Ideas for getting multiples

bluefish · #1 01/30/15, 04:57 PM

My boer doe just a little buckling today. Everything is fine, but I was looking for some thoughts on a couple of things. This doe is 4 yrs old, 3 freshening. First freshening was triplets, last year was twins and this year a single, small buckling.

Last year we had issues of some sort, don't know if her or the buck and she ended up being tossed with ALL the bucks to see if she'd take with somebody. One of my dairy bucks got her and she had twins in May. We fed her as well as possible and she was bred again this September. That is closer together than I would like, but she's the only doe and this is breeding for our fair, so there is a limited breeding/kidding window.

Do you think that may have contributed to the one and only small buckling? He's smaller than any of her other babies, ever, although he's healthy and vigorous. I'm not at all worried about him, just wondering about the size and being a single.

Thought's and/or ideas about causes and getting multiples next year?

And, just 'cause...........

Alice In TX/MO · #2 01/30/15, 05:09 PM

Selenium, by injection, one month before breeding. Ask the vet for BoSe.

bluefish · #3 01/30/15, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alice In TX/MO

Selenium, by injection, one month before breeding. Ask the vet for BoSe.

We did that. We always do that. That's what's kinda strange to me, I don't think we did anything different. Would getting bred only a few months after kidding make a difference? Like not letting her get all her reserves and such stocked up?

dozedotz · #4 01/30/15, 05:49 PM

If her food and meds are the same for each kidding (?) and if she did not have kids back to back (?) between the triplets and the twins yet continued to have fewer kids each birth then maybe something else is at work here??? As far as size goes is the dairy buck a smaller boy?

dlskidmore · #5 01/30/15, 05:55 PM

Is she putting on weight at the time of breeding? Not getting fat, but just coming back into full condition after prior months of gestation and milking?

billinwv · #6 01/30/15, 09:58 PM

She got bred back really fast. You got several kids in a short amount of time. My does kid once per year. Some Flush(increase nutrition prior to breeding) to increase numbers. I never do this. I like twins at the most. More than that can be a problem. I want my does to stay productive as long as possible. I want my does to be productive for a long time.

bluefish · #7 01/31/15, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billinwv

She got bred back really fast. You got several kids in a short amount of time. My does kid once per year. Some Flush(increase nutrition prior to breeding) to increase numbers. I never do this. I like twins at the most. More than that can be a problem. I want my does to stay productive as long as possible. I want my does to be productive for a long time.

That's kind of what I was thinking. It's not something I like to do, but the other boer doe died and we weren't left with much choice. We fed her up as best as we could and if she would have been really awful looking, we wouldn't have bred her. I don't bother with flushing, but I do the BoSe because we are in a selenium deficient area. I'd rather multiples than the problems that come from deficiency.

The only reason the single is at all an issue is that it is going to be a lot more work to keep him warm. We do not ever use heat lamps in the barn with anything other than chicks, and even that I try to avoid. Twin or triplets are easier as they help somewhat to keep themselves warm. So, DD gets to look forward to sleeping in the barn with him for quite some time.

Thanks all! Oh, and I know I said he was tiny, and I still say he looks tiny, but when we weighed him last night he was 9 lbs 6.5 oz.

I still say he looks smaller than any other boer baby we've had.

Maybe just because there aren't any other babies to compare with?

**mygoat** · #8 01/31/15, 10:58 AM

If you want multiples, perhaps try flushing? Prolificacy can also be genetics, but herdwide flushing does make an impact. You don't have to heavily grain them, just get them slowly gaining. I'd be the main reason for her single is the fast breed back. I believe you did feed her well for breed back but it still takes time to put on a reserve for pregnancy which may mean the smaller size kid. At least you didn't have to deal with a big stuck single buck! :P