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How To Make A Buck Rag
A buck scented rag is one way to help determine if a doe is in heat. It seems as though this might be easy to tell, but I’m no expert. Common signs include vocalizing, tail wagging, increased aggressiveness, vaginal swelling and/or discharge, decreased milk supply. Some does are obvious, some are very subtle. If a doe is in heat and likes the scent of the buck rag, then she is in all likelihood ready for a visit. This could be helpful for someone who does not own a buck. Another option, some goatherds keep a wether with their does. He knows, and will try to mount them when their hormones are right.
I hadn’t needed to worry about this until recently, because the boys and the girls were in adjacent pastures. When one of the does was in heat, she’d stand there at the fence flirting with the bucks. When we plowed and planted that field, I had to move the girls. They are now two fences away from the boys instead of one, nor are they in a direct line of sight. I thought a buck rag might help. So here is the how-to run down.
Start with a clean rag. I made this one from an old sock.
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| An old, clean rag |
Find a cooperative buck.
Elvis…
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| Don’t even think about it. |
Gruffy….
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| Don’t stop |
Rub it around the base of his horns. This is where there are scent glands.
Place it in a lidded jar until needed.
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| Odoriferous buck rag, ready when needed |
To test it out, I let all three of my girls take a whiff.
Lily…
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| What is that? |
Surprise…
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| Get that thing out of my face. |
Ziggy…
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| I’ll take care of it for you. |
Well, I’m pretty sure Ziggy’s not in heat but she loves to pull, mouth, and chew on fabric: my jacket, my shirt, my skirt, my shoelaces. So based on my quick test run, I can’t tell you this works for sure. I do keep rough track on my calendar, so if and when the girls demonstrate signs of being in heat, I’ll give it another try and report the results.
2012-11-27 10:26:10
Source: http://www.5acresandadream.com/2012/11/how-to-make-buck-rag.html
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