When is Boer Ready to Breed?

nc_mtn · #1 06/14/10, 10:50 AM

I've traded some work for 7 Boer goats. 2 bucks (one is a Nubian/Boer cross) and 2 does. The 2 girls came with a total of 3 "babies". 2 are banded and 1 little girl. They are about 2-3 months old, starting to be weaned off.
When will the ladies be bred again if I keep the Buck in with her? I'm wanting to sell the mixed guy and keep the bigger pure one. I just wanted him to be the "daddy" plus I was wanting to prepare ahead.

If left alone to run together, when can I expect more babies? Should I sell both guys and give the girls some time?

All the goats are really healthy FWIT

Alice In TX/MO · #2 06/14/10, 11:36 AM

You need to separate the bucks so don't breed the little doeling on her first cycles before she has growth on her.

The other answers depend on your own plans for your goat herd.

copperpennykids · #3 06/14/10, 11:38 AM

Ideally, you want to breed your young Boer stock at 8-10 months of age, depending on their size. 7 months is okay, but we have found we get more twins and triplets when we wait that extra month or two.

With that said, they CAN get bred as young as 4 months of age. If the doe kid is in with the buck he will breed her that young. And then you can have whole host of problems. If you want the buck to run with the big girls, pull the young weaned doe out and put her in a separate pen. The wethers can be company for her until she can return to the herd.

**mygoat** · #4 06/14/10, 12:00 PM

They can get bred MUCH younger than 4 months... though usually that would be by slightly older bucklings in the herd. I've seen posts on here about a 7 month old doeling kidding at that age.

Separate your bucks. You can either put them in with the 'of age' does during the breeding for a month, or you can hand breed (IE, put a doe visibly in heat with the buck for a few hours to breed). I prefer to hand breed so I have exact duedates, and no 'oops' breedings where the buck breaks into a doeling pen or doelings break into their dam's pen while the buck is there. With boers, some breed 2x per year but that can take some intensive feeding and management. Some argue that it shortens the doe's lifespan or even gives you fewer kids over the lifespan of the doe.

nc_mtn · #5 06/14/10, 12:56 PM

Thanks, I'm trying to decide to keep the Buck or the young doe. If I sell the young girl and keep the guy, will the "older" does be breed too early?

KimM · #6 06/14/10, 01:48 PM

I'd rest the mothers until late fall and let them recouperate for a few months.

copperpennykids · #7 06/14/10, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nc_mtn

Thanks, I'm trying to decide to keep the Buck or the young doe. If I sell the young girl and keep the guy, will the "older" does be breed too early?

Depends on your management - and the management of the farm you purchased them from.

You should probably wait to breed them - let them adjust to the new location, worm them, good minerals etc. You can safely breed them again when their kids are 3 months old, but you want to have excellent management when you do that - and for me, that means alfalfa when they are heavily bred (3-5 months bred), grain the last two months and alfalfa after they kid, so they can make lots and lots of milk for their kids.

So maybe next year you can "push for production".