how long and how many times can a doe be bred?

dm9960 · #1 01/06/10, 12:31 PM

We were just talking to a guy that said that after having a couple heats a doe will stop having heats if she doesnt get pregnant? Does this make any sense?
How old can a doe be and still be safely bred? how young? how many heats should she have between being bred?

this guy also said its ok to keep a billie with the does all the time, the only reason to keep them separated is to control the breeding.

**mygoat** · #2 01/06/10, 12:47 PM

Some breeds are seasonal breeders, and will only have heats starting fall and into early winter, because they want spring kids. While some breeds tend more towards seasonal breeding, individuals will vary a LOT.

How old a doe can be bred depends on her individually. I know many well maintained does who are still breeding at 8. I have one myself that I just bred the other day, who is 8 years old. I've heard of breeding does until 11 or older. It all depends on soundness.

For full size dairy does, the rule is 8 months or 80 lbs. It is generally the rule to wait until 8 months to breed a doe for the first time. Yes, there are younger that have made it through their first kidding alright, but it is risky.

You can keep a BUCK with does all the time, but depending on your herd plans it is usually not recommended. First, you never know when to expect kids. If you have dairy does you don't want them breeding 2x per year, and the buck odor supposedly can cause the milk to taste strong. Also doelings CAN be bred at a very young age (3 months or YOUNGER) so you'd either have to wean at a young age of about 8 weeks and raise doelings separate until 8 months (though most prefer to wean at 12 weeks), or pull all doelings and bottle raise.

Hand breeding is not difficult, especially if you keep your does right next door to your buck so you can see them flirting together, then just throw them together for a few successful breedings, then separate out again. You then have an exact date to expect kids and don't have to worry about the issues with keeping a buck with does 24/7.

momagoat61 · #3 01/06/10, 12:59 PM

Hello
I'll chime in on this one, and answer what I know from over the years. I have a doe that will be 15 march 16th of this year. She was born at my place and has never been bred, her name is baby girl and she just went out of heat last week and hasn't missed a heat cycle her intire life. I bred her full sister when she was 5 and she had a single doe kid and she hasn't missed a heat cycle her intire life either. I have a friend that raises nubians and she has some does that are still having kids at 10 to 12 years old. It really depends on the doe and how will she has done over the years with raising kids. All 11 of my goats are pets and I don't sell or make any type of living from mine. All i do is spoil mine

DQ · #4 01/06/10, 01:33 PM

my does cycle on through january or until I get them bred ..........or the bucks get out and do it without my consent!

Backfourty,MI. · #5 01/06/10, 02:38 PM

I have Nigerian Dwarf goats which are year around breeders. Mine will come in heat every single month when not bred all year long.

I think I read you got some Pygmies? They are also year around breeders & will come in heat every month.

I do not keep my Buck with the girls. He has a wethered Buddy & they are penned seperate. Like MyGoat said above, I like to have a due date when the doe's are to kid & I just don't want to take the chance that my buck is going to harm my doe's or the kids while delivering or after. Besides he would litterally drive my girls nuts all year long, bred or not.

saanengirl · #6 01/06/10, 05:24 PM

My parents had one doe who had to be bred on her first cycle each year or she wouldn't settle. She had hormonal problems though, and is the exception rather than the rule. She exhibited bucky behavior, but certainly was not a hermaphrodite since she gave them at least two sets of triplets and was an excellent producer. All the other goats I have had start cycling in late September/early October and cycle through January or February. I have not successfully bred on past the end of February, but have had several July kids from February breedings.

Does can be bred as long as they are healthy and carrying sufficient flesh to maintain the extra stress of bearing kids. For some does this is eight years, for others it is ten or more years.

dm9960 · #7 01/06/10, 06:16 PM

thank you everyone for your answers. I have pygmies. I think my 2 year old is bred, got her a month ago, so she would've been bred before then, she also has a tummy on her and her udder seems a bit developed. another question is that if it is not her first time, will she get bigger sooner? is it different every time?

**mygoat** · #8 01/06/10, 08:21 PM

Are you talking udder, or belly size? Udders in a non-dairy breed will stay approximately the same... Though they will produce slightly more milk if they are carrying triplets than if they are carrying a single. As for belly size, it supposedly varies with number of kids - but I've had HUGE does have twins and barely preggo appearing does have twins. It depends on the doe AND how many she's carrying.

saanengirl · #9 01/07/10, 07:34 AM

Belly size is also related to things that have nothing to do with pregnancy such as the size and contents of the rumen, the strength of the abdominal muscles, and the age of the goat. There are goats that are not pregnant that have huge bellies, and goats that are pregnant that don't.

Does that have kidded previously may start uddering a month (or more) before they kid--or they may start uddering the day before. It depends on the individual.

In my opinion, the most reliable physiological indicator of pregnancy (other than a blood test or ultrasound) is the size and shape of the vulva. By the time a doe is 2.5-3 months pregnant her vulva typically has doubled or tripled in size and becomes soft and puffy. As with everything else there are does that are exceptions to the rule, but most does will show those changes before you can see a difference in her ligaments or anything else.

goatkid · #10 01/07/10, 10:18 AM

Regarding heats, goats will have more vocal heats earlier in the breeding serason and silent heats later on. They can and will take this time of year, but you may need to run her with the buck to be sure she's bred.
The best way to know if a goat is bred is to have a blood test sent to BioTracking. Belly size can vary from goat to goat and from pregnancy to pregnancy. Same with udder development, though my goat's udders will fill significantly 6-24 hours before they kid.