The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: fifixx on September 22, 2012, 06:57:50 pm

Title: What to do with the wether?
Post by: fifixx on September 22, 2012, 06:57:50 pm
What an evening - the buck has gone in with the does and the wether (18mths) went with him this morning.  We brought them back to another field with a good barn for the night and the does went crazy, butting and ramming the wether (all the goats are horned).

So - wether taken out over to the kids filed - seemed to sort of like it but still stressed.  After 15 mins, jumped out!

Back to the does and buck - took him over and they were in the big field grazing - 15 mins - jumped out over alpaca hurdles.

So now he is back in his pen (alone) where he was with the buck, crying for ages, slightly quieter now.

What shall I do??  presumably the does didn't want another male with them - but will they get used to him - even his mother was ramming into his side.

Every bit of advice welcomed!
Title: Re: What to do with the wether?
Post by: jaykay on September 22, 2012, 08:06:46 pm
Do you have a kid or two you could bring in with him? So he's in familiar territory but has a friend or two? Then when he knows some of them he might be prepared to stay with them in the field.
Title: Re: What to do with the wether?
Post by: fifixx on September 22, 2012, 09:49:11 pm
Will he never be welcome with the does? He lived with them all last yr, just been with the buck for the last 8 months.
With kids, might be ok but the fences are lower! And I discovered today he can jump....
Title: Re: What to do with the wether?
Post by: fifixx on September 23, 2012, 10:15:33 pm
After having him penned all night and most of the day, I took him with minimum fuss over to the field and let him in while putting feed out for all the does.  Then I left! 


Seems ok, grazing ok.  Probably I should have not let them all mill round in a fairly confined area last night especially as it was the first day with the buck.  What a worry these goats can be!!