Marking Harness--good-bad?

[CountryHaven]

I'd like to pasture breed this fall, but I'd also like to have a good idea on dates of breeding so I know when kids are due. Have any of you ever used marking harnesses. What experiences have you had with them--good or bad. Any ideas on the pros and cons would be appreciated.

[LomahAcres]

I most always use a marking harness, then I can just let the buck in with the girls and don't have to watch for heats, which is especially nice for those "hard To Tell" girls. When a doe is marked I mark the date, works great!

Our first harness I got online from Jeffers, but then last year I was in need of a second and Jeffers was out so I got it from:
http://www.premier1supplies.com/sheep/species.php
And like theirs better. I found it easier to adjust, and the crayons were wrapped differently so it was less messy to get them in the harness.

The down sides would be the occasional lost crayon so harness has to be checked daily, Crayon changing can be messy, and blue (my color of choice) spots on the does that take a few months to come out.

[CountryHaven]

Thanks! I'll check out those links too. I was looking at the one at Hoeggers, but I like to have several options to check on. Glad to know it's been successful for you. I think it might be the way I'm going to go.

[Jcran]

Don't leave hanging when not in use; rats ate the wax out of mine! Found blue rat poo for about 2 weeks! Worked GREAT, in fact, those does with marks were the ones for whom I've got accurate kidding dates on; the rest (other two) are a crap s hoot this year!

[moosemaniac]

I have one. I was going to buy another and use different colored markers for each buck.

Ruth

[dosthouhavemilk]

I love my marking harnesses! When they fit my bucks. I've had three bucks they did not fit on.
Especially since I run 4-6 bucks. Having a harness with a different color on each of my boys is nice. When they go galavanting and breed does I know it.
I have really enjoyed having working due dates.

William was Green this year;

Rudolph Valentino-P was orange;

Della there was put in with William orignally (note all the green). Will spent too much time butting heads with Rudy and broke the string holding the fenc to the trailer. So Della went in with Rudy (notice the orange). She delivered with twins out of William, but it gave me an idea of whether Rudy had had a chance to breed her or not.
Bo was blue;

The more ways of catching heats and having due dates..the eaiser on you in the long run!
I didn't like the crayons used this year. I'm trying to track down the kind I got with two of my first harnesses that I purchased from a herd sell out.
We've used them for two years now. I won't be without them!

[Muskrat]

The only way to go.

My major problem with the harnesses is that when I get them out, I'm swamped by eager bucks demanding their harnesses so they can get in with the does.

[ozark_jewels]

One thing that needs to be mentioned here is that running two or more bucks with marking harness on, in with the same group of does, will not guarentee you knowledge of who sired who's kids. Because does can and often do concieve kids from 2 or more bucks. So you may very well find the colors mixed on her back and she may deliver kids from both bucks in five months time.

[moosemaniac]

I do keep the bucks in separate doe herds, but you never know when the fence will prove to be not as strong as you intended.

I love those technicolor photos!!!!!!!!!

Ruth

[dosthouhavemilk]

Very true Emily. I certainly didn't put Della in with Rudy. She was meant to be bred to William.
Thankfully, in this case, the potential sires were a Boer/Saanen and a Nubian. The doe is 3/4 Nubian, 1/8 LaMancha/Alpine and 1/8 Saanen. Both kids were colored Boers.

Just because a mark is put on a doe doesn't mean she conceived to that day either. French Kiss had red on her from Bo (he had two different harnesses through the 4 months we bred). Made her due the 17th. She is not that heavy bred. No signs of udder yet.

[moosemaniac]

I also only use the harness on the Boers. The dairy bucks need an appointment to see their girls.

Ruth

[dosthouhavemilk]

I did "dates" for August and September. Della's was actually a date. I'd catch the ones I thought were in heat and put them in overnight. Since I'm only at the pen 2-3 times a day and cannot see anybody from the house, the harnesses helped to let me know they were definitely in heat.
When October roles around....all bets are off and they go in for pen breeding...every buck gets his own harem. I detest April/May kiddings.....we'll not mention that my last doe is due 5/19... *sigh*

[CountryHaven]

Thanks for all that guys! I'm set on the idea of the breeding harness now for sure. I'll only have one buck so it won't be a matter of 'who' gets them... just the when. While a marked doe may not have settled, at least I'll know when she's been mounted. Perhaps after the first month, I could change crayon colors so I'll know if anyone got mounted in a following heat.

Dosthouhavemilk--what were the fitting issues you had so I know what to look out for?

Joan--I'll definately remember the pack away good so rats don't get it... however, multi-colored rat poo could be as cool looking as those multi-colored doe pics above. LOL

[HazyDay]

Originally Posted by ozark_jewels

One thing that needs to be mentioned here is that running two or more bucks with marking harness on, in with the same group of does, will not guarentee you knowledge of who sired who's kids. Because does can and often do concieve kids from 2 or more bucks. So you may very well find the colors mixed on her back and she may deliver kids from both bucks in five months time.

Very true, my friend's Alpine has 2 bucks 1 with 100% alpine ears and the other with Airplane ears! She was bred by a nubian and then 1 hour later the alpine! So it happens!
I also seen some one say they are only for boers! yea! our nubian girls have to go on dates! This breeding season im breeding on our land not 1 hour away! But our boers may be on dates with the nubian (spirit!) he will be only 9 months when he has his big test! 4 nubians and 3 boers ! And maybe this springs kids of they are big!

[dosthouhavemilk]

Mostly bucks that were not big enough in the chest to handle the harness. I had a yearling Nubian buck who was terribly narrow chested. The harness simply did not sit well on him. Goliath was just too young and small for the harness to fit.
Rudy there has had issues in the past. Again, a narrower chest than is really needed. He would get the harness twisted around himself. You need to just keep an eye on it.
Another note. Try and get the harnesses that do not have the plastic snaps. Once they get buck uhhh....well, once the bucks have sprayed them down pretty well the ones where you adjust the buckle snaps are just about impossible to adjust.
I like those blue ones the best. Here is a photo of it laid out;

[CountryHaven]

Thanks for the great tips Roseanna!