# breeding a young doe



## Old Post Farm (Nov 15, 2017)

so i made a thread earlier where i thought my youngster Fiona was pregnant (she wasn't) but now she is big enough to breed (over 90 lbs.) and the buck we are considering is young and smaller than the buck her mother was bred to. he is not related to any part of her family ( I don't think he is related to the sire her mother is being bred to??)
here is the sire her mom is bred to









I don't have the picture right now of the buck that Fiona would be bred to
Fiona is now nine months old born early April and she would be due after she is one year old. so what does every one think? is she ok to be bred or should we wait" (the people we got her from said she would be fine to be bred). thoughts?


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## ArborGoats (Jan 24, 2013)

I would not intentionally breed a doe until it was her second winter, so between 16 and 19 months old. 

Ultimately it is your decision to weigh the risks of losing the doe with needing to have kids quicker.


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## Old Post Farm (Nov 15, 2017)

why do you think we would lose her if we bred her now?


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## ArborGoats (Jan 24, 2013)

It seems from my reading that does that young are more likely to have trouble kidding and it could make it so they don't mature to their full potential because they are trying to grow their kids and their own selves at the same time. 

But others say they don't have any problems. 

To me I would rather not deliberately breed that early if it means less long term risk for my critters. But my gals don't have to be working girls for me to keep them, so I am lucky. Others don't have that option.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

The chance is there with a young doe because even though weight wise they are fine doesn’t mean that her hips are wide enough for a kid to pass threw. 
Now I’m not saying yes or no because I don’t breed dairy so I’ll let someone else throw their 2 cents in but I agree with arbor that having kids young is just really hard on them. They are growing a lot by age 1 so splitting that growth with the kids is hard on them. 
Also just because a buck is smaller doesn’t mean he will throw smaller kids......unless we are talking about standard breeds and minis. My biggest buck out there throws me the smallest kids out of all the bucks I have had and he has blown them all away in size


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## Goat_Scout (Mar 23, 2017)

I personally don't like to breed a doe until she is at least a year old, and then only if I think she is big enough. The youngest one I ever intentionally bred was 14 months at the time, but she was the right size and now she is 4 four months.

I agree with Jessica - if your doe is nice and wide I think she will be fine, 90 pounds IS a good breeding weight for a dairy goat, but if she isn't wide in the hips it may just be wiser to wait 'til next year when she is more mature.


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## Ranger1 (Sep 1, 2014)

I breed young, but they have to be 100 pounds first. I’ve never had any more issues with young does than with older ones.


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## cbrossard (Oct 4, 2014)

I have always waited until they are at least a year. I was considering breeding one of my young does this winter, but she doesn't look full grown so I didn't. As others have said, yes if she is 90 lbs she would probably be fine (if it had happened accidentally I wouldn't be worried), but if she doesn't look full grown then I wouldn't want to take away from her own growth and development.


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## goatblessings (Jan 6, 2015)

I've done it both ways - breeding at 90 lbs and also holding over does to breed as yearlings (16 months, plus). I've had no kidding issues and my girls at age 3 are not noticeably different in height, weight etc. That being said, a very sound nutritional program is a must, plus take into account pelvic width and mental maturity. I am also always present at the birth for my girls in case there would be a problem. I am very selective in which does I will breed at that age.


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

I like waiting until at least a year to breed. The mental maturity is a huge part of it for me - they need to be able to be good mothers.


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## goat girls (Dec 13, 2017)

All good advice the youngest goat Iv'e bred was 10 months 100 pds very mature for her age. breeding her at 10 months would put her kidding at 15 months. Make sure her hips are a least 10" wide


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## Old Post Farm (Nov 15, 2017)

she is very mentally mature. she dealt with the young kids she was with very well, let them jump all over her. her hips are the widest i have seen on young does.
thanks everyone


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## goatblessings (Jan 6, 2015)

For comparison - the spotted doe on the far right is a held over yearling. The spotted doe on the far left is this year's doeling which will kid late in her 15th month.


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## goat girls (Dec 13, 2017)

Well I would probably bred her in January. Could you post a picture of her of her back and hips


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## lovinglife (Jun 6, 2013)

Times have sure changed, I had goats 30 years ago and back then it seemed in all the books I read that does will be most productive if bred their first year. Some of the shows I went to watch I believe would not let you show a dry yearling. Now I could have that all wrong, was a long time ago so the memory could be off a bit. But not off about breeding in their first year. I am talking dairy only. I do try to keep my smaller kids away from the boys their first year but the larger kids usually get bred late in the first year.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I breed at 1 1/2 years old. I want them to be mature enough in the head and body. I don't rush it as I want to give them the time they need to grow a bit first.


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## Old Post Farm (Nov 15, 2017)

thanks for the advice everyone


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

You bet.


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## goat girls (Dec 13, 2017)

Not a problem


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## Old Post Farm (Nov 15, 2017)

we decided to take the chance just because the buck is in very high demand and we might not have this chance again. but we are bringing her down tomorrow and she was acting in heat today/yesterday . so most likely she will be bred in January.








here he is no idea what his registered name is

is there such a thing as a provoked heat???? just wondering because any time a buck comes both girls seem to come into heat even if their previous heat just ended. does anyone else's does do this??


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## Old Post Farm (Nov 15, 2017)

I also re measured and she is closer to 100 than 90lbs.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

There are what is called false heats.
Bringing in a buck can trigger them to come in to true heat cycle. So it is possible.


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## Old Post Farm (Nov 15, 2017)

are the signs of a false heat different than a real heat?


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

No.


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## Old Post Farm (Nov 15, 2017)

ok cool thanks


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

No, they are the same. Just no egg to fertilize.


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## Old Post Farm (Nov 15, 2017)

oh ok.
so excited for tonight. bringing Fiona down to the farm for breeding. its bittersweet though because she will be gone for a month so that sucks


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Good luck.


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## Old Post Farm (Nov 15, 2017)

thanks


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

Not saying if this is right or wrong, but a lot of dairy goat breeders breed at 7 mo. and 70# for kidding at a year old. I've done that and waited til the 2nd year. (Commercial herds really breed young, 7 months, to get that milk. Kids are just a necessary evil). 

I guess I would rather have the maturity of time as yearling first fresheners are still kids and are not the best of moms. Now if I get younger does bred, I bottle feed the kids. But, I've also had good young moms! Good nutrition seems to be the main key!


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## Old Post Farm (Nov 15, 2017)

cool thanks
she just got dropped off to the buck


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## Old Post Farm (Nov 15, 2017)

still don't have a name


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