age of breeding bucks

[coonripper]

Last year I bought my first two dairy goats. well they are a year old now. I bought a billy goat last month. He is 3 months old. At what age will he be interested in breeding and how old should my does be before i run them together? Thanks in advance

[Alice In TX/MO]

Did you buy a billy goat (meat goat)? or a buck (dairy goat)?

Dairy does normally come into heat in the fall. He'll be ready by then!

The does are old enough now, but they won't be coming into heat at this time of year. Most of us breed the does to kid about the time they have their first birthday or shortly thereafter.

If you want to know when the does will have their kids, you want to control the breeding more than by letting the buck run with the does. Keep him in an adjacent area and put each doe in when she comes into heat. Then count forward 150 days.

[coonripper]

All are dairy. Thanks

[AuntKitty]

The buckling should be ready any minute now, judging from my 3 month old Nubian boy who has been ready for over a month, but I have another buck on the place so that might be influencing him.... You don't say what breed of goats you have but the rule of thumb for Nubian does is 8 months or 80 lbs. I'm not sure about other dairy breeds. I would think if they are a year old, breeding them would be fine. There is great info on dairygoatinfo.com and fiascofarm.com on breeding age and conditioning to get them ready for breeding.

Kitty

[RedSonja]

What breed are your does? ND cycle year round, in which case your new buck will breed them any minute now.

-Sonja

[Kshobbit]

The other side of the coin; I have had Nubians bucks born in early spring that were not interested in breeding that fall. Perhaps they were just immature as they did fine the next year. I have seen an Alpine baby buck that bred everyone at 2 months so go figure.

[coonripper]

2 sannen does, 1 sannen alpine cross, 1 kiko Nubian cross. Buck is a Sannen

[coonripper]

The two oldest are the sannen and sannen alpine cross.