Getting a new goat

[thinkyesi]

Hi, I have a 5 month old buckling, he's very attached to me. We noticed he started showing signs of wanting a mate, so this weekend we are getting him a female. She is almost 3 years old and is in milk right now. Would they get along even with the age gap?

 

[KaylorFarms]

Yes, I think so. What kind of goats? I have two pygmys, a male and female.

 

[Zoomie]

They will "get along" all right.

The buck will breed the doe. Is that OK with you? If you leave them together all the time, he will constantly attempt to breed her any time she comes into heat. That can be pretty hard on the doe. And yes, some bucklings can successfully breed at two months, and most are quite accomplished by 6 months, no matter what age the doe is. When she goes into heat, he will breed her.

Your buckling is still young enough that you could take him to a vet and get him wethered, If you only want a couple of goats for pets, that would be my suggestion. If you are going into breeding, you will need to figure out a permanent companion for your buck, as he simply can not live with does day and night. He'll need his own pen and buddy, and I suggest he not share any fence lines with the does. I got a pygmy wether for my buck as a companion. That way he is never alone, even after breeding season is over and it's time for him to stop breeding the does. When I go to a show, I bring along the pygmy, and he stands tied next to his buddy at ringside, waiting for the buck class to be called. They are very cute together.

 

[thinkyesi]

He is a nigerian dwarf cross with pygmy and she is a nigerian dwarf cross with mytonic.

 

[thinkyesi]

Im really new to owning goats. Everyone says to seperate them. So i guess its best i do that.
So you seem to know alot about goats. Any information or heads up you can give to a goat newbie like me?
Like mating, i dont want a wether at all. I would like to start breeding goats.
For instance what if a doe gave birth to some kids, would my buck hurt the babies, do i need him seperated all times from the kids, would he be able to breed with the daughter? Or could siblings breed? I used to breed dogs, and i know you never want to breed between family lines. Are goats the same way?

 

[Zoomie]

Im really new to owning goats. Everyone says to seperate them. So i guess its best i do that.
So you seem to know alot about goats. Any information or heads up you can give to a goat newbie like me?
Like mating, i dont want a wether at all. I would like to start breeding goats.
For instance what if a doe gave birth to some kids, would my buck hurt the babies, do i need him seperated all times from the kids, would he be able to breed with the daughter? Or could siblings breed? I used to breed dogs, and i know you never want to breed between family lines. Are goats the same way?

If you are going to start breeding, plan now for what to do with all the kids: do you keep them all? Sell them? Are they for meat so they go in the freezer? etc. If you are a breeder ask yourself what you are breeding FOR. Milk? Meat? Fiber? etc. Are cross-bred goats your best bet to accomplish that goal, whatever it may be? If you want high milk production, for example, you are probably better off starting out with purebred, well known lines that are highly productive. In dairy, cross-bred goats simply mean less milk per dollar of feed put into the goat. If you are trying to breed cute pets cross-bred goats might be just the thing, although it will be hard to get them to turn out the same - they will be all different in appearance. (like breeding cross-bred or mutt dogs.)

A buck is usually just fine with kids, it's just that the does will always be pregnant. Carrying kids, and nursing kids at the same time, is really hard on the doe and hard on the kids because no one is getting enough nutrition. Plus, if you milk, your milk might pick up his "wonderful" scent, and your does will be covered in his urine which he will spray about quite freely whenever he is in rut.

You want to be careful about breeding too closely. Siblings would be breeding awfully close. Line breeding can work well if carefully thought out.

There are lots of books out there about goats and about a million sources to read on the web, so I suggest you read, read, and read some more. I wish you the best of luck in coming up with a breeding plan and having lots of fun with your goats.

 

[cassie]

Im really new to owning goats. Everyone says to seperate them. So i guess its best i do that.
So you seem to know alot about goats. Any information or heads up you can give to a goat newbie like me?
Like mating, i dont want a wether at all. I would like to start breeding goats.
For instance what if a doe gave birth to some kids, would my buck hurt the babies, do i need him seperated all times from the kids, would he be able to breed with the daughter? Or could siblings breed? I used to breed dogs, and i know you never want to breed between family lines. Are goats the same way?

One reason to separate the bucks is because he will try to breed the does right after they give birth. Something about the smell of the discharges turns him on. A doe does not need this kind of attention at this time. Another reason to separate them is because if the buck is running with the does it is harder to tell when they were bred and when to expect kids.

I am curious. Why do you want to breed them? If you want a milk supply, I can understand, otherwise, not so much. Good breeding stock is expensive. As for breeding close relatives, all livestock is about the same. If you don't know what you are doing, in most cases you are asking for trouble.

 

[thinkyesi]

Well i have a few reasons why id like to breed them. Ofcourse milk supply is a must. Both my husband and i love goats milk and it is easier on our tummies. We dont plan on selling milk, so since mixed smaller breeds dont produce as much, we find it perfect for just us two. Also we are huge animal lovers and we love to have our flocks or herds to have more than just a couple of friends for eachother. As for selling the babies, we may only sell some if we notice the herd start getting too large. But our main concern is for milk and having the animals interact with each other and have lots of playmates and friends.

 

[thinkyesi]

Ah okay thanks for the advise.

Our main concern isnt so much about looks or if they can provide lots of milk. We dont have children, so our animals are like our babies. We dont really wanna breed to sell the goats or make money off the goat, mainly just for us to enjoy the goats as pets and as our personal milk supply.

 

[cassie]

Hi, I have a 5 month old buckling, he's very attached to me. We noticed he started showing signs of wanting a mate, so this weekend we are getting him a female. She is almost 3 years old and is in milk right now. Would they get along even with the age gap?

Yes they will get along. Just so you know, getting a doe is not going to totally satisfy his urge to mate. Bucks have a one track mind. A very one track mind. I hope you have taught your boy to lead and taught him some basic manners so he is easy to handle. If you haven't already, I suggest you get a basic book on goats and goat keeping.