# I can't get my new buck to breed!!



## FreckledFarmer (Oct 27, 2012)

We ditched driveway breeding this year and got our first herd sire. He is almost 8 months old (Nubian). We have 3 girls (Nubians) we are breeding him to this year. Two days ago one of these girls (the smallest of the 3 and a first freshener), went into standing heat. She was very swollen, had mucus, and was begging him for it. He would spend 10 minutes kissing on her, then mount her, do maybe one or two thrusts then roll off. There would be no sign on her that he "finished" and he didn't act like he did either. This went on for two days… and now she is no longer in heat. Now another girl is in standing heat (second freshener and much larger than him), she is very annoyed with his constant kissing and no action. She keeps trying to get under him and is humping him. We weren't sure he was even making contact with her so we put him up on a very sturdy ramp that is the perfect height and he down right refuses to mount her on the ramp… just sits there doing his rut thing. I AM SO FRUSTRATED and so are the girls. I'm not sure what to do at this point.


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

It takes them a bit of time to get it right at 8 months old. Unless you absolutely need to have kids born in March then I wouldn't worry too much - he will likely get the job done on the next heat cycle. I would just leave him with them right through November at least.


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

8 months isn't that old. He's still trying to figure out his body really works and what he wants to do with it! While they CAN breed when they are younger....a lot of times it's an accidental-did-the-right-thing-at-the-right-time kind of breeding. I'd give him another cycle or 2 with the does and see what happens. If you want them bred for absolute certain in the next cycle, you probably ought to get a more mature buck.

I'll be in the same boat with my ND buck. He's gonna be young for breeding. I'm hoping he'll figure it out quick enough to get at least my mature does bred. My FF's I'm not so concerned with


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

I agree, he is still young at 8 months. Some boys figure it out straight away, and others it takes a bit of time.  Sounds like he'll get the hang of it very soon.


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## FreckledFarmer (Oct 27, 2012)

They don't HAVE to be breed this cycle, but considering where I need to be production wise in May, it would be ideal. Last year I asked our breeder if we should get a kid or mature buck and they insisted we needed a kid so we could raise him to be gentle and easy to work with… now I'm just frustrated.


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

I'm sorry for your frustrations.


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

Do you have a local breeder or friend that has a mature buck that could cover one of your does for you so you can feel more confident? And then let your young guy keep working at the other two? He can certainly get the job done at 8 months old, but just not as efficiently as a seasoned buck!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

FreckledFarmer said:


> Two days ago one of these girls (the smallest of the 3 and a first freshener), went into standing heat. She was very swollen, had mucus, and was begging him for it. He would spend 10 minutes kissing on her, then mount her, do maybe one or two thrusts then roll off. There would be no sign on her that he "finished" and he didn't act like he did either. This went on for two days&#8230; and now she is no longer in heat.


This here sounds like he did do the deed. There are other times when you are not looking they do breed as well. So you may be seeing the sloppy part of it when you are watching them, because he was already satisfied prior, but wants to flirt and do what bucks do. 
It only takes a thrust or two to get it in there and done, that's it.

When you say, he doesn't look that he finished, what do you mean by this?

If you see the Doe hunched and he may throw his head back that is the deed for sure. If the weather is hot, they may breed more throughout the night. 2 days is how long some Does stay in season.

Write down on the calender when any doe was in heat, then count 18 to 21 days and see if they come back in. If on the 22nd day no action, you know the deed was done.

I bet he already serviced them.


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## FreckledFarmer (Oct 27, 2012)

They don't run together because I have several does (specifically this year's babies.. we wait until they are 18 months to breed the first time) that I don't want him to breed. He is in a back pasture with a buck that we just weathered yesterday (he was one of these year's kids and is 6 months old). All of the girls are in a really large pasture together with the guard llamas. We have a kid pin, but it shares a fence with the big pasture and I hear stores of bucks breeding goats through fences. So in order to breed I close up everyone in the barn and have the doe in heat out in the pasture. I leave them for about and hour then put him back. I've been doing that 2 or 3 times a day since the first girl went into heat.


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## FreckledFarmer (Oct 27, 2012)

He isn't throwing his head back like I'm used to seeing… He literally just rolls off of her. I just see no evidence that he has done anything. I've only bred to mature bucks and that is what I am used to seeing though


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

To increase your chances of success I would just run the three does you want bred with him full time for at least 4 weeks. Young bucks need the practice. I personally wouldn't be worried about him fence breeding the yearlings if he has three does to keep him occupied but obviously that is an individual decision!


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## springkids (Sep 12, 2013)

I used a 8 month old buck last year and he bred all 15 of my does.
Mid way during breeding season 3 does didn't settle first cycle and he bred them when they cycled back. Everyone kidded within a 4 week span. If I am remembering the dates right.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Not all does take the 1st go around this is true.

If you want certain does bred, I would try to have an area just for them to ensure pregnancy. Leave them together until at least they are checked 18 to 21 days later, if they do not come into heat they are most likely bred. If he doesn't have enough time with the does, that window can be lost. Especially if he is just learning.


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## takethelead (Dec 18, 2013)

I would put the does you want bred in the buck pen with the buck and wether. In my experience in the bucks are without any females and feeling particularly bucky they will breed through the fence but I would think with him being occupied with 3 girls it wouldn't happen. 

It is your decision though. Bucks do need practice. I've had a buck not want to mount anything till he was a little over a year.


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## FreckledFarmer (Oct 27, 2012)

The wether has only been a wether for a day. I thought about putting them in there with the bucks, but I don't want the wether to get the girls pregnant (since one is his mother), although he is quite sore today so I'm not sure he will be in the mood. I guess that is what I will do next cycle, once I am sure he is sterile


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## HerdQueen (Oct 15, 2012)

You said he rolled off. Or just got off?(no pun intended) I used a 6 month old buckling to bred 2 years ago. He rolled off and passed out his first time breeding a doe.


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## J.O.Y. Farm (Jan 10, 2012)

^ I had one that fell off and landed on his back sitting their quite dayzed for a bit.. He too was about 6 months and first doe..


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## FreckledFarmer (Oct 27, 2012)

lol.. thats too funny. I'm not sure how to describe it. He didn't hop on hop off.. He would hope on, pump once or twice, then just kinda slide off to the side. He almost seems defeated to me… but I could be projecting lol. The vet was out here yesterday (wethering the buck, rabies shots, etc) and she saw him and said the needed more power.

When the girls were bred to a mature buck last year there was "stuff" coming out for days. I have not seen anything this time around.


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## takethelead (Dec 18, 2013)

My buck does the same thing when he's tired from breeding.


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## HerdQueen (Oct 15, 2012)

.^^ I agree that is how my bucks are when they are tired from breeding. So that leads to the question why is a buck that is not with the does so tired? Could be he and whether buddy practice to much on each other. Could be he could use a feed increase although amount won't be as helpful as higher energy feed(my rutting bucks won't touch hay right now but they will eat concentrate). He may benefit from a BoSE injection. And sometimes when my boys seem just exhausted I cheer them on doesn't always work but its worth a try.


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## takethelead (Dec 18, 2013)

HerdQueen said:


> . And sometimes when my boys seem just exhausted I cheer them on doesn't always work but its worth a try.


^^ haha everyone thinks I'm crazy when I do that.


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

Medicinal cayenne is supposed to increase libido. I give all of my bucks GI Soother (from Fir Meadow, it has cayenne in it) before and after they breed to support them.


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

One more thing to keep in mind - some bucks like to breed at night. I had my doe in with a buck for a month. I never saw him "get her" during the day, even when she stood. He'd do the same thing you're describing. But one morning I came out and she had discharge from breeding. I guess some boys just like lovin' in the moonlight. :laugh:


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Ah, the romance, LOL. Yep, some bucks don't like breeding in the heat of the day and will wait until evening or night or light of day, when it is cooler.
I had one buck who did that. :-D


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## J-TRanch (Jan 31, 2014)

My seven month old buck has bred some of our does. (Nubian) 
Nubians are discrete and aren't as "frisky" as Nigerians. He should be matured already and I'm sure they will be bred if you leave him be. 
I'm a nubian breeder and have talked to a few nubian breeders myself since I didn't think my buck was getting the job done either! Turns out he was!


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J-T Ranch Dairy Goats
NW KS
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