# Too old to breed?



## Perfect7

I had always thought that does could be bred through the age of ten before being retired from the program, considering they are well taken care of and bred once a year.
Why is it that a lot of boer breeders will no longer breed their does once they reach five? Am I missing something? I know often times daughters will be retained and if you have improved the bloodline there is no real reason to keep breeding the dam, but is age a big factor?
Just wondering if I should keep figuring the economics of breeding a doe through 10 or if I need to start changing my mindset to 5 years? Thank you in advance.


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## AlaskaBoers

5?!? that's ridiculous

I have a 9 year old who raises multiples every year and does an excellent job.


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## nancy d

Ive never heard of retiring a doe after 5 yrs.


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## Perfect7

Okay, thank you! I was a little concerned. It must just be a personal preference, then, and not something that has to be done. Maybe because they can't show after that age in some registries? :shrug: I feel better.


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## carmen escamilla

I aso have a nanny that is age of 10 and is in the barn waiting to kid she also has either twins or triplets each time but i for one think these year will be her very last just that i think her bones will not be able to handel another year of kidden so i will mark her as a retire one i dont plan to get rid of her since she was my very first goat and was thinking how wounderful years she gave me seening her children and grandchildren have become..so im with the other ladies they can bred to u say they stop but if the give u good production i contiuned...good luck... :thumb:


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## sweetgoats

My Liz (RIP) had twins when she was 14 and she did a great job. It is a lo harder on them abd some can do it while others just can not. I have decided to retire my Penny Lane from breeding anymore. She is 10, she just had HUGE babies and is haveing a really hard time getting back to a good condition. So I decided to keep her doe this year.


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## toth boer goats

Yes ...I agree with everyone ...I have a couple of old Does... that are still producing well....I will keep them until they stop producing for me.... :greengrin:


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## Perfect7

Thank you everyone. I called about a doe who was going to turn 6 this year and was told they were retiring her from breeding (reason for selling), and did I just hear how old they said she was? I definitely appreciate the honesty at warning me off from such an "old doe" to add to my herd, but I was a little confused. I went elsewhere and bought a younger doe but another of my does just turned 6 and I was wondering if she should even be bred again in the fall. Good to know she can! :wahoo:


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## nancy d

Maybe they had a reason for retiring her at such an early age, kidding problems possibly?


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## Perfect7

Maybe, and I also thought maybe breeding for 3 kiddings in 2 years could have taken a toll (not sure if that's the situation or not, just a guess). They asked my plans for her and I said breeding, and that was that. It's nice to hear that other senior does have gone on to kid at 10 and beyond. That's a testament to how well you all take care of your girls!


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## Maggie

I have noticed some of the bigger breeders around here doing the same thing, selling off a lot of their older stock. I had been staying away from anything near the age of 5 until I did some more research and found a lot of does are breeding til they are 12 if not over bred. We just bought a 5 year old doe and I was considering her in her prime! She is in great shape body wise, her udder is just low and ugly though. She has 2 big bucklings at her side right now and my only concern with her is that she is getting fat.


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## Perfect7

My 6 year old doe is in great shape as well, but also has an awful udder. It looks like she's carring around an entire gallon (or more) of milk between her legs. The attachments are just shot, it seems. Right after kidding her teats were mere inches from the ground and she's a pretty tall doe. No worries about producing enough milk but the poor kids would suffocate trying to get it. I had to help feed them for a few days and, fortunately, her udder came up a bit in that time. They're big kids and still can't keep her even partially drained. :laugh: But health wise, she's in very good shape and has no problem delivering big kids. I'm glad I don't have to think about retiring her! :hi5:


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## GoatGirlMO

Many top breeders remove their does from their breeding programs at 5 years of age simply because their herd has moved past those older does. Most producers have limited resources-- space, forage, feed, $$$, time, etc. and can only keep a certain number. That number may be 5 or 50 or 500, but as the new, better does become of age and start producing, the older does must go. 

So sometimes it's not that they are "retiring" them from breeding, but "retiring" them from the herd. Everyone has different ideas about improving their herd.


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## Perfect7

:thumbup: That does make sense as well. Thank you!


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## StaceyRosado

to me at 5 they should have their forever home so I plan that into my buying and retaining. It doesnt mean I wont breed past 5 it just means I dont plan on selling a doe thats older then 5. I may if the right home arrises but I think that at that point they do start to loose their resell value due to the fewer years left in their breeding ability. Some does do breed past 10 but on average its not the norm. Kidding does take its toll on does


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## Perfect7

Thank you, Stacey. All of the different perspectives are great! To me it just seemed like a good opportunity to buy excellent bloodlines in a price range I could actually afford to improve our herd. I was thinking at best 4 more kiddings out of her with twins, and retaining those does. Even if I got one kidding, it would have been worth it because those bloodlines would always be in the herd if we got a doe. :wink: 
And I agree, I cannot see getting rid of my older does once they have served us so well. They deserve to walk the pastures in peace.


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## StaceyRosado

Yes its a great opportunity. If someone is selling then go right ahead.


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## Burns Branch Boers

I wholeheartedly agree with the advice here. I just purchased two 5 year old does. They are my "foundation" does and I will not sell them. They will be the "chosen" does and even when they are done kidding for us they will be permanent residents  I also read that they can breed into the teensk, but I think 10 to 12 (depending on the health of the particular doe) is long enough


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