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As with all goats, bucks should have hay available free choice. And fresh water at all times is a must. Bucks and wethers
are suceptible to what is called urinary calculi, which is the formation of kidney stones, and if this goes untreated death
will follow. It blocks the urethra, which is where the urine passes. A good prevention for this is feeding a grain medicated
with ammonium chloride, this way you know that they get it. another good way is to add a 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar to
a 5 gallon bucket of water, but doing both is a very good way to help prevent it. Also i would not reccomend feeding a legume
hay (such as clover, alfalfa, etc...) I give my bucks grass hay free choice, and a yearling nubian buck and a yearling nigerian
buck eat half a 40 pound bale a day. Bucks grow quickly but will not reach their full grown size until they are at least
2. Some lines such as the Saada, and Goldthwaite lines with nubians can take as long as 4 years!! But it is well worth the
wait. We feed Blue Seal Meat Goat, which is medicated with a coccidistat (for coccidiosis) and with ammonium chloride. I have
used Purina Show Goat before but mine seem to like the blue seal better, and the blue seal is about $2 cheaper!! Not that
any of it is cheap lol. Bucks have less of a problem with urinary calculi than wethers. We wait to band wethers until 8-10
weeks, this lets the urethra grow, which means a crystal will be less of a problem. I give the 2 bucks I mentioned earlier
2 lbs a day. As kids i keep it free choice until they are at least 6 months old.
Let me just say bucks are NOT pets. They are breeding animals and are dangerous, bucks should never be trusted. Wethers
make fantastic pets!! Due to the lack of all that testosterone that a buck has!
Bucks for Breeding
A nubian buck can become fertile as early as 3-4 months, nigerian bucks can be fertile as early as 8 weeks!
But few bucks know "how" to do their job at this age. Some bucks are quick learners, and know their job as soon early as that
age, but some take up to 1-2 years. I personally have had one wait until 1 year old. While my nubian got it at 6 months old.
I give all bucks a shot of Bo-Se 2 weeks before breeding. Nubian: 3 cc's 1x a year. Nigerian: 1-2 cc's 1x a year. The selenium
and vit. E increases sperm. I hand breed all my does. I hold the doe, the buck breeds, she goes back into her pen, for does
who are new to being around a buck i will put them in a "breeding pen" and he will chase, and she will "tease him" and she
eventually stands still.
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