will my billy be a risk?

My female goat is getting close to her due date ( as far as we can guess) and my billy has been in and out of rut for weeks. Will he be a risk to the new baby?

I don't know a lot about goats, and hopefully someone knowledgeable will answer, but I do know that a horny billy will try to breed a picnic table. I'd isolate him.

He probably won't bother the kid but bucks often try to breed does that have just freshened. The doe does not need that kind of attention. Separate him.

I have the same issue, and my doe and billy are my only two goats right now. Im concerned seperating them may cause stress to the pregnant doe? She looks to him for protection and socialization. Should they still be seperated in this case?

goatgirl1919 said:

I have the same issue, and my doe and billy are my only two goats right now. Im concerned seperating them may cause stress to the pregnant doe? She looks to him for protection and socialization. Should they still be seperated in this case?

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Use your best judgement. If he behaves himself, leave him be. If he starts chasing the doe and trying to breed her, get him out of there. As for separation anxiety, once the doe has her babies, she is unlikely to care if he is not there.

I've never had a buck be anything but gentle and kind to kids, but yes, he's going to breed that doe. It's really hard on the doe to immediately get pregnant again, at the same time she is recovering from birth and lactating. The buck should not live with the doe all the time for this very reason.

Another point, maybe no one here would even think this but I have known people... who do not realize, that if they DO leave the buck and the doe together all the time, and she has doelings, he WILL breed those doelings when they come into heat. I know! Most people know this! But I've also had people be shocked - shocked, I tell you - that a buck would breed his own daughters. So for any possible lurkers who are keeping a buck and doe together, YES, the buck will breed his own daughters. And granddaughters. And great-granddaughters. Separate your goats!

I bought a pygmy wether for my buck, we call that his "pet goat", lol. They get along great together. I've just finished using the buck for the year and he was sad to leave the girls, but there it is - I pay the feed bills, so I get to decide who breeds who and when. He peacefully went back to his friend and is just fine.