separating buckling?

[colemangirly]

Okay, now I know most people separate their bucklings from 8-10 weeks. I understand that you still need to give them a bottle or let them nurse a couple times a day. I understand that the bucks will try to ride about everything they can from a few days old, but I heard that as long as you don't see the pink penis, everything is okay.

All right, my little buckling has been riding everything, like normal. I have never seen the pink penis when he does it. However, this morning after milking I noticed that when he peed I could see pink. Then he stretched around to sniff himself, and then more pink. Now he wasn't riding anyone, but still. He is only 6 weeks. Should I go ahead and separate him? Or is it still to early, even though I saw quite a bit of penis out of the sheath?

I don't want to separate him too early, however, I don't want him breeding all the little does either. I don't worry about the does as I don't think he can reach more than their hocks and he dosen't ride them when they lie down. Mostly when they are all eating and their buts are right at eye level.

Any input?

[Alice In TX/MO]

If he's a bottle baby, I'd get him out of there for sure. If he's dam raised, move him and mom to a new pen.

[thaiblue12]

You can separate him as long as he has a friend close in age and size to be with or else he will be lonely and cry. But mine is not even a month old and he has unsheated his a few times. I am nto worrying he is going to impreganate anyone at this age and size.
He has humped only my daughter's little dog since that is all he can reach My bottle girls are all older and bigger and beat the snot out of him if he tries it on them.
He has taken it out not while humping but just standing there.
I normally do not bottle bucklings so I am not that up close and personally with their penis habits. So maybe they just like to get some air

[colemangirly]

Well, he is humping everything his dam, the other adult doe, a month older doe and another wether. The little doeling just runs away, except when they are eating. I don't see the penis when he is humping, just this morning when he was peeing. I definately don't pen them up together at night when I separate them from the dams, and all during the day when they are out at pasture, I don't see him do it at all. Just during morning and evening feed, when they are all together.

I thank everyone for their input;
Tadpole Acres

[dosthouhavemilk]

Even wethers will expose themselves to a certain length. The concern is when the skin tears finally and he is capable of fully unsheathing. Before that full penetration is not possible. It is why we have an intact Boer buck that is a dud. He never tore, so he is incapable of full extension. Thus, incapable of breeding. In the example of our buck, it is genetic. He makes a fabulous teaser buck though. He still sprays (just doesn't hit his legs much) and it still quite bucky and full of testoterone, he just cannot complete the job when mounting.
I don't worry much before 8-10 weeks but we do keep a close eye on them when they are mounting doelings around that age.

[Backfourty,MI.]

I really don't think he can do much more than act like Big stuff at 6 weeks of age. Beside your young doeling at 6 weeks of age aren't going to come in heat that young either. I don't worry much about them being able to actual do anything much before 10 weeks of age.

I've even seen 2 doeling hump each other before too, I think it's a goat thing.

[colemangirly]

Well the doeling is about 10 weeks, but I don't think he is accomplishing anything either. I was just wondering. Like I said, he only does it when they are all standing still eating. When they are eating in the pasture, he is too busy eating and jumping around on the stumps. The mamma does just ignore him, the wether runs him off, only the doeling deals with him. Sometimes she just stands there and ignores him, sometimes she runs off and jumps up on the huts where he can't get to her. Everyone is getting annoyed with him. He has stared blubbering and foot stamping and it is almost comical if it wasn't a serious situation.

[mekasmom]

Originally Posted by thaiblue12

He has humped only my daughter's little dog since that is all he can reach My bottle girls are all older and bigger and beat the snot out of him if he tries it on them.

I have had them do that while they were still in the house being bottle fed too. They are really sweet little things until about 3 1/2 or 4wks, then they discover their equipment. After that first 3wks, it's time to go out and live in the goat shed like big boys no matter how often you get butted or how cold it is. But, rest assured, I have never seen a young buckling impregnate a female. They have to be 5-6+mo old.

[julieq]

Originally Posted by Alice In TX/MO

If he's a bottle baby, I'd get him out of there for sure. If he's dam raised, move him and mom to a new pen.

Agree with Alice here. It isn't worth the risk of an unintended breeding, nor a young doeling getting bred too early. Our current bottle buckling is being babysat by one of our gentle older bucks, he's definitely not around the does.

[Heritagefarm]

I don't separate the bucklings. They never have fit through the cream separators...





We separate ours at 3-4 months.

[Pony]

Originally Posted by Heritagefarm

I don't separate the bucklings. They never have fit through the cream separators...





We separate ours at 3-4 months.

LOL!

My little guy isn't riding anything.

Just about ready to separate him, though, as he's about 4 months old.

[pookshollow]

But, rest assured, I have never seen a young buckling impregnate a female. They have to be 5-6+mo old.

I beg to differ! I had twin doelings born and the only buck in with their mother, at the time she was bred, was a 10 week old buckling.