Newbie 'goat intimacy' question..

QoTL · #1 10/26/08, 06:55 PM

Without getting into too much detail here, and exposing how dumb I was today...

will a goat who is not in standing heat still accept a buck?

(and to set your minds at ease, this particular girl is on the elderly side- the only reason I did not want her bred. She carried and delivered a healthy baby in the spring by herself)

Meghan

Alice In TX/MO · #2 10/26/08, 09:58 PM

I had a mare once who would take a stallion ANY time. Dunno if it happens with goats or not.

Shazza · #3 10/27/08, 01:39 AM

I would say NO.

KSALguy · #4 10/27/08, 02:28 AM

the only reason a female mamal accepts breeding (out side of humans and some primates) is because her ovulation has occurd or is about to and she needs to accept the male to concieve,

in the case with the rare female that will accept a male at any time (i have heard of a couple mares and cows that have done this) it is often a hormonal issue and often a systic ovary or something problematic like that,

how old is the goat in question? what kind of condition is she in? is she healthy? does her udder still work well? has she been bred regularly throughout her productive life?

goats are able to breed if well cared for and in good condition for a very long time, infact some does that have worked their whole life and are faced with retierment will eather try and steel another does kids or pine away for her own,

kinda like some people when they retire and dont stay active they just give up the goast and go on,

Shazza · #5 10/27/08, 04:08 AM

You forgot Dolphins...they also just do it for fun.

crazygoatgal · #6 10/27/08, 08:01 AM

My does won't accept a male unless they are really ready. And last year they wouldn't accept my young buck that I had high hopes for because he was young and didn't "smell" right. You know, that disgusting buck pee and musk smell? He only got to breed two of my girls, but this year is a different story. He is getting all the action!!!! Go Opie!!

QoTL · #7 10/27/08, 08:13 AM

Thanks guys!

Not too sure on the age of the goat, although she is missing all her front teeth, and generally looks 'old'. Someone on here said she looked overbred.. lol. Her poor udder is flat and tired looking, still hanging a bit despite having weaned her last kid four months ago. I haven't owned her that long, so I couldn't say if she was bred regularly or not. When I purchased her (4 months ago) her doeling was still on her. I brought her home, but not baby. She didn't seem to pine for the baby at all, or even miss her, but this goat had obviously been moved around a lot and was just generally a sad girl. (and I had to struggle to even get her to leave the goat yard for the first 3.5 months, since I am convinced she thought I was loading her up and bringing her somewhere else). My other goat is just being bred now, so no kids born here yet, so not sure how strong her maternal instinct is.

She wasn't even interested in the buck to be honest. She was completely ignoring him. The closest I've seen to a heat sign on her was a tiny bit of clear discharge, and there was none of that yesterday when this incident occured. It was more like she couldn't be bothered to run away, so he did his thing while she was thinking about something else lol! I seperated them immediately (thinking I was probably too late), and he continued to flirt with her through the barn door, but she either lowered her head in a warning manner, or ignored him altogether.

Cared for well all her life- no way. She wasn't. She was a rescue for us, and her sole purpose for being here is as a companion to our other doe. She was in very poor shape when she got here, thin, horrid coat, wormy and lice ridden. She is clean and shiny now, nice thick winter coat coming in. She looks like a completely different animal.

It is possible she has a cyst of some sort on her ovary. I hadn't considered that. Thanks!

Rose- thanks! LOL! I think some animals do enjoy it. I had a cat that, despite being neutered, still mounted other cats. It certainly didn't hurt his sex drive any.

Shazza- I'm afraid you are right.. arg. It's not the end of the world, I would just hate to lose this poor old gal (who is so very sweet) due to age-related kidding complications. Her personality is identical to my choc lab girl. Calm, sweet, and loving. She's rarely pushy (only over grain

), likes to lick my fingers. She really reminds me of a dog. My kids adore her, and we'd like to keep her around for as long as we can.

Well, on the off chance she isn't (I can hope!) I'm keeping her seperated. ARG. Darn newbie mistakes!!!

Meghan

Shazza · #8 10/27/08, 08:17 AM

I bred my old Saanen doe one time too many as she died a few weeks after giving birth to her twin doe kids. The poor thing put everything into her babies.

crazygoatgal · #9 10/27/08, 08:27 AM

QoTL-- Can you tell us where you got that goat from? There is a farm in Maine who is selling CL positive goats and isn't telling the buyers that they are positive. A poor guy in the NE area of Vermont got suckered in my these people and now has to destroy his 3 goats that he bought from them. These are Nigerians.

Tallabred · #10 10/27/08, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shazza

You forgot Dolphins...they also just do it for fun.

My friend and I found that out when we went swimming with them down in the keys. It was that time of the month for my friend and the two male dolphins wouldn't leave her alone. They would pair up under her, float her above the water surface and then roll. She did not get hurt - only very dizzy!

Luckily bucks only like does

QoTL · #11 10/27/08, 10:23 AM

I bought my goat in the Augusta/Belgrade area. It wasn't really a farm. They keep a herd of goats, some chickens. That was it. The husband was a contractor of some sort. I have no reason to disbelieve the story they gave me regarding the few goats they were selling, although I'm shocked that they didn't do more for this particular girl in the short time they had her. Their other goats looked sleek and healthy (the one I brought home they said they had gotten from someone else, and that she was a rescue for them, too, but that they didn't want to keep her)

She is an ND though.. so that makes me nervous.... I have looked her over very thoroughly (and did also before I brought her home), and didn't see anything that would make me think she had CL.. and believe me, I could see her skin easily through her hair at that point. I also spend a ton of time with my girls, and would have noticed if she had any lumps, although again she's only been here a short time.

I do have a more experienced goat keeping friend who has given me the name of a vet that, although she's quite a distance, is close enough to have her run some testing, so I plan to have my girls tested for a number of things as soon as I have the money. Regardless, she's here, so she stays. So far none of the goats that have come on property have left (which includes the buck we brought home.. lol.. which apparently is ours now to keep/butcher). Everyone will be tested before I sell any from here (actually, first babies get to stay anyway, since my herd is so tiny to begin with)

Meghan

crazygoatgal · #12 10/27/08, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tallabred

My friend and I found that out when we went swimming with them down in the keys. It was that time of the month for my friend and the two male dolphins wouldn't leave her alone. They would pair up under her, float her above the water surface and then roll. She did not get hurt - only very dizzy!

Luckily bucks only like does

That is so funny! Your poor friend. Did you guys know what was going on at the time or were you clueless? What an experience!!

Tallabred · #13 10/28/08, 12:42 PM

We had no idea until the guy supervising the swim had her get out - actually he had the dolphins bring her to him - and then told her why they would be acting that way - very embarrassed young guy

She was having a great time. The dolphins brought her right up onto the platform. It was really cool.

crazygoatgal · #14 10/31/08, 09:51 AM

QoTL-- the farm in question is in Skohegan ( I think I spelled it right). They really devastated this family. They have young children and the 6 year old daughter has had many heart surgeries and now this. That farm should be closed down and everyone should know who they are. If I knew more than what town they are in, I would tell you. Nice to know you are not one of their victims.

QoTL · #15 10/31/08, 10:51 AM

Crazygoatgal-

That's just heartbreaking! I honestly don't know why anyone would do that, especially in that situation!

I have not as yet tested my goats, but I will certainly do so should I be selling to people! Dishonesty makes me angry! Jeez even when I 'borrowed' our buckling (now ours lol) I told the lady I hadn't tested long before we picked him up (even though I had researched it and seen that the risk he would contract CAE was very very small, and at this point I have no reason to suspect CL in my tiny herd). Why would I want to expose anyone else's animals to a disease? Why would I send home potentially diseased animals into a healthy herd? I wouldn't do it. It's not ethical at all!

The folks that sold me the goat I referred to in this thread were upfront with me- they told me they thought she had lice, her hooves needed trimming, and they had no history on her. Sadly, now that I have more info, I wonder why she was mixed in with their own herd, but hopefully we all got lucky and she is clean. I certainly appreciate the information they shared with me, and hopefully no one who reads this thread thinks that is not the case. It took me about 2 months to have her looking sleek and glossy, add an extra month for really good hoof trimiming (they were awful) and you have the animal she is now. They had her for two months prior to me purchasing her, which is why I'm a little shocked they didn't delice her. They had already started her hooves though, so she wasn't ignored. Actually- I couldn't ask for a better girl. She is incredibly friendly, the kids love her. She's not pushy and hasn't knocked anyone (including my four year old) down though. She'd be a perfect petting zoo goat- calm and sweet. Regardless of the condition she was in when I bought her, I think I got a heck of a deal.

I hope the farm at least compensated that family- although no amount of money can fix broken hearts.

Meghan

crazygoatgal · #16 10/31/08, 10:59 AM

I haven't heard if they were able to get any compensation, but if the farm lied to them to begin with, then I am fairly confident that they won't stand behind the sale. What a shame. Makes me appreciate the people that I have dealt with and makes me very grateful for the healthy animals that I have and can say with pride and confidence that I have a healthy herd and never had any disease in my animals. What could be better.