Goat Rut Season

Understanding Your Buck During Rut: What to Expect and How to Manage It

If you own goats and have a buck, you may have noticed some strange behavior lately. That's because, at this time of the year, they’re filled with baby-making hormones, and nature kind of takes over their brain.

This is Tungo, my Nigerian dwarf buck (named for how his tongue goes when he sees the ladies!)

The Unique Breeding Habits of Nigerian Dwarf Goats

Nigerian dwarf goats are unique in that their breeding season is all year long. Unlike many other goat breeds that only go into heat during specific seasons, Nigerian dwarf does can go into heat and get pregnant 12 months out of the year. However, just because the girls go into heat every 21 days doesn’t mean they’re immune to the effects of the breeding season.

When does are ready to mate, it’s called going into heat.

When bucks are ready, it’s called rut.

The Importance of Goat Minerals During Rut

Before diving into the signs of rut, let’s talk about something crucial—minerals. Goat minerals are often overlooked until problems arise, but they’re as important for bucks as they are for does, especially during breeding season.

Having the right balance of minerals helps bucks maintain their weight, body condition, and fertility. For example:

- Calcium and Phosphorus: Keep bones healthy and help prevent urinary calculi and kidney stones.
- Selenium: Supports sperm production and fertility.
- Zinc: Aids in sperm production, promotes healthy skin and coat, and helps with wound healing—important as bucks can get more rambunctious during rut.

There are many other essential minerals, such as copper, magnesium, sodium, iodine, and iron. The best approach is to provide a free-choice mineral buffet where your goats can consume what they need when they need it. This is more effective than relying on mineral blocks from feed stores, as these blocks provide all minerals at once rather than letting goats choose what they’re deficient in.

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Buck Behavior During Rut: What to Expect

Bucks can vary in how they change during rut, but you’ll likely notice some common behaviors:

1. Following the Does Everywhere: Bucks become very focused on the does, trying to get their attention for mating.
2. Making Funny Noises: Expect to hear spitting, snorting, yelling, and even crying from your buck.
3. Sneering and Tongue-Flapping: Bucks will lift their lips and flap their tongues—a behavior that earned our buck his name, Tungo.
4. Rubbing Their Heads on Everything: Bucks have scent glands near their horns and will rub their heads on surfaces to mark their territory and spread their scent.
5. Head Butting: Bucks may become more aggressive, head butting trees, other goats, and even people. Never turn your back on a buck, especially during rut!

The (Gross) Reality of Rut

Now, let’s get into the stinky part. Bucks are notorious for their smell during rut. If you think they smell bad normally, just wait until rut—they’ll reek! But there’s a reason for this.

Bucks want to smell attractive to the does, and since they can’t get fancy cologne, they create their own scent—by peeing on their face and legs. Yep, you read that right. If you look at Tungo, you can see the evidence of this behavior. He’s covered in yellow stains, and the smell is… well, unforgettable.

Should You Get a Buck?

If you’re considering adding a buck to your homestead, rut behavior is something you need to consider. Your sweet, gentle buck may change temporarily during rut, which is why it’s essential to choose a gentle buck from the start. A nasty buck can become dangerous during rut when hormones are surging.

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