Well...I am new to this milking stuff, but I moved my buck to another field, which is next to the milker. How far away from her does he need to be to keep the 'bucky' taste out of the milk. They are seperated by a wire fence. I may be imagining things, but I taste a deffinite 'bucky' flavor. If I need to move him, how far is far enough? Thanks in advance.

-- Bear (barelyknow@aol.com), September 24, 2001

Answers

Mighjt want to move him further away than that. See the post below in the threads about bucks and does, not the seperating sheep and goats but the other. We keep ours about 1,00o ft away or so, haven't measured it, buit its a distance away. Bernice

-- bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), September 24, 2001.

Bear, Just a couple other thoughts on the milking. Milk into a very very clean container, chill immediately, brush the doe well before milking to keep bits of hay, and etc from falling into the milk, wash the udder and teats prior to milking for the same reason, make sure the doe has been dewormed, check your feed. I am adding these items since you said your were new. I have had my buck in with the does for years with no "bucky" flavor to the milk. karen

-- Karen in Kansas (kansasgoats@iwon.com), September 24, 2001.

I have did all that.... have milked cows before... to many to mention, but goats are a horse of a different color. I started tasteing the musk when our small buck started to come into his manhood, we moved him, and it stopped. We have on loan a buck to bred the does, and started to taste it the day he was brought in. It might be somethng else, but I swear it taste like he smells. I guess I will move him farther away and see what happens. Thanks.

-- bear (Barelyknow@aol.com), September 24, 2001.

We have never had any problem with our milk even though our buck runs with the does. We do keep him separated until the fall and let him bred the girls and then in the spring we separate him. Not so much for the milk taste but to give the girls a break. Only time I have a goaty taste to our milk is when it is in the fridge for a couple of days. I just make sure that the bowl is clean and bring it down to the house and strain and put it away as soon as I can. Now I'm not saying that Bucky doesn't have a certain aroma to him at times. But it doesn't seem to bother the milk at all. We have bathed our Buck at times...maybe this would help ?? Good Luck !!

-- Helena (windyacs@npacc.net), September 24, 2001.

We also pen breed, our bucks in with does in pens. After the girls are bred we bathe the bucks, because they are in with the does they stop all the (well maybe not all) spraying and demonstrating. None of our bucks continue to harass the girls once they are bred. We keep them in with the girls for several months after breeding, then its back to the buck barn, yes they fight and carry on for a few days, but nothing horrible. The worst problem we have is a doe brought here for outside breeding, when the guy leaves the pen to breed her in the front yard, he does go around to all the does to make sure he hasn't missed anyone! A stern warning from the does, and he is back to his normal self. If your leased buck is to far away the girls will not have strong heats. And anything but Nubian is very hard for newbies to even tell if they are in heat, you can forget about having kids next year if you have LaMancha's :) Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), September 24, 2001.

Just a comment - I think (I'm not speaking from personal knowledge, but from what I've picked up from reading - mostly here) that effects can vary from breed to breed, and even from strain to strain within breeds. So ... different strains can have or more or less "goaty" tasting milk, and I would assume can be more or less prone to pick up the taint from the buck, or develop it more or less quickly if the milk isn't chilled instantly. So ... what has worked for some people in some circumstances may not work for others - don't be surprised if what some people tell you to do, other people tell you they haven't found necessary.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), September 24, 2001.

P.S. It can also be a matter of personal taste. What some people want as a touch of taste to let them know it's "real goat milk" as opposed to "bland cow's milk", may be an unacceptable taint to others. You've got to go with what works for you; and you've got to judge other's advice in the light of the fact that their personal experiences and circumstances and tastes will all differ.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), September 24, 2001.

I agree with Don, that it can vary with the breed. I had Saanens years ago and never ran a buck with them. No matter how careful I was with the milk (cleanliness etc.), I'd almost always get that bucky flavor...esp. when I heated the milk for puddings. I sold all the Saanens and got A. Alpines and run a buck with them every fall, and keep him right in my barn and have never had a flavor problem with the milk. Go figure!!!??

-- Marcia (HrMr@webtv.net), September 24, 2001.

Our bucks and does are only separated by a wire fence. They flirt all the time, but the milk never tastes "bucky" or any other unpleasant taste. Diet, general cleanliness in the barn and paddock and handling of the milk are all important to milk flavor. The milk will tend to taste the same way the barn smells.

-- Skip in Western WA (sundaycreek@gnrac.net), September 24, 2001.

Hmmmmm.... non stinky Alpines? Must be that maybe they ahd their scent gland taken care of when they were disbudded. I have yet to smell a non-Stinky Alpine buck. We had a French sr herdsire who smelled so bad he earned the nickname, "Stinky!"

Bernice

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), September 25, 2001.

Now I am not talking a 2 or 3 year old buck-ling :) here. But just how many of you longer time breeders have smelled a 5+ older buck who didn't smell? Do you really think descenting works? Though yes my bucks smell perhaps does start at the base of their horn buds (disbudded) the musk smell radiates from all over thier body! They also add to this aroma by whizzing on themselves of course, but do any of you descent? Do any of you really think this works? We vigorously disbud bucks, rarely do we have scurs on bucks we disbud, so much so that someone commented recently that we must descent to get that nice of head. I know from my experience it is hogwash, and not only that, the only time my quad does kid with quads or the does always triplet, yearlings to old ladies, is with older mature bucks, so it just has to be the stink that is making them have these strong ovulations and heats. So.....what's your take on descenting? Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), September 25, 2001.

Bernice, The buck I'm using this year just happens to be a Nubian. And he stinks bad!! But I usually do have an Alpine buck (when I can locate a good one!). And as far as I can tell, they ALL could be named Stinky!! But my point was that I have kept several different bucks right in the barn where my milkers are and I never get that bucky flavor in the milk with these Alpine does like I did with the Saanens. So maybe it was the particular family of Saanens I had or maybe it was a breed "thing".

-- Marcia (HrMr@webtv.net), September 25, 2001.

Vicki- I am not quite sure I understood your post about older bucks and quads or triples but we used young bucks this last year and had 2 sets of triplets and 1 set of quads.

-- Trisha-MN (tank@linkup.net), September 25, 2001.

Just talking. Most of our singles or twin kids come from younger bucks. Even the older girls prefer the older boys. Just asking about descenting. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), September 25, 2001.

Well.... as for descenting I have to say, it just doesn't really do the job. i know some folks swear by it, but no matter what, those "bad boys" will get to stinkin come breeding season. Like vicki said, the whiz on their heads and get just plain nutty.

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), September 25, 2001.

I guess I have to play devil's advocate, but the buck I use is 6 years old and he is disbudded/descented and he doesn't smell at all. You can't tell there's a buck in my barn by smell even first thing in the morning (they're shut in at night). He is quite good at his job, throwing twins and triplets every time. He is a kindergoat. I have to admit though, that I don't truly think that it's the descenting that did it. He never "perfumes" himself. Most bucks that I've used perfume their beards. He never has, that I've seen and I've been using him for 3 years, for several different does at several different times of year.

-- Sheryl in Me (radams@sacoriver.net), September 25, 2001.