# What age is too old to breed?



## Rastus59 (Apr 12, 2013)

I have Nigerian Dwarf Goats and would like to get input on the longevity of a Doe and a Buck for breeding. What age is too old to breed either sex in your opinion? :question:


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## ciwheeles (Apr 5, 2013)

It depends on the doe. The most common age to stop at is 10, but I 'be hear of people breeding older. It depends on how good a shape the doe is in or whether the births are going smoothly. 

Bucks as a whole tend to not live as long, but with good care they can live just as long as a doe.


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

Rastus59 said:


> I have Nigerian Dwarf Goats and would like to get input on the longevity of a Doe and a Buck for breeding. What age is too old to breed either sex in your opinion? :question:


It is going to vary from doe to doe but, as a general rule of thumb, when a doe cannot maintain body condition while open, she is too old to breed. You probably won't have to worry about your buck being too old because he will probably need to be swapped out due to being related to the majority of you herd long before he reaches the age that he can't breed.


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## canyontrailgoats (Jan 4, 2014)

I heard you start watching them more closely at 6 years old, and determine from there on when the best time to retire them would be, which I found is usually around age 9.
But as said above, it comes down to the does condition and overall health.


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