# Breeding age for Nigerian dwarf



## Locklynfarm (Jul 6, 2019)

Hi I have been doing research but I'm wondering what others do. I have heard that 7 months is okay to breed as long as they are 35 to 40lbs. I have also heard to wait till they are a year old. If I breed this year they will be around 8 months if I wait till next year they will be 1 1/2. Some people say it's better to breed earlier with dairy goats. Just want others opinions please.
Thank you


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## NigerianDwarfOwner707 (May 17, 2018)

Wait til a year old or 40-60 pounds.


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## Morning Star Farm (Sep 26, 2018)

Locklynfarm said:


> Hi I have been doing research but I'm wondering what others do. I have heard that 7 months is okay to breed as long as they are 35 to 40lbs. I have also heard to wait till they are a year old. If I breed this year they will be around 8 months if I wait till next year they will be 1 1/2. Some people say it's better to breed earlier with dairy goats. Just want others opinions please.
> Thank you


If they are mature enough by 7 or 8 months, I'd go ahead and breed them. That is what I did, unless I was planning to take them to Nationals as dry yearlings.


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## goatblessings (Jan 6, 2015)

The only thing I would add to breeding around 8 months is Make Sure they have stellar minerals, good condition and no worm/parasite issues going into breeding. They are still developing their muscular/skeletal structure, so this is important for the younger girls.


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## Locklynfarm (Jul 6, 2019)

Can you still breed them when they are 1 1/2 or is that to late? Next year would be better for me becuase I want to get my own bucks.
Thank you


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## IHEARTGOATS (Jun 14, 2016)

I've bred some at 7 months. We breed some at a year and others at 1 1/2 years. 
If they are large enough, then it's really about when we want to have kids.
There is nothing wrong with waiting until they are 1 1/2 y/o.
They will be a lactation behind some goats if you show or participate in any other performance programs. But, you can also catch them up later by breeding 3 times in 2 years.


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## mariella (Feb 23, 2017)

I always wait until they are 18 months so they have a lot of time to mature both mentally and physically. I Think of 1 month as 1 year for my doelings so yes an 8-year-old can have babies but is she ready to have babies? Breeding to young will stunt your doelings growth which can cause other health problems, Lower resistance to parasites, mineral deficiency, and others that I can't quite remember. There is no scientific proof of any of this but I have learned from experience and watched others go throw the same.


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## Mary K (Jul 1, 2018)

Here is an interesting article by ADGA http://adga.org/dairy-goat-breeding/

Also I myself was having that debate as I have some ND doelings born earlier this year. Between reading the ADGA article & I follow Blue Cactus Dairy goats on YouTube(she also raises Nigerian Dwarfs), I am going by their weight(35-40 lbs) as well as their stature. Crystal from that YouTube channel did a video about how to tell if your doe is ready and shows how the breadth of the doe as well as how wide the hips are should play a part in deciding. So I currently have my 8 month old with one of my bucks and I have 2 others that'll be 8 months in a couple of weeks that I'm planning on putting with a younger buck I have. Then I have yet another one that's 7 months, but is growing on the slower side(she's the size of my 4 month old!); so I'm holding off on her until maybe spring or summer of next year. Great thing about the Nigies is staggered breedings are a possibility if you'd want milk year round 

And just to address your concern about waiting until next year for when you get your own bucks, I had purchased a yearling doe last year and my bucks(in my profile pic) weren't ready to service her until she was 18 months old. And she FF with triplets! So my thoughts are as long as your goats are healthy and in top condition, they shouldn't have a problem getting pregnant if you decide to wait.


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## IHEARTGOATS (Jun 14, 2016)

mariella said:


> Breeding to young will stunt your doelings growth which can cause other health problems, Lower resistance to parasites, mineral deficiency, and others that I can't quite remember. There is no scientific proof of any of this but I have learned from experience and watched others go throw the same.


If you are saying younger than 18 months that is absolutely not true.


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## mariella (Feb 23, 2017)

IHEARTGOATS said:


> If you are saying younger than 18 months that is absolutely not true.


No, I'm saying that 8 months is too young, I've bred doelings at 14 months and not had any issues.


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## Locklynfarm (Jul 6, 2019)

How long do you have to wait to breed them again after they have kidded? I'm just trying to figure out what the best option would be because my son will be showing them in a couple years.


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## mariella (Feb 23, 2017)

I wait 7 months so I have babies at the same time every year. Plus it's healthier for the mother to wait a little bit before she has to be pregnant again.


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## IHEARTGOATS (Jun 14, 2016)

mariella said:


> No, I'm saying that 8 months is too young, I've bred doelings at 14 months and not had any issues.


I disagree because I've bred does at 7 months old and not had any issues. One of my best does Taffy was bred at 7 months old and she is I think 8 year old now and going strong. Her growth was not stunted, she has had no health issues. I have several that were bred from 7 to 12 months old with no problems. Each goat is different.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

As long as the goat is of good size and health, 10-11 month breeding wont hurt however I wont breed mine until 18-24 months. I want that full growth and maturity as Maria stated and Im not in a hurry for kids or milk. Yes each goat is different and would need to be graded on their own..we shouldn't say all 10 month olds can be bred as some maybe too tiny at 10 months old. Always base your decision on the individual goat. Age, Size, Health. I would, however never suggest breeding younger then 10 months old. JMO


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

At 1 year to a year and a half is the best time, they have better size and seem to be more mature in the head too.


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## Locklynfarm (Jul 6, 2019)

Thanks everyone I think I will just wait till next year and breed them. I really want to use my own buck people charge so much over here its $100 per doe to stud and I haven't found a great one that I would be excited about so I will just buy my own buck next year.


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## GoofyGoat (Sep 21, 2018)

My belief is not to breed before 18 months, 2 of my FF will be two years old when I breed them next month. The other will be 20 months. Part of my delay was due to lack of suitable housing but the other was because I wanted to make sure they were physically and emotionally old enough. The older girls were weaned way too young so I wanted to give them enough time to mature. I'm still putting them in with a young buck. Since I don't show I'm not worried about them being behind their peers in lactation cycles.


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