# Buck: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?



## fancyteddy1 (Mar 14, 2013)

My buck Samwell has recently completely changed, it's like night and day. He used to be so calm, and friendly and would snuggle like a dream. He used to smell a little like cheerios, but not bad.

Now he absolutely panics whenever I go near him, last time I had him out to clean his cage he was jumping everywhere, trying to escape, bit me twice and drew blood. He also smells _extremely strong_ now. I cleaned his cage 2 days ago and want to clean it again already, but of course he's such a trouble to handle now.

All this change occurred about 1 or 2 weeks after I removed the female I bred him with. He became obese (brindle), and because he wasn't with a pregnant doe anymore he stopped getting dog cookies and other yummy pregnant doe foods. He's as far away from the females as I can get him in my house (mind you, it's a small 1 floor home).

Any idea what might have caused this drastic behaviour (and smell!) change?

Thanks.


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## PPVallhunds (Jul 26, 2010)

The smell increase is prob from being a mature breeding buck, as for his behaviour change I've never had a buck change after breeding so can't advise on the cause maby a medical/hormone thing.


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## ThatCertainGlow (Jun 23, 2012)

Have not had this happen before now, but one of my current males did this. I would have drawn the line at biting and blood though, and he, nor his children, would be here. However, shortly after I removed his doe, he acted like I was some scary monster.  All of a sudden. This boy who was so excited to see me, and hop into my hand.

The smell increase after breeding, for a young bucks is somewhat common. It dies down as they age, and calm down; in my experience. (Matter of months.)

What I did with this panicked buck was some of that stuff you read on how to tame an un-tame mouse. Worked reasonably well, but I'm watching his children, and not keeping back any males from him. His former friendliness level never returned. He's at 'sort of tolerate', or something. If this had happened with my main breeding lines, I wouldn't have kept him nor his children, because I wouldn't want to pass that chance on to another breeder.

The way I change a bucks cage, has me holding his nest (and him), in one hand, while dumping the old litter out with the other. If it's time to clean the cage, then he and his nest reside in a travel cage, until it's dry. His panic meant he was in a travel cage more often than he should have been.

Which even with a nest, doesn't smell like him enough to calm him. (AKA - keep him from spraying the place down with male pee.  ) I wouldn't put bucks in the playpen like thing I have for the girls, because I worry they would get overly excited (read - pee like mad, either there, or back in their cage.) I also don't want to throw does into heat before I'm ready for them to be, and the buck smell could possibly trigger that.

If this happens again with another buck, I'm not keeping him, nor offspring. I'm not breeding this guy again, either, I think I can get what I wanted from his female children, and just keep those girl's offspring separate, until I know more. I'm not sure, of course, but to me it seems like a bad balance of hormones. Probably not good to keep in a domestic mouse. Good luck.


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