Can a 6 month old buck really get the job done?

SJSFarm · #1 08/16/14, 05:38 PM

I have 7 lender does to breed and three of my own. I have 2 one and a half year old bucks who share the sire with two of my does and one doeling sharing the same sire with the three bucklings I have.

I wanted to "share the wealth" of blood with the does so I am trying to use the bucklings. They don't seem to be able to do the job.

I need to have these does bred and am wondering if such young bucks can be relied upon to actually be successful, or should I just use the two older ones and retain a choose young one for next year's does?

I was out with them today and saw a spot of goo on the one older doe, she is in heat, but it was not breeding goo. I had all three bucklings with her and NO ONE WAS INTERESTED! Dang babies! I don't want to breed to 1/2 brothers.....and no one anywhere around here has MiniManchas.

CAjerseychick · #2 08/16/14, 07:03 PM

well I didnt have any luck with a 6month old nigie on oberhasli does who was left in with them fulltime...

Getting a new buck(a standard this time- Oberhasli)- Tues but he is just 3months old,the hope is that by Dec/Jan he will be ready to get someone pregnant so we can have summer babies, at least.....

where I want to · #3 08/16/14, 07:49 PM

Yes, yes and yes. I did this for years, breeding one of my adult Boer does to one of the girl's bucklings, letting him having his innings starting at 4 months. I never had a missed year although one seemed to be willing but inept. Eventually even he learned not to tip over backwards before he was 7 months old. They ran with the girls and got as much practice as the girls wanted.

Now Boer are less seasonal than dairy goats and that might make a difference. But it was 100% successful for me.

coso · #4 08/16/14, 08:32 PM

Sure they can !! Just depends on the buck

Goatsandsheep · #5 08/16/14, 08:44 PM

Our 6 month old La Mancha buck did.

Squeaky McMurdo · #6 08/16/14, 09:01 PM

I'm beginning to wonder...when I had Hercules, he was in with the girls for 3 months and no one got pregnant. I didn't notice any heats, it was summer, and he was only 2 months old when I put him in there so he got the benefit of the doubt.

Now I have Rudy. He's 8 months old...and he completely ignored when all 4 of my does were in SCREAMING heat last week. I didn't intend to breed anyone until at least next month, but I thought he would at least notice!

crazygoatgal · #7 08/16/14, 10:30 PM

i can tell you with 100% certainty that my 6-9 WEEK old nigerian dwarf buck impregnated at least one mature ND doe and possibly two. yes, i said week. never believed that one so young could do that and i never separated my bucklings until 10 to 12 weeks.

Otter · #8 08/17/14, 12:16 AM

I've got four big, strapping rising 18 month olds in my pasture that prove that one can. In a couple of months, another Jr buck will get a turn and I'm betting spring sees another nice bunch of babies.

Often, bucks bred at night. I have once seen the job done when I let them run together, yet everyone kids out.

cfuhrer · #9 08/17/14, 01:04 AM

The ability of the buckling to breed a doe is exponentially and inversely related to how much you want the doe bred by said buckling.

**mygoat** · #10 08/17/14, 07:40 AM

Yes, they can. Sometimes first ruts aren't very strong and they may not be making much of a 'fuss' about breeding like the big stinks do. To cover everybody, I'd leave the does in there for 1.5 months or so. I love marking harnesses for just this reason - shows activity. When my buck was in the main pen, sometimes you'd only see a doe turn bright blue, or green, or orange.

Cannon_Farms · #11 08/17/14, 11:13 AM

14 kids out of 6 does from a 5 month old buck, all kidded in the same week

CAjerseychick · #12 08/17/14, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cfuhrer

The ability of the buckling to breed a doe is exponentially and inversely related to how much you want the doe bred by said buckling.

You sure said that right!
He was such a pretty buck, registered and blue eyed, and the offspring would have been first gen mini Oberhaslis... we really wanted some from him- he was in with them from 8 weeks through 6months (pulled in April) soooooo Idont think we getting any (vet came out and did an ultrasound and didnt see anything)

.....
He made plenty of attempts he was a busy boy....

We trying again with a purebreed Oberhasli (parents registered but not sold with papers, but his doe was from the same person I got my does from)...buckling - he is 3 months old.....

So here goes round two!

You guys give me hope though for sure!

southerngurl · #13 08/17/14, 01:01 PM

I've used 5-6 month old bucks many times.

RovingAcres · #14 08/17/14, 01:45 PM

I had a 6 month old buck seem totally clueless about what to do with does (I kept seeing them come back into heat). Until he saw my mature ram breeding his own ewes and flapping his tongue through the fence at the does then it was like a lightbulb went on over the little buck's head. I had a kid born exactly 5 months after that day.

Maybe your boys just need a mentor

Jan in CO · #15 08/17/14, 05:47 PM

My Nubian buckling bred my does at 6 months and my friend frequently uses a young buck. Puts them in with the girls and hopes for the best. I like to know for sure who is bred and when so I know how I can plan my week during kidding.

Now the same buck is running the guard llama ragged trying to breed her. Last year he didn't know to pee on himself, and it was so nice not to have that stink! This year, someone must have told him about it, because he certainly STINKS.

GoslingFever · #16 08/18/14, 08:58 PM

When we raised Nubians we saw bucklings that chased their sisters and mothers around at just a few weeks old. Yet months later, when we'd actually want them to cover Does, they'd seem completely uninterested. I think the youngest successful Nubian buck was a year and a half.

When we switched to Kiko, we have two month old bucklings chasing and mounting everything. We normally leave kids on their dams but Kiko kids GROW and the boys are almost as tall as their dam and they can *reach*. We were told that their sire was put in with 23 Does when he was 9 months old. Apparently, he did very well for them.
Seeing his sons; we sure believe it.
I hope your young guys can figure it out and soon!

southerngurl · #17 08/18/14, 10:15 PM

I just about had an oops breeding by a 4 month old buck today lol

Fetherhd · #18 08/20/14, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cfuhrer

The ability of the buckling to breed a doe is exponentially and inversely related to how much you want the doe bred by said buckling.

"SNORT" Ain't that the truth!!!

AuntKitty · #19 08/21/14, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Squeaky McMurdo

I'm beginning to wonder...when I had Hercules, he was in with the girls for 3 months and no one got pregnant. I didn't notice any heats, it was summer, and he was only 2 months old when I put him in there so he got the benefit of the doubt.

Now I have Rudy. He's 8 months old...and he completely ignored when all 4 of my does were in SCREAMING heat last week. I didn't intend to breed anyone until at least next month, but I thought he would at least notice!

Shhh! Maybe he's gay (whispered)...

mrs whodunit · #20 08/21/14, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cfuhrer

The ability of the buckling to breed a doe is exponentially and inversely related to how much you want the doe bred by said buckling.

That is so true!

I borrowed a buck last fall. NEVER saw him interested in a doe EVER. This spring all of my does kidded. LOL He was just very shy