# When and how often do you breed your boer does?



## Paige (Oct 14, 2010)

So I was just planning on breeding them for spring kids like I do my dairy goats but now I'm not sure. Do you guys prefer spring or fall/winter kids? I have heard some people breed theirs 2 time in a year. It doesn't seem like that would be good for them. Does it really shorten their useful lifetime? And what if a doe kid was born in the spring, would you breed her the next spring so you don't go too early and not have to wait till fall to breed. I have lot of other questions on this. If you can help me, great. Thanks :wave:


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## Bit of Everything (Jan 28, 2011)

What I do with our boer does is we breed them in August for January kids that either my daughter takes for 4-H or we sell to other 4-her's. We only breed them once a year and not until they will be turning 2 when they kid for the first time. I did breed one that kidded at 18 months and now I'm a little sorry. She hasn't produced much milk and her twins are smaller then what they should be at their age. Both are eating grain now so hopefully they will take off some and catch up. Looking back maybe I should have pulled one but I was hoping she'd produce better. 

But it all comes down to what you want to breed them for 4-H stock or just food. If just food then kidding later is the spring is fine.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

I agree, it depends on what you want to breed for. We want Jan-Feb kids in case there is anything my kids can use for 4-H, plus it seems to be better trying to sell the others for pets, breeding, etc. during spring/summer.
For meat, I know a person who breeds by holiday. Look to see what cultures eat goat meat, and see when/date. You'd want to breed so that is weaning or just after weaning time so they are big enough to send to the stockyard & bring a proft. JMO but I hear meat prices are up, especially around easter?

As far as when to breed and how often, I do think it depends on the goat. A lot of people like to wait, and others breed at 8months/80lbs, or a certain percentage of their body weight.
My son doesn't plan to show his percentage doe from last year again, she's as big as our 2-3 year old does, so she was bred and due to kid in just under 2 weeks. She was bred at 8 months old. 
All our other does were bred at this age too, they all kidded fine.
I know a boer breeder who has had successful births with young goats, no milk issues, etc. In fact she had a couple of does accidentally get bred, and by the time she realized they were indeed pregnant, she didn't want to abort. <they got pregnant about 4 months old>. They delivered healthy, beautiful kids, and one of the was HUGE and is her herdsire! Didn't affect the doe at all and she's had one or two more pregnancies and keeps giving nice kids.
Everyone has their preference. I don't have a huge problem with breeding at 8-10 months depending on the goat. 
My son's breeding goat project actually wants you to breed at 8 months, and use the kids from the breeding doe the next year as a future breeding prospect/market wether, or both. My son's doe's conformational problem/reason he won't show her this year has nothing to do with her getting pregnant.

We typically breed 1x a year. But we do have a doe that kidded 2x last year - beginning of January then early Oct. She had 2 months off, picked up weight really well, and we decided to let our buck breed her before we sold him if she came in heat. 
She's getting a break now after her boys were pulled about a month ago, and starting to put on the weight. She could probably be bred in another month if we wanted too, but I don't want summer babies/early fall babies... I'll probably breed for late Nov or Dec kids from her.


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

Breeding Spring doe kid that Fall would depend on size. If she were still smaller I would not do it. If she were close to full grown then it should be fine.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I breed oct/nov for the bigger majority of my boers....and some others are bred Jan/feb...because DH decided... we need money around fall/winter.. when they are ready to go.... I don't like doing it that way but... the money does come in handy..... the Does get bred one time A year.... :wink:


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## Maggie (Nov 5, 2010)

We breed after 1 year and 100 pounds. We had bred one at 11 months old, she was about 130 pounds when bred and she had no issues and raised a really nice buck kid. I have others I waited until they were 18 months and honestly all 3 have had some sort of issue with their udders - not saying that is related to the age, they might just happen to be crappy mothers! We bred this year for january/feb kids because we were wanting to sell for show/4-H kids, but turns out I am greedy and will keep most of them and the others just aren't growing well enough to make to show. I will be breeding the younger group of my does for october kids this year. Most will be 14-16 months.


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