# breeding after kidding question



## WhisperingWillowNDG (Jul 20, 2011)

before I bought goats and started breeding, I did my research... I read repeatedly that "you aren't supposed to" breed a doe until 7 months after kidding (2months after drying off)... If this is true, why do I see a lot of reputable breeders breeding thier does just 2months after kidding? Even if they don't dam-raise, don't the does need more recuperation time than that? Or is it perfectly ok to rebreed them so quickly (in that case I've got a doe ready to go in with a buck now).... Can someone please give me opinions on this matter?


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## xymenah (Jul 1, 2011)

It can run a doe down kidding back to back like that. It's acceptable to do at times if the doe is in good condition and had a smooth kidding before. I personally wouldn't unless it needed to be done for a specific reason like putting her on a different kidding schedule or something like that. Not to mention it can teach her body to give shorter lactations if done repeatedly.


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

I only will breed my does 1x per year unless there is some special circumstance. I do not know why anyone would routinely doe it unless they are only breeding for the money and dont care for the goats health.


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## WhisperingWillowNDG (Jul 20, 2011)

Ok, that's what I thought... Seemed really off to me, I know I wouldn't want to give birth twice in one year!


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

It's been done and I agree with Logan, the majority of ND breeders who do breed their does back are often doing so because the doe has exceptional bloodlines and they are in it for the $ those kids will bring AND they likely don't milk those does..... I've also seen breed backs done because the doe was hard to settle to begin with and getting older so the breeder wanted to get as many kids out of her before she was too old to breed.


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## WhisperingWillowNDG (Jul 20, 2011)

That's sad for the , increased frequency of breeding only increases the chances of kidding complications and kidding death right ? I'll continue with my plan... Wait 7 months between kidding and breeding


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

It is sad but when a breeder is more concerned with making money off of their herd to cover expenses of the care of that herd they tend to overlook the health and well being of the animal.
I breed for late winter kids, let mom raise the kids to weaning and then milk my girls til they are bred again in the fall...They are dry from September/October til they freshen again in Feb/March


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

There are exceptions to what I feel is best and Liz brought upa good one. Sometimes a doe is getting older and is hard to settle and so you take advantage of breeding her when you can. There are often other reasons but routine back to back breeding  sad.
I have a doe that kidded in Dec (Penny) but lost both kids after birth and never filled her udder. She is already being rebred for Fall kids so that is a few months shy of 7 but she did not have 2 kids nursing and taking so much out of her and she has recovered to good solid health wonderfully. 

You actually want a dairy goat to have nice long lactations that is something that is so nice about them is that you can have a doe kid and then produce milk for a year or more! So those that claim to be aiming for the dairy end of it all but breed back to back are not. If they were they would try and extend lactation for as long as possible. I would love to milk some of my does for months on end but with my 2 young human kids I can only milk a few at a time until I get a machine.


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## aussieheelr (Jul 29, 2011)

Personally I think continuing that back to back breeding is very difficult on the doe. My brother and I are 14 months apart and that was hard on my Mom, bless her heart... I can only imagine for the goats.
Anyway I do understand the idea of getting them back on a schedule. My does didn't settle until late so my kids are coming in June. I'm planning on breeding them back in October to get them back on a schedule for kidding in spring instead of the hot summer. The one time turn around I think is ok to do as it will be easier on my girls in the long run.


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## WhisperingWillowNDG (Jul 20, 2011)

That makes sense  maybe this particular breeder is only doing it this year BC they traded bucks for a year with someone else... I thought that a doe I recently purchased had not had her first freshening yet, but I guess I didn't do my homework very well BC I found out as soon as I picked her up that she was in-milk and had kidded the first week of March... I was kinda sad because I was exited to breed her to my bucking for last summer kids (don't really want her to kid again in march cause I already have 3 on my schedule to breed that would also kid in march next year (I simply don't have the facilities to handle 4 dies in-milk and ask the kids...


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## WhisperingWillowNDG (Jul 20, 2011)

Please excuse my typos! I'm replying on my phone because I exceeded my bandwidth on my computer


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## WarPony (Jan 31, 2010)

I bred one of my does early last year, to get her on a different breeding schedule. She was in great shape, had recovered from kidding/being a mom really well, and she gave me a lovely (but wacky) doeling last fall. If it is a rare thing done only with careful consideration I don't think it is a big problem, and i don't think anything is wrong with it. BUT the doe really does need to be in excellent shape and I would never keep doing it over and over.


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## keren (Oct 26, 2008)

i am not a proponent of kidding twice in one year, but i do encourage three kiddings in two years for commercial meat production systems. if the does are well cared for in both nutrition.and health aspects, they cope quite well with 3-in-2, and it isa most profitable system. occassionally one will notice a doe not holding her weight and this doe will skip a kidding. so you see the doe tells us when she is not.coping with the system, and when/if she needs a break.


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## keren (Oct 26, 2008)

we must remember that not all goats are pets, many are kept as a business. 

it is equally important to recognise that just because goats are kept as a business does not.mecessarily.mean the owner cares nothing about the animal.and only cares about.money. in most cases the opposite is true, i find the.majority of primary producers are very affectionate towards their animals, and besides all that the animals simply.wont.produce to their best ability (ie mostt profitable) if they are not well cared for.


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## Sunny Daze (May 18, 2010)

I have bred does sooner than 7 months for some of the following reasons: 

They maybe had a long stretch with no kiddings (missed one) prior and are in excellent shape.

I may have a limited time to breed to a certain buck.

I want then to get on a different kidding schedule.

They are fat! 

Usually if I breed them sooner I have also pulled kids an dried them off so they have had time to regain body condition. Most of my does kid once a year because I just don't need them to kid more often than that but really if they are in good shape I think the 3 times in two years rule is a good one.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

We have a doe that has nearly kidded back to back to back. She is due a week from Saturday. The first two times were fine, she bounced back very nicely after her first twins with us. In Oct. she kidded again, nice twin boys. We had never really talked about when we'd breed her again, I wanted her to have a break. BUT my husband bred her without talking to me first 2 months out from kidding and was still nursing her boys!
I was very upset, in fact, I didn't speak to him for a week. He means well and works in the horse industry where mares are typically bred on their first heat cycle, a week or two after foaling. They do that because the horses have 11mo gestation and there is a time frame for when they have to be born <Jan-late May preferably>, and sometimes they don't take the first breeding, so they have to have some time to get them back in the breeding shed. Nobody wants a really late foal, can decrease their value and cause them to be a late bloomer on the racetrack.

So...he didn't see a big issue with it. But she NEEDED time to recover. She is doing fine, but looks a mess IMO, she'll be fine to kid, but she is GETTING A BREAK.

Now, I do have a doe that kidded a single doe March 1st, and I may breed her on her first heat cycle after weaning,, but we'll see what happens.


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