Breeding

[Willowynd]

OK, the lady I got my nubian doelings from said not to breed them until 2 yrs old. Everything I am reading says when they reach 70-80 lbs and before a year. Well, the gals are now a year old as of last month and the boer doe is a couple months older. They are all nice and rounded- and I would be shocked if they were not at least 80 lbs. So should I breed them when they come in? I see that nubians are seasonal breeders and boers are not. When would be the ideal time to breed them? I was thinking of breeding at least 2 if not all 3 at close to the same time and letting the boer doe raise the nubian babies. I only have 2 stalls though as when I built my barn, I decided to add a milking room.....so only room for 2 stalls.
I will need to find a buck to take the nubians to unless I take them to a boer buck....which is not out of the question as my thought was to grow out the kids for meat and the nubians are not registered anyways. But I could also sell the kids. If I do decide to take the nubians to a nubian buck...how do I go about finding a stud? Thoughts?

[Alice In TX/MO]

You are getting close to the end of breeding season for seasonal breeders. Get a buck tomorrow! Ask the person you got those goats from for contacts. Ask at the feed store.

You don't need a bunch of stalls. My goats never stay in the barn unless it's raining.

[Willowynd]

the person I got the girls from told me to wait until they were 2 yrs old....so doubt they would be willing to tell me where to get stud service now. If worse comes to worse, I can use a boer buck on them- the person I got the boer doling from is not far.

[thaiblue12]

The Boer is not going to raise someone else's babies. If you want milk from your Nubians you either pull the kids at birth and bottle them time consuming and they will drink most of the milk. Or you allow them to raise their own kids, once they get a bit older separate them at night, milk mom in the morning and then leave the kids with her all day. This works well if you do not want to milk twice a day and bottle feed kids.

Not everyone will want mixed kids as home milkers as Boers tend to dry up at 5 months. So any kids from that breeding might go for less. I bet you can find a someone around you with a dairy buck. Even if it is not a Nubian, but say a LaMancha or Alpine etc.
I would try to find one sooner than later as late Summer heat can be a bit harder on heavy pregnant does. They also will stop coming into season by March.

[motdaugrnds]

She may have told you 2 yrs because of concern for the size of the kids. If I have understood you correctly, your does are Nubians and you are considering breeding them to Boer bucks? It is my understanding the Boer kids are somewhat larger than Nubian kids at birth. (I may be wrong, but you might want to ask that party "why" she suggested you not breed until 2 yrs of age.)

[Willowynd]

Motdaugrnds- I doubt it was for size...the gals won blue ribbons at the 4H fair and I did not get them until they were already 7-8 mo old. She said they needed time to mature?

I was told by someone in my state that bucks are starting to go out of rutt right now. Would it be bad to wait till time?

[Willowynd]

TB...OK, I did not realize I could leave the babies with mom's and still milk her. That sounds like a great plan! At what age would you separate them?

[Oat Bucket Farm]

You can probably still find a dairy buck more than willing to do the deed.

[KSALguy]

if you wait to long to breed a milk doe or ANY doe for that matter she will not produce as well for you, they put too much effort into putting on body fat and not into makeing milk, its hard to get them out of that habbit once they start, people that want to wait till 2 years are not real dairy people, breed these does NOW, even a boer buck, you can always put them on the freezer camp bus,

[Alice In TX/MO]

They build up fat inside if you wait. The fat interferes with fertility.

Get a buck. Now.

[thaiblue12]

Two to four weeks old. Depends on if they have started eating hay, pellets and etc.
If they have started eating that, take some hay and feed, put it in a stall at night with the kids, I put all kids together as they like the company. Milk the moms in the morning but do not milk them dry, save some for the kids, then let the kids out all day with their moms, they will drink all day. They are all day sippers, they do not drink ounces and ounces at a time unless they are bottle fed.
At first the moms and kids will protest but they will learn the routine and stop yelling after a few days. You can wean them ( maybe ) at around 4 months old but then you will have to milk twice a day, or you can continue to do the above. If you plan on selling all the kids wait till they are 3-4 months old, then you will have to milk moms twice a day. If you are planning on keep some you will have to continue to do the above since the kids will keep nursing. I have had dairy does who let their kids nurse even at a year old, when they are almost as big as mom and practically knock her down hitting her udder Teat tape as far as I am concerned does not work. Kids get that off in mins.
The Boer will most likely dry up at 5 months they wean their kids by drying up.

[Willowynd]

OK, will continue looking for a BF for these gals. Thanks!

[Willowynd]

Found some bucks! Will be taking the girls tommorrow if I can figure out how to transport them. I would rather not put them in the cab of my truck. I don't think they will fit into a 36 long kennel now either. Suggestion?

[pygmybabies]

You might be surprised they might fit in the kennel, take it out to them and see if you can get them to fit, I have transported several that way. Some I held in back of pickup but it is too cold for that now, and I didnt have far to go. Do you have far to go?

[Willowynd]

Its about a 30 min drive. I called uhaul...only $14.99 to rent a 4 by 8 trailer, so will pick it up when I go to Ft Wayne for work tommorrow and bring it back the following day as I have to go back to Ft wayne for work then too. Was cheaper than keeping it for a few hours and dropping it off in the town that I am getting the girls bred at.

[Oat Bucket Farm]

Congrats on finding a buck for your girls!

[SherrieC]

Wow, that's cheap!!
The lady probably told you to wait two years either because
Her lines take two years to mature well, or her concern with you being a new goat owner.
I tell a lot of folks the same thing, it depends on how often they will comunicate with you and listen to feeding advise.
Or it could be just what she knows to do. So many people learn one way and stick with it.

Darn it on your finding a buck!! I still have a buck for sale! : ) And I'm in Indiana!

[SherrieC]

Oh Fort wayne, I didn't realize you were so close to me.
I bought a white factored tri color rough collie about 19 years ago in the Fort Wayne area. From a Lady my father worked with at the time. She also worked for a time at the pet store, has a special needs daughter I'm sure she still raised collies. You wouldn't be her or know her would ya? I love collies, I think I'll have another someday. (Sorry for the hijack)

[Willowynd]

Well, wound up not being able to rent the trailer...my geese I used to have chewed up my trailer light wiring harness grrr! So would have cost me more than I wanted to spend right now. The buck owner did come and pick them up though- so they are gone for a month.
Could have been either reason...I am trying to learn as much as I can- have already learned alot just owning them. I think this buck owner will be an excellent resource. He is going to teach me to trim hooves and said any questions feel free to ask. He teaches 4Her's. I bet the lady you got your collies from is Claudia- Revwood collies. We are freinds I met her when I bought a collie off of her many years ago when I was looking into getting into showing...though had to return her because her bite went off. She co-owns a normal eyed boy from me.