My breeding plans gone awry

ozark_jewels · #1 08/22/08, 09:35 AM

Well here I sit reaking of buck, sticky with buck urine and feeling utterly defeated.

Most of my herd was lined up to be bred to my three Junior herdsires. Two February Nubian bucklings and one March Lamancha buckling. They have all been exercising, stretching and peeing on themselves for a month at least.

So a few days ago I put the Lamancha in with a visiting doe so he could bring her in heat. This guy knows what its all about and I have no doubt that he got her bred yesterday.

Yesterday Peppercorn came in heat so I put she and Camaro(one of the Nubian bucklings) in the breeding pen together. He is absolutely clueless. Didn't smell her, didn't even check her out and she didn't like him at all. I left them together all night and this morning I could all but swear that he didn't touch her at all. She is still in heat this morning but I can't breed her to another buck just in case Camaro did get her. But I am sure he did not. He is completely contented now back in his own pen.

This morning Bess is in heat. She is lined up to be bred to Eric(the other Nubian buckling). He didn't know what to do with her, even though he has always been very bucky and reaks to the heavens. She hated him and I was afraid she would intimidate him into being afraid of does in general. After leaving them together for a couple hours, he just yelled the whole time for me to let him out, I took her out and bred her to Copper Hill Little Buddy, my 5 year old buck. He had her bred in about 5 minutes.

I think I am going to have to end up having to breed all my mature does to my mature bucks and only covering my later-bred doelings with the young bucks. But maybe they will feel like it next month.........

Anyone got any tips on getting a couple of extremely masculine stinky bucklings to get a clue??? They are simply not interested at all.

My breeding program is already starting a month later than I like. I cannot afford to wait for these two little guys. If they cannot do the job on the does first heat, the doe must go to another buck.

Frustration, frustration!!

I have *never* had a buckling who couldn't get the job done when they were left overnight with the doe!

RiverPines · #2 08/22/08, 09:58 AM

Are you sure the does are actually in 'standing heat'?
The beginning of the cycle seems like they are ready but it takes a little time before they are actually receptive and bucks will know if they are or not.
I would keep trying as they may just need more time to become receptive.
Heat has its beginning, then its standing faze when they doe is receptive and will except a buck, then the go out after that.

reicheru · #3 08/22/08, 10:01 AM

Bugsy and Scarlet did that to me in April. Bugs bred Gypsy, but Scarlet bullied him to the point where he really didn't want anything to do with Scarlet or the other does [which worked out better for me, looking back]. Even in heat, Scarlet tried to beat the snot out of him. She was like this with everyone except her sister, Gypsy. After a couple months living in 'The Bachelor Pad' with my miniature horse, I put Princess in with him and once he realized that she wasn't going to eat him, he was all over her. He did eventually breed Scarlet, but only because I held her to keep her from making a wether out of him. Scarlet isn't nearly as brutal with the others as she used to be.

My theory is that some bucks just don't mentally mature as soon as others, even though, physically they're there?

6e · #4 08/22/08, 10:01 AM

You know, we had a junior Alpine buckling that didn't act like he could give a twit about the does..............until we brought in the older buck. Now all of a sudden there's some competition there and now all of a sudden he gets it and he's interested, if for no other reason then to keep the older buck from getting any I guess. LOL I figured this year was a lost cause for the younger buckling, but perhaps not. We use to use that technique a lot with our rams dealing with young inexperienced rams. But we had harnesses and crayons on them so I knew just who got who and wrote it all down. Sure worked to get the young rams going.

deafgoatlady · #5 08/22/08, 10:20 AM

OH my goodness!!! I remember last year. My buck didnt do anything. SO I can TEACH him. I use the stick and make him follow it and smell the girls's rear. U know. Then he finally clicked and did his job!. OH MAN. I feel bad for you!!

ozark_jewels · #6 08/22/08, 10:38 AM

Oh yes, they are in true heat.

Lack of competition isn't the problem either. I have 6 mature bucks in the pen next to these guys and they get to watch the other breedings as well.

They do all the posturing but thats all it is.....posturing!

I just built a breeding pen in the front yard out of sight of everyone else. Since the leaving them in the pen in the barn didn't work lastnight, we'll try this pen. Peppercorn and Camaro are both in there yelling to be let out.

So much for true love!!

6e · #7 08/22/08, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ozark_jewels

Oh yes, they are in true heat.

Lack of competition isn't the problem either. I have 6 mature bucks in the pen next to these guys and they get to watch the other breedings as well.

They do all the posturing but thats all it is.....posturing!

I just built a breeding pen in the front yard out of sight of everyone else. Since the leaving them in the pen in the barn didn't work lastnight, we'll try this pen. Peppercorn and Camaro are both in there yelling to be let out.

So much for true love!!

LOL

Such is life. Maybe they're just late bloomers.

Although, this older buck was in a pen next door too, but that's not the same as actually having him smelling "YOUR" girls and getting butted around a bit. LOL

Maybe they'll get more interested a little later on this fall.

Good luck!

thaiblue12 · #8 08/22/08, 10:45 AM

I have a total newbie suggestion. What if you pen your two bucklings right next to your older guy servicing a doe? Maybe seeing, smelling, and etc will help them on their way and it will not interfere with the actual breeding of the doe.

You posted when I was typing so my idea is not the right one either. I got nothing, lol. I hope they get a clue soon.

ozark_jewels · #9 08/22/08, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thaiblue12

I have a total newbie suggestion. What if you pen your two bucklings right next to your older guy servicing a doe? Maybe seeing, smelling, and etc will help them on their way and it will not interfere with the actual breeding of the doe.
You posted when I was typing so my idea is not the right one either. I got nothing, lol. I hope they get a clue soon.

Yes, thats a really great idea but I'm already using it. Thanks anyway.

ozark_jewels · #10 08/22/08, 10:52 AM

On a good note, Cherry was bred to Junior today and Boris and Jill(Pyrenees) are breeding too! I've been waiting for her to come in heat again as I had requests for two pups.

mylala · #11 08/22/08, 11:32 AM

I'm new to this...so how do you tell that they didn't breed sometime in the night?

coso · #12 08/22/08, 11:43 AM

Emily, You just need to switch totally to Lamanchas

yarrow · #13 08/22/08, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ozark_jewels

This morning Bess is in heat. She is lined up to be bred to Eric(the other Nubian buckling). He didn't know what to do with her, even though he has always been very bucky and reaks to the heavens. She hated him and I was afraid she would intimidate him into being afraid of does in general. After leaving them together for a couple hours, he just yelled the whole time for me to let him out, I took her out and bred her to Copper Hill Little Buddy, my 5 year old buck. He had her bred in about 5 minutes.

When I saw you were planning on using Eric this year, I was thinking " I must have let you have the BUCK-IER boy! LOL. There is NO WAY Hobbs is ready to breed any of the girls.. MAYBE, in another month or two...but right now, he's just a young, dumb little boy. I have a doeling (that will be a year old right after the first of the year) I've been hoping he'd be *man enough* to breed just her, this fall! I can't even imagine what my older girls would do to him LOL. (maybe traumatize him for life! LOL) Well, hopefully both you young guys will figure things out.
susie, mo ozarks

ozark_jewels · #14 08/22/08, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mylala

I'm new to this...so how do you tell that they didn't breed sometime in the night?

You can't always be sure......but usually there are signs. Slime over their backend, messy tail, buck gunk all down their sides, etc.
But even though there was none of this, I can't be sure which is why I am not allowing another buck to breed her today. If I did, I would have to DNA the kids to find out who the sire was.

ozark_jewels · #15 08/22/08, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coso

Emily, You just need to switch totally to Lamanchas

Dream on!!

I *love* my Lamanchas but I can't imagine not having any of the breed that I first fell in love with. I do believe I will always have Nubians. I've bred using bucklings every other year; this is the first year I've had "immature", mature bucklings.

ozark_jewels · #16 08/22/08, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yarrow

When I saw you were planning on using Eric this year, I was thinking " I must have let you have the BUCK-IER boy! LOL. There is NO WAY Hobbs is ready to breed any of the girls.. MAYBE, in another month or two...but right now, he's just a young, dumb little boy. I have a doeling (that will be a year old right after the first of the year) I've been hoping he'd be *man enough* to breed just her, this fall! I can't even imagine what my older girls would do to him LOL. (maybe traumatize him for life! LOL) Well, hopefully both you young guys will figure things out.
susie, mo ozarks

Eric has been the stinkiest little twerp for a month now. Terrorizing his pen mates and totally being the little breeding machine in his own mind.......but ask him to do the real thing and he deflates like a balloon!LOL!! These two are actually the only two bucklings I've ever had who weren't ready to breed at six months.

I just moved he and Camaro into the young Boer bucks pen. That sandwiches them in between the adult bucks and the doelings who are heavily flagging. Also the adult doe pen is against their pen at the bottom. And the Boer is in heavy rutt and already breeding. Think maybe this will push them into maturing some.

cjb · #17 08/22/08, 12:29 PM

Watch for signs such as preoccupation with how the milk room is arranged, baahhing show tunes, worrying about their weight and glancing with envy at the does' teats. Maybe they're gay?

mylala · #18 08/22/08, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ozark_jewels

You can't always be sure......but usually there are signs. Slime over their backend, messy tail, buck gunk all down their sides, etc.
But even though there was none of this, I can't be sure which is why I am not allowing another buck to breed her today. If I did, I would have to DNA the kids to find out who the sire was.

Thanks! Mine have been making nice all over each other, but I haven't seen them do the deed. So I am not sure they have yet. Now I can keep an eye out for what you listed.

Here's another question...Do they do it multiple times while she is receptive or is it a one and done? Thanks

LaManchaPaul · #19 08/22/08, 01:14 PM

CJB, LOL However, I declare that we had a fake-gay rooster four years ago. He clucked like a hen and cooed the yard rooster. However, when the yard rooster was occupied elsewhere he'd plug a hen. AND there are human witnesses!!

Coso, I have a borrowed young LaManacha buck here with my two does...he is clueless also!! waiting and waiting and ....

Paul

KimM · #20 08/22/08, 01:17 PM

I was checking does the other day with my 5 month old Boer buck who's head is just starting to stink. He didn't seem interested either and none of the does were in heat anyway but once one peed and he got some on his nose, he got more and more interested. Maybe you could rub some doe-in-heat-urine on their noses. Maybe the hormone scents will arouse them.