Does in heat but not standing...

[gabbyraja]

We brought home a buck about a week ago. He immediately seemed to be "terrorizing" the does. They were very nervous and ran from him right away. Next day 1doe was in heat. She would sniff him, squat and pee in front of him, swish her tail in his face, etc. he would get up, even get inserted, but she would walk away, and he'd fall off, then go back to following her around sniffing her butt. Maybe he caught her when we weren't watching? Guess we'll find out in a few weeks...

The other 2 just ran away from him. One even laid uner the hay feeder so that he would be unable to bother her. The other has obviously come into heat today. He's VERY interested in her today, she'll squat and pee in front of him, etc. But she will NOT hold still for anything at all. Now, she has never been bred before, if that makes any difference. But she literally ran from him, all round the pen, for over a half hour while I watched today. They had to stop to take a drink. she was getting cornered in the goat house but positioning herself so that her butt was against the wall, head butting him, and just running a lot. Is this sort of thing normal? I mean they seem to HATE him, and I've never seen that before... I assumed that I could just throw him right in there, since there are driveway breedings, after all... Maybe I did that wrong? I don't want to have to hold them still to let him at them, but dang! I do need them bred, soone rather than later, too.

[ShadowfaxFarm]

She's probably not in full standing heat yet. She also might be in standing heat for just an hour or two and you miss it completely. If you're worried about him hurting them from chasing to much or from them butting him to much make him a temporary pen beside them and when one of them flirts with him through the fence put that one with him to be bred then take her out again.

[Dreamgoat Annie]

That's exactly how Katy behaved. Kerla never got close to her. Martok managed to race in and quickly cover her--once--on the fly while John was holding onto her halter and she was frantically trying to get away. She's pregnant, so there's hope for your girl too.

Sue

[Ford Zoo]

Same thing here when we only had 2 does and 'rented' a buck for a month. One year Dottie got bred the moment we put him in (lucky timing) and would have nothing to do with him again as hard as he tried. She delivered 145 days later. Perhaps you did just miss seeing the deed done.

[mamaC11]

I'm in the exact same situation! My girls HATE my buck. They'll do the EXACT routine you just described. We've resorted to holding them if we are for certain they are in heat. even then it's like wrestling a bear or something. i'm so ready to give up. we just left everyone alone this month, maybe next month.

[LFRJ]

We have three does for our new buckling boy - he's about 6 months now. He triggered a raging heat when he first came home Oct.1, but we waited until second go round on Halloween.

First gal to go in played tag with him for 24+ hours. (Never did get bred, just came into heat a day ago, so we provided another tryst).

Second doe (her sister) stood there as nicely for him as the statue of venus - hasn't come back into heat yet either, so fingers crossed with her.

Next up was herd queen. Her behavior with him was different - alternated between romance and a lot of squaring off and head butting to establish who was REALLY on top - in a manner of speaking. We left her there for 24 plus hours also. She hasn't come back into heat, but the jury is still out.


so.. could be bucky boy is still getting the plumbing right as he's a bit young - but from our very limited experience - leaving them to chase around the yard for a good period of time isn't surefire. The "driveway heat" looks more promising - but then, that little doe was DYING to be bred even before we had a buck so I imagine personality has a bit to do with as well.

[gabbyraja]

She did it again today. Just completely ran away from him, tucked it away, and hit him a LOT. I'm waiting to see if they come back into heat in 3 weeks. If so, and they don't like him any more than now, I'll have to try to hold them, I guess. I don't want to do it, but I've got to have milk for my human kids next year, so...

[KrisD]

Try putting them in a smaller pen. Breedings usually only take a few seconds so he very well may have got her. Some does go in heat and it last for several hours and some does you only get an hour or two. Unless the doe is a total freak I don't hold them even for driveway breedings. The more experienced the buck is the smarter he is about getting the deed done as quickly as possible.

[gabbyraja]

I'd read there were signs he was successful, if you're actually witnessing it. She arches her head a certain way, he falls off like he's exhausted, etc. I've not seen any of this, but I'm guessing this is a YMMV situation as well?

[KrisD]

The buck will usually throw his head back like he's looking for the moon. You can also check her vulva for semen, it WILL be noticeable for several minutes after. I can usually see it for an hour or so. Once you notice the signs it's unmistakable. Most bucks are done in less then 20 seconds so just because she walked off after be bred her doesn't mean he wasn't successful. If she doesn't come back into heat then wait until 30 after her breeding to draw blood and send in for pregnancy testing.

[gabbyraja]

With that first doe it was about 5 seconds before she walked off, and he just kind of tried not to fall, then followed after her very emphatically again, flapping his tongue. I do feel he may have gotten her, eventually, though. Not sure, though. Today I watched her rub her forehead from under his chin, down the front of him, to his shoulder and back up again. She did it about 15 times. Sure looked like she looooooved him today. She walked off, squatted and peed, he sniffed and walked away. Nothing interesting going on there.

[KrisD]

5 seconds is about right so he probably did breed her. The bucks will still follow them around and swoon at them for several more hours after.