Breeding Question

Blossomgapfarm · #1 12/20/07, 05:56 PM

Will a buck breed a doe not in heat?

We have a doe (Molly) in with our new buck (got him yesterday). He is not pestering her although he may have bred her last night. Yesterday he bred another doe and was "nice" to her. This afternoon we put Willow in with him and Molly. He attacked Willow - just can't think of a nicer word for it.

I did not really think she was in heat but she was hanging around his pen so I put her in. On top of her, chasing her around, figured it was fine when she tried to lay down. I grabbed her collar and held her for a couple of minutes. He bred her and I let her out of the pen. When I held her she got still and let him do the deed, so to speak.

This is my first goat breeding season so I am learning lots! This doe is 6 years old and I am wondering if she has always been held during breeding or if she just was not in heat. I am just wondering because he reacted so strongly to her.

Sher · #2 12/21/07, 10:22 AM

Not sure why the breeders on here haven't answered you..and I am definitely not a pro. But I can give you my 2 cents.

I have found many male animals seem to know, almost before the females, when they are going into heat. Could he have jumped the gun? Maybe. Are they going to be next to each other? If so, in 18-22 days, she should come back into heat. If she doesn't..he did his job well..lol.

I have seen a couple of my does lay down during what the buck thought was breeding time. I'm never sure if they're making it easier for young bucks or just "not in the mood".

Also, we pasture breed.

Hang in there. Maybe this getting bumped back to the top will generate some comments for you.

Best of luck..Sher

HazyDay · #3 12/21/07, 10:34 AM

I do belive the reason (this is mine) we are getting ready for kidding or kidding does now. This is the start to the very busy spring. I will only have 2 weeks break from milking, till I will need to watch udder again

Well anyways EVERY buck is different some won't breed unless they are in heat, others will try to breed every second of the day. So really keep them together and see.

Blossomgapfarm · #4 12/21/07, 05:02 PM

Oh, I would like to keep them together but he will not leave her alone. He has another doe in with him and has not bothered her like this. He was patient with the other doe but Willow he absolutely will CHASE her around the pen, block her into a corner and try to mount even with her on the run. This is my first breeding season and I do know that the previous owner had her for 2 years and the first season he could not tell when she was in heat so she did not get bred. Last year, he put her in a pen with a buck and 5 or 6 other does and she bred.

Today, she went and stood by his pen making eyes at him and he tried to - literally - climb out of the pen to get to her. I put her back in with him but it was a rodeo all over again. I took her out after about 10 minutes. Maybe she is just coming into heat and is not quite ready yet?

ozark_jewels · #5 12/21/07, 05:09 PM

I have actually had does whom I *had* to hold for the buck to breed. The one year I didn't, thinking that if they lived together, it would happen....she didn't get bred. Do I like this type of doe?? No, but they do rarely exist. Maybe you have one of those??
Sometimes bucks who are housed away from the does will act like this wether a doe is in heat or not, simply running on their hormones, but you say he has another doe with him and didn't treat her like that??

Blossomgapfarm · #6 12/21/07, 06:15 PM

He has had one doe in with him for 2 days now. She was mildly interested - let him mount one time while she was eating his food. Since then she would walk away, not interested at all and he was fine with that. The second doe we put in with him (and the first doe) was in heat and they flirted a while. He did the foot stomp, tongue wagging thing and bred her 3 times in about 1 hr. She hunched her back each time. The next day, I put that second doe back in with him. She allowed him to breed one time and then just danced in circles so I took her out after about 1 hr. Keep in mind the first doe had been in with him all this time.

The third doe, when I put her in, he went after her with gusto and she ran. He was as nice as a buck can be to the first 2 does but was climbing the fence to get to the third. She did let him breed her when I held her collar but was not happy with the whole experience at all. Today she was mooning by the fence, but same behavior when I put her in with him. He has been calling to her this afternoon - she is across the pasture but he looks for her.