First goat question....................

HunterTed · #1 03/31/05, 01:30 AM

I just got my first goat a couple of weeks ago. Precious is three months old, 1/2 Boer 1/2 Nubian. About what age will she start coming in heat? When she is old enough to breed I am gonna take her over to my uncles and breed her to his Boer billy. Will my Barbado ram attemp to breed her? I realize sheep cannot successfuly breed goats but will he try anyways? Is there any harm if he trys? Would this be the best way to find out when she is in heat so I can take her to the billy?

debitaber · #2 03/31/05, 02:38 AM

yes, he will try, and it coudl damage her. she should not be bred until she weighs at leat 90 pounds. and you will be able to tell she is in heat, by her flagging, [flagging her tail like a deer. she will become really attached to you also.and be vocal. I never breed on the first heat. usually by the third heat, they are large engough. I raise nubians. and to breed to soon, can cause hard delivrerys, and do damage to your doe, and stunt her growth. it is bets t to wait, until 15 months.

MoBarger · #3 03/31/05, 05:48 AM

Boers are not as vocal as nubians when they get in heat. I have a number of these crosses -- the boer side wins out :haha: and you can only tell by the tail, and they get a little more affectionate.
You also might have a better time of it if you bring the buck over to your place for a couple days. Even if your doe is not in heat when he arrives, she will be within a couple days I bet. And she won't have to deal with new surroundings at the same time. The buck won't care ;-)
Good luck!

Starsmom · #4 03/31/05, 07:17 AM

I would bring the buck over to your doe. I have a nubian saneen cross and she is in and out of heat so fast you can miss it. I would bring the buck over and put him in with her for a little bit. She'll be in less stress and he will only have one thing on his mind - her.

animal_kingdom · #5 03/31/05, 11:19 AM

I have a few boer nubian crosses and I treat them like all boers. Breed around 80-90 pounds and usually before they are a year old. I have had excellent results and good strong babies. I think I may have started breeding them around 8-9 months of age due to the weather needing to be cooler for the buck.

Freeholder · #6 03/31/05, 01:17 PM

You need to keep your doe away from the ram. Rams will breed does, and bucks will breed ewes. They do conceive, but abort after a few weeks, and you not only don't have babies, you don't have milk either, if you were planning on milking your doe.

Bucks and rams will breed does and ewes that are as young as two months old, so you need to keep her separated starting now, or you could end up with a pregnant baby, who will be permanently stunted as a result, and could have trouble kidding as well (if she was bred to a buck and carried full-term).

Otherwise, above advice should serve you well.

Kathleen