet it provides the needed elevation. Anything that provides some height will do, but I liked pallets for a number of reasons. They are cheap, available if you look, and provide a lot of surface. You could also use just a sheet of plywood with some 2 X 4's under it.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I would neuter the one, and there shouldn't be any fighting. We have used castration bands on older bucks if you are interested in that method, otherwise a vet can take care of it easily.

 

[cassie]

Just a comment. Elastrator bands are usually used on fairly young kids and lambs but they can be used on fairly well developed bucks. I have done so many times. To do so, you pull the scrotum through the band first, then the testicles can be worked through one at a time. You do need to make sure you do not have a teat caught in the band and you should give a tetanus antitoxin shot.