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["Marie McHarry" <mmcharry AT dtnspeed.net>]

I'm not Denise, but I've had goats (at one time, something over 300 with 200
milkers), so I know a thing or two about bucks.

<<So is this behavior (play rearing & butting) limited to just billies, so
wethers don't exhibit this behavior?  Or is it goats in general?  Or is a
personality thing?>>

All goats do it some, but bucks do it more -- actually a lot more if they
have other bucks or wethers around. Does mostly do it when they're in heat.

<<If you don't allow that behavior in your goats, what do you do to deter
them?  I read in Carla Emery's book to smack a goat on the nose if he/she
jumps up on people (putting hooves on people much like a dog would put his
paws up on people).  We tried that but he was too dumb to understand the
cause & effect. >>

I handle my bucks -- pet them, scratch them, etc. -- but I don't ever mess
with their heads as in pushing on them (though whacking on the nose is
okay). I've never had much trouble with goats jumping up on me, probably
because they aren't allowed to do it when they're little. A goat that tries
it gets a knee in the chest; they understand being knocked off balance. It
doesn't have to be hard, but the shove should never be to the head. 

<<No.  We don't play back with him when he exhibits the behavior.  The kids
do show that they are scared (running away) which is something I have been
teaching them not to do.  Billy seems to think that then they want to run
and play with him then, which makes him even more excitable.>>

At this point, the goat probably regards the children as other goats and
treats them accordingly. It's important for goats to learn which is which --
and that means not letting goats get by with rough (though cute) behavior
when they're little.

All but two of my bucks have been fine -- they liked a scritch or a treat
and were friendly enough to come over with the rest of the herd to get their
share of whatever was going down. The two exceptions were a father and son,
both Saanens with excellent pedigrees. After papa tried to pound me into the
ground (I was only able to get out of the pen with little damage because I
was able to wrestle him over to a cattle panel fence and a friend of mine,
who just happened to be visiting, was able to hang onto him while I scurried
over the fence -- not that it took me all that long to scurry once Betty had
a good hold on him). He was a huge goat. As with every buck I've ever had,
he was disbudded; he could have done a whole lot more damage if he'd had
horns. We shot him within 24 hours because no way were we going to sell him
at an auction. His son was fine for a while, but developed the same
personality; he was much younger, so we felt more comfortable selling him.

<<The problem is he sees us as one of the goats.  He doesn't seem to see us
as people.  He has another goat friend.  He treats us the same way he does
her.>>

You're exactly right. He needs to learn that he can't play with the
two-leggers any longer. He can still get affection from them -- just no
playing.

Marie, who has a Saanen buck at the present time who is a real sweetie, even
when he pees on his nose