buck ran with does all year

preparing · #1 01/08/13, 08:51 AM

I have no idea when my 2 does and 2 (what are the never bred newbies called)little ones were bred if at all.

Barney started peeing on himself in July and continued until he was gone after Christmas.

Could the girls be due soon? At least I had an idea last year (actually guessed pretty close to the date).

Just bapping off.

Alice In TX/MO · #2 01/08/13, 08:58 AM

July, August, September, October, November. Five months.

December, January, February, March, April. Five month.

You could have kids due any minute or not at all or around Easter.

Unfortunately, this is the consequence of having the bucks run with the does.

Dry yearlings is what we call the young does that haven't 'caught.'

dozedotz · #3 01/08/13, 09:14 AM

We ran a buck with a small group of girls from September until December. We ran the second buck with just two girls for the same period. They were in separate pasture area with housing.
We observed breedings and heats and marked the dates on the calendar. One of the girls never did seem to come into heat and we decided that she would probably not be bred this year. You should see the great little udder she is making!!! So, we are guessing she will kid this year....sometime!

preparing · #4 01/08/13, 09:47 AM

On the up side...it's exciting everyday I go to the barn!

Down side...who knows what I'll find each day I go to the barn.

Quote:

Unfortunately, this is the consequence of having the bucks run with the does. buck ran with does all year - Goats

lesson learned!

GoatJunkie · #5 01/08/13, 10:10 AM

I live on a meat goat farm where their does are kept with the buck year round. Babies are born in the pen with all the other goats and the buck, and they grow up in the herd.

My landlords are the only ones I know who keep their goats this way. Any questions asked about why they do things is mistaken as a challenge, though in the past I have made it exceedingly clear that I just want to learn.... so I'm asking all of you: What are the benefits to having the buck live with the does?

Alice In TX/MO · #6 01/08/13, 10:18 AM

If you have Boers or brush goats, not milk goats, it really doesn't matter when kids are born unless you have severe winters.

If you have milk goats, I don't know of an advantage. Bucks don't need the same nutrition as a pregnant/lactating doe. They are pushy, they smell part of the year, and they disrupt the mood of the female herd.

I did run a Saanen buck with the girls one winter. Ugh. Just too many daily issues.

dozedotz · #7 01/08/13, 10:23 AM

Honestly, I thought ALL meat goat herds operated the way you describe! I know personally of two herds that are really nice, well cared for stock, etc. and that is how they do it.
We have only Nubians. This will sound nuts to some, but it is nice to have the "family groupings." The bucks and does get along great - we have never had a problem. The bucks are away from each other with their girls for most of the rut. That's nice! The buck is the best judge of when she is ready...fewer misses for them (not us!). And, according to the best minds at HT should result in more does being born (early breeding of does cycle). I'll certainly let you know what the ratio is this year...past is 1 doe up.
We actually rarely miss on the due dates...we are home all the time and usually see or hear what is up with the goats! This girl was really sneaky...I'm guessing an at night rendevous.

dozedotz · #8 01/08/13, 10:27 AM

Forgot to add that we move the boys back to the buck pen in December because we do not want real summer babies.
We attend births and separate kids from mom who are going to be sold or kept as milkers. Mostly it is wethers that are raised by mom for meat.

preparing · #9 01/08/13, 10:36 AM

Why did I have a buck with the girls? Indecision and lack of planning. He was a young unsmelly buck last summer and through the winter. He was also small.

He grew! And this year starting in about July...a musky smell that grew stronger as the temps went up.

I hope one of the girls has a boy and I plan to use him to breed then ... how does one say this delicately...dispose of him.

No more full sized bucks. Although he was very gentle around me.

TRAILRIDER · #10 01/08/13, 10:54 AM

For a couple of weeks my bucks ran with my already bred girls and one just coming into season, with the idea that they would breed her. I eventually had to go out and hold her still for the buck (she was young and would stand still then walk forward at the last minute.) But after two weeks my already bred milking saanen doe started giving odd tasting milk. Or the milk took on an odd taste as she was being milked. So the girls and boys were separated and the milk was fine again.

TRAILRIDER · #11 01/08/13, 10:57 AM

I didn't pregnancy test any of the does since I'm trying to keep them as cheaply as possible (trying to get a small profit). Still not sure if the first doe is really pregnant, just going to have to wait and see.
The next in line looks very pregnant and is due Feb. 3rd, the other two look pregnant but then so do the boys!

Hollowdweller · #12 01/08/13, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by preparing

Why did I have a buck with the girls? Indecision and lack of planning. He was a young unsmelly buck last summer and through the winter. He was also small.

He grew! And this year starting in about July...a musky smell that grew stronger as the temps went up.

I hope one of the girls has a boy and I plan to use him to breed then ... how does one say this delicately...dispose of him.

No more full sized bucks. Although he was very gentle around me.

+3000 for honesty!

GoatJunkie · #13 01/08/13, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TRAILRIDER

.... the other two look pregnant but then so do the boys!

THAT is hysterical! But I know what you mean!

GoatJunkie · #14 01/08/13, 07:00 PM

I appreciate everyone's responses..... It kind of sounds more like a meat goat practice than one for milk goats...... I've heard too that the smell of a buck can spoil the milk.

Zilli · #15 01/08/13, 07:13 PM

Even if I was breeding meat goats, I would hate not knowing. Or don't meat goats ever have any problems giving birth or just need a bit of a helping hand?

I like knowing the exact date my does get bred, even though there can still be an occasional surprise - such as last year when my doe went a week early (the year before, she kidded on her exact due date).

We can all watch for bagging up and feeling for ligaments until we're blue in the face, but without an exact date to go by, I think it just leaves too much to chance.

Frosted Mini's · #16 01/08/13, 07:57 PM

Never had a problem with the milk running a buck with milkers. Only when I didn't get it chilled quickly. You can't or shouldn't pet the bucks at milking time, I have heard...would think especially so when hand-milking. But my milk has been just fine when a buck was with the does...same as with no buck.

Shygal · #17 01/08/13, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by preparing

No more full sized bucks. Although he was very gentle around me.

Wait........the way you said this post sounds like you expect the kids to not be full sized. What breed are the does? Did you use a full sized buck on nigerians or minis?

KSALguy · #18 01/08/13, 08:44 PM

the only time i separated the buck was when i had a Boer buck that was over 300lbs and would NOT stay in the fence, i had to lock him in a separate smaller pen to keep the does in THEIR pen, when i had a Nubian buck he got to stay in the herd, i got him from a herd that kept a mix of dairy and meat stock all togather with four adult bucks in the herd full time, they milked some of the does and the rest raised kids, haveing tasted both their milk and cheese products i can say it wasnt goaty at all, they said it was because of all the alfalfa the goats had access too, they grew their own alfalfa so it was easy for them to just put several big round bales out for everyone, the bucks would rub on the hay and it actually did a pretty good job of keeping their stink down,

YES the way they did things was pretty hap hazzard, i DO NOT advocate HapHazzard managment to the Masses, but i cant help not to play devils advocate when something can work just fine even though its frowned upon in main stream circles.

Frosted Mini's · #19 01/08/13, 08:45 PM

I think they are meaning they will use a kid buck each year, instead of a full-GROWN buck.