# When to wean Boer kids?



## Newbygoatman (Oct 29, 2009)

Hi Boer goat world

I was just wanting the opinion of all of you experienced Boer goat breeders. The question is this; at what age can I sucessfully wean my kids? I have a small group of almost 4 month old 3/4 Boer kids that have grown really fast, all are eating plenty of hard feed and I'd love to move their mother nannies on, however thats without their kids suffering. The young nanny kids are my future breeders and I want their growth to be perfect.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Now is a good time. I wean mine between 3-4 months. Never before 3 months and not after.......usually if I'm keeping them it's 4 and if they are sold its more like 3 months


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

The soonest is 2.5 months old but, I prefer around 3 to 4 months.


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## Lstein (Oct 2, 2014)

Same, in between that 3-4 month range


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## sweetlifegoats (Jan 24, 2014)

I've got a question about this to - my first year I left babies on moms for 13-15 weeks and when I pulled them moms were so run down even though they had great hay, 18 % protein feed and even some calf manna. 
So the last two years I've been pulling the boys when they reach 45 to 55 pounds usually 8 to 10 weeks.
The girls I left a little longer if I plan to keep or sell as a breeder but I did pull a couple at 10 weeks because they were 60 plus pounds.
I don't like doing it that young but my babies are so big. My does are 120 to 200 pounds. So if they have twins or triplets on them they are almost nursing babies that cumulatively weigh more than them. 
Do you think it impacts their overall size or health ?The daughters I've kept seem good sized but their only yearlings now. I raise boer goats. The babies all get creep feed and eat it like crazy.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Your momma's may of had worms and/or cocci as to why they get ran down even being fed good early on. They do lose condition after a period of time, but as I mentioned prior, 2.5 months is the soonest and they do well by then, any earlier they won't have a good start and won't do as well.


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## Pydades (Apr 1, 2016)

I wean mine at 3 months


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## Newbygoatman (Oct 29, 2009)

Thankyou for the replies everyone, you make a lot of sence!


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Some of mine get run down looking too, they are just good moms and give it all to their kids. They are not walking skeletons just on the thin side but it doesn't take long for them to get meat on their bones once the kids are off, at least with mine anyways. So I don't stress about it to bad. The one doe I have now did a fantastic job of raising triplets on her own and it did take its toll on her so as soon as the kids hit 3 months I took one off, next week the other and on sunday it will be another week and the last gets off of her.......I did it this way so her udder doesn't suffer over all the kids coming off at once


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