Would you breed her?

andabigmac · #1 12/30/12, 05:39 PM

It's Ali so I'm paranoid. She was 7 months on the 27th. She weighs 86lbs. That's with me holding her (barely) on a scale with me while she chewed my ear. She's healthy as a horse. She's not very tall but she's wide. She's only a bit smaller than Heiorun who's a month older. A part of me keeps thinking that she's really just a little over 6 months due to the whole premature thing. I guess I could wait a bit too and she could be my house milk for next winter. I'm breeding my big white goat, Skwiss and Heiorun this month so the big debate has been coming up as to whether to keep Ali a dry yearling. I'm going to have plenty of babies and milk so that's not an issue. I said that last year too though.

KSALguy · #2 12/30/12, 06:35 PM

For me if they can be bred safely to produce something of value then they should be. She sounds goood for it. If you want to stagger the breedings so you have SOMEONE in milk at all times thats fine but i wouldnt leave her dry till next year. Thats alot of time food and energy with no return.

Backfourty,MI. · #3 12/30/12, 08:07 PM

I'm going through the same dihlema with our 2 mini nubian girls that were born June 4th this past summer. I haven't weigh taped them yet but I was talking with Alice & she thought maybe I'd be glad if I waited until next fall & the breeder also said the same thing. My gilrs are growing nicely but I'm not in a rush for more babies although 1 more in milk would be nice this spring/summer.
Right now my mind says I'm waiting until next fall.

I know where your coming from though andabigmac, we want to do what's best for our girls. I don't want to rush things & then they not finish growing right.

thaiblue12 · #4 12/30/12, 08:15 PM

If babies and milk is not an issue I would wait. My Nubian yearly ( not a preemie) is tall but not wide and still my baby, she still looks baby-ish too so I am waiting. I have enough does that I do not need to feel like I am rushing any of them.

You know you cannot post about how big she is and etc without pictures!

Crazy Farmgirl · #5 12/30/12, 09:14 PM

I tend to wait to breed my girls, especially if I don't have to. In my experience letting them put their energy into their own growth makes them better, stronger mothers and more productive milkers.

andabigmac · #6 12/30/12, 09:58 PM

After reading Gena's last post about Flip I'm going to wait. For both her and Heiorun. They would be bred to Jagger who is a monster and I don't want to risk it now.

I will definitely post some pictures of the little booger tomorrow. She was on one today because no one would come out of the houses to play with her. She must not have feeling in her feet. That little goof just does not feel the cold.

JBarGFarmKeeper · #7 12/30/12, 10:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andabigmac

After reading Gena's last post about Flip I'm going to wait. For both her and Heiorun. They would be bred to Jagger who is a monster and I don't want to risk it now.

I will definitely post some pictures of the little booger tomorrow. She was on one today because no one would come out of the houses to play with her. She must not have feeling in her feet. That little goof just does not feel the cold.

WHOA! I was reading your original post above and thinking..."You bet I'd breed her." I don't want anyone to think that I am rethinking my management at all other than isolating my standard bucks from my young ND girls. Flip was NOT too young or too small to breed...to her own breed. I DID NOT breed her to that buck. DD and I were there and bred her to a yearling ND buck the month before and didn't see her come back in (which she obviously did). We preg tested her and knew she was bred.

Our goats are pets with a purpose but they are livestock just the same. I would breed an 86# doe in a heartbeat. I breed my standard FF to a ND buck but it generally doesn't affect the size of the kid. It also doesn't determine how many eggs she drops.

Please, please, don't let Flip's story keep you from breeding yearlings, especially 86#ers. More to follow in a couple days...

andabigmac · #8 12/30/12, 10:56 PM

No I can't get past thinking that Ali is really a month younger than her actual birth date. She was so small at birth and it took her a month to even get to a normal birth weight. I still see her as a really fat 6 month old. She was still on the bottle up until 2 weeks ago.

I wasn't questioning your management at all. If I were to die and I found out you got my goats I would breath a big happy sigh of relief in my grave. I respect you and your management that much. I don't even want my husband to keep the goats. He loves them but he wouldn't do the best for them, you know.

The waiting I was thinking of is just for another month. It puts us in a good position for for winter milk. Please don't think I meant anything negative towards you. I feel sick just thinking that you might. I'm sorry.

saanengirl · #9 12/31/12, 11:00 AM

I'd give her another month of growth, she should be fine to breed at that point if she is in good flesh. When does the spring growth start where you live? I find that yearlings freshening a month or two after everything starts to green in the spring tend to do the best regardless of their birth month.

andabigmac · #10 12/31/12, 11:27 AM

We can plant around Memorial Day. The snow usually starts melting in late March. It usually still freezes through April and early May. As for green...I wish. I don't live close to the river so nothing really gets green here. They do have access to good alfalfa 24/7.

I'm charging my camera and I'll take pictures of little miss busy butt today. I'll try for something other than nostrils.

ani's ark · #11 12/31/12, 08:04 PM

Good thread. I've got a 5 month old dam-raised Saanen doeling who seems huge and sleek for her age, as a newbie am not really sure when is best age to breed her.

Like others I need to strike the balance between letting her develop well and then not wasting input without getting any production back. Money is tight and everyone has to contribute at our place.

I was thinking 7-9months I'll I take her and her mom to a new buck - is that the norm for large breeds too (obviously with some flexibility for growth and weight)?

Pony · #12 12/31/12, 08:44 PM

At 86 pounds and healthy, I'd breed her in a heartbeat, but waiting another month isn't a big deal if it gives you peace of mind.

Like KSALguy, I would not wait until next year. She'll continue to grow and develop through the pregnancy, just make sure she has quality feed and is up to date on supplements.

Backfourty,MI. · #13 12/31/12, 10:09 PM

Ali is a standard size Nubian right? Just want to make sure especially for new folks with goats if that makes a difference in weight, size & age as to when to breed. Or does it matter mini's, standards, Nigies as long as they are growing good & 75-80% of their adult weight?

andabigmac · #14 12/31/12, 10:20 PM

Ali is a standard Nubian. Her dad is on the short side though so I worry about her being small boned.

Backfourty,MI. · #15 12/31/12, 10:32 PM

I used a weigh tape to weigh my 2 young girls this evening & according to that they weigh 105 & 110 pounds. I just can't believe that though so I'm going to do it again tomorrow & also dh is going to try holding them & weighing them with the bathroom scale.
Maybe I had the tape back a little too far?
Mine are mini nubians.

andabigmac · #16 12/31/12, 10:47 PM

My weight tape said Ali is 96. It was funny because DH and Ali tipped the scales. I had to hold her. The only level place that wasn't covered by straw or snow was the milk stand. Ali was so excited to be held like a baby again. She was sucking my ear and trying to climb higher. I just about collapsed.