what is the life expectancy of a goat?

[InHisName]

I am wondering how long can I expect my dairy girls to live, and how long they will be able to have kids.

[Alice In TX/MO]

I've heard of 13 year old does carrying kids successfully, but I think that's the extreme long end of the spectrum.

[Sherry in Iowa]

My Weezie is 13 soon to be 14 and I stopped breeding her last year. She had a single buck the last time. She didn't have any problems having him..but he was extraordinarily large. She raised him to be a huge strapping boy. She was not happy about not being prego last year, and tried stealing a kid..lol.

But she doesn't owe me anything and I wanted to retire her and let her enjoy life in the best health that she can. I can see that she has failed this winter..but I love her like she was still that cute little kid.

I believe Ora was 14 when she went "home". She was not bred the last year or two. They both still cycled..with the buck across the fence!

I have a couple of nine years olds and a seven and eight year old being bred as we speak.

I assumed this was all normal..though I guess I never looked into it. Great question and I will be watching the answers on this thread.

[Hollowdweller]

The oldest goats I have ever had lived to be 14.

I don't think I've ever had one over 12 bred but I've heard of some 13 year olds kid before.

Generally past 10 the milk production starts dropping off pretty bad.

[CaliannG]

Domestic goats live to be 12-15 years old, barring accident, predator or disease. Wild goats live to be 15-20 years old, barring accident, predator, or disease. It is one of the few cases where an animal's wild brethren have a longer life expectancy, and I look forward to studies that will tell us why this is so.

The Alpine and Nubian Ibexes are where our domestic goats come from, and both tend to live past 15 years while bearing young every year. There are studies in progress on why this is so.

[mpillow]

a friend of mine has a 17 yo wether that is healthy huge blonde nubian....my milkers only seem to last about 10 years...but they have harsh winters to deal with here...

[chamoisee]

It depends on the bloodlines. Some lines age out at 8. I have seen does who were 15 and still kidding (one had had C sections for nearly all of her kiddings!!). Oldest goat I have seen was some 18 years old, a wether running more or less wild on a ranch in west Texas.