Bucks Fighting and the Winner Was.......the Duck!

Bucks Fighting and the Winner Was.......the Duck!
I just had to relay what happened today when we moved the goats to different pens and pastures.
I've been needing to get the does rearranged in kidding order and penned/pastured accordingly, so today was the day for that. But at the top of my list was getting those two big bucks, Sancho (from the Farmers) and Blanco (from Coni Ross) together so they could just go ahead and settle their differences and hopefully quit trying to tear the gates off the hinges to prove their machismo. They've been eyeballing each other from different pastures and have snorted, bellowed, butted, and strutted to out-do the other one until they've just about demolished everything in sight.
Well I'd had just about all I could stand, and they were on my last nerve, so I figured it was time they met face to face. The does got moved first to get them out of range, then we brought Sancho in for worming, etc. and sent him to the front pasture to make Blanco's acquaintance. Oh Lord, the fight was on !!! They're pretty evenly matched in height, weight, and horn length so I figured at least it would be a fair fight.
They fought from the catch pen to the pasture, on top of the remains of a round bale and back down, around and around they went with neither willing to admit defeat. We stood by just in case it came to a life or broken leg situation, but otherwise just stayed out of the way. Blanco cast a sideways look as I put out feed for them, but wasn't about to turn his back on Sancho just to fill his belly. They were locked up at the horns and heading toward the fence where an adopted Muscovy duck was eating the last of her dog food. Joey wanted me to get the duck away from there because he just knew the bucks would surely kill her, but I told him not to worry about the duck....she could handle herself. He didn't believe me.
Sure enough Sancho shoved Blanco against the fence, penning the duck to the panel with Blanco's butt. The next thing we knew that duck was pissed off and came out biting !!! She looked like a machine gun as she hammered Blanco with bites right under his tail. It surprised the heck out of him, and he had no idea what was going on.....he just knew he was catching hell at both ends.
Believe me, a scared buck is strong as an ox, and Blanco was scared! He pushed away from the fence taking Sancho with him. Still locked together at the horns and moving in a "V" position, they moved their fight about thirty feet away, but it was too late.....there's nothing worse than a mad duck! Taking her own sweet time, that duck "stomped" across that pasture like she had her hands on her hips, got right between those bucks, started flapping her big wings spanking them both at once, then she hammered both of them with bites. She was one big blur of action.
She whipped those big bucks like they were stepchildren, and sent them packing!! They hightailed it to the feed tubs with their tails tucked down, and stood face to face eating out of the same tub.........each with an eye on the duck. Meanwhile the duck brushed the dust off her feathers and headed to the pond for some peace and quiet. Her job was finished.
We were in the catch pen laughing so hard it hurt. Joey had never seen the duck in action before so he was really caught off guard...he had no idea she was a fighter. But I've watched her whip up on the does for daring to eat out of the feeder that she had dibs on. Nobody, but nobody, messes with that duck or anything she decides is hers. At least she brought peace to the pasture for one day, and a whole lot of laughter to us the rest of the evening.
I just wish I'd had a video camera with me.

Mona Enderli Enderli Farms, Baytown, TX

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