# How old does a buck have to be to breed?



## brogerschwiler (Jan 1, 2014)

How old does a buck have to be to breed a doe? I am looking at getting a buckling that is about a month old but old will he have to be to breed my does? 


hobby farmer of 6 pygmy goats, 15 chickens and 3 ducks

part of the clearview dairy 4H club


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## harleybarley (Sep 15, 2014)

For my herd, 5 months old is the magic age. Supposedly, it can happen as soon as the buck can "extend" but my uber-fertile buck didn't sire anything until 5 months. My other buckling started getting the idea around 5 months, too. 

And I don't recommend that. They're still growing and I'm not confident that their systems are producing quality sperm so young. My buck is linebred and produces a very definite type, but his first kids were not up to his subsequent quality.


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## dreamacresfarm2 (May 10, 2014)

I think month is s bit young - 6/8 months seems the usual age. Some mature slower and some faster. They have to be able to fully extend their penis to breed. For mine that is around 4/5 months of age. My little Nubian buckling is trying for the youngest on the farm, he is 5 weeks old and extending about 1-2 inches. too bad I don't have any Nubian does-


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## brogerschwiler (Jan 1, 2014)

okay thanks everyone and I know a month is too young I was wondering how much longer so I have an idea of when to breed! I might be going tomorrow to look at a black Pygmy buckling


hobby farmer of 6 pygmy goats, 15 chickens and 3 ducks

part of the clearview dairy 4H club


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## J-TRanch (Jan 31, 2014)

Depends on the breed. Smaller 'mini' sizes mature a lot faster than the standard size goats. 

What breed is he?


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## RaineyDayFarms (Oct 10, 2013)

Mine started trying at 6 weeks. I had to wean him at 8 weeks because he was so bad. He's a very persistent little guy and at 3 months he squeezed into the doelings pen and bred one(so thankful for lute). 

I don't think this is the norm though. Form what I've read its usually 5-6 months.


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## brogerschwiler (Jan 1, 2014)

He is a Pygmy 


hobby farmer of 6 pygmy goats, 15 chickens and 3 ducks

part of the clearview dairy 4H club


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## J-TRanch (Jan 31, 2014)

I've had a pygmy breed his mom at 6 weeks but usually at around 4-5 months they can breed multiple does easily.


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

I would figure that you could use him for breeding around 7 or 8 months old as long as you don't expect him to breed a large number. Here is a pretty decent article: http://www.extension.org/pages/19720/goat-reproduction-puberty-and-sexual-maturity#.VJjcEV4AU


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## J-TRanch (Jan 31, 2014)

Last year we had a 4 month old buckling breed 21 does.  If that answers your question. He had them all bred in 3 days.


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## harleybarley (Sep 15, 2014)

J-TRanch said:


> Last year we had a 4 month old buckling breed 21 does.  If that answers your question. He had them all bred in 3 days.


Yeah, but how many days 'til he stopped smiling? :cake:


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## J-TRanch (Jan 31, 2014)

harleybarley said:


> Yeah, but how many days 'til he stopped smiling? :cake:


I'm sure he was smiling year round lol!!!!


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## brogerschwiler (Jan 1, 2014)

I'm going to pick up this cutie today! he's still young so I will have to wait a bit before he can get busy but I think it will be better and then it give my girls time to grow and get to there ideal size before breeding! I think his name is going to be moose

hobby farmer of 6 pygmy goats, 15 chickens and 3 ducks

part of the clearview dairy 4H club


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Very cute!


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

Oh my! He is super cute! And I love the name Moose!


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## brogerschwiler (Jan 1, 2014)

hobby farmer of 6 pygmy goats, 15 chickens and 3 ducks

part of the clearview dairy 4H club


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## brogerschwiler (Jan 1, 2014)

So he is just 5 weeks old so he will need to be bottle fed.. I went to my local tsc and they don't have any milk replacer... so I think I should get some whole milk from the store but how much should I feed him and would twice a day be enough? 


hobby farmer of 6 pygmy goats, 15 chickens and 3 ducks

part of the clearview dairy 4H club


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

Did you not get any of what he was eating? It would be best for him if you could mix and change him over gradually. Barring that, however, I'd do several times a day small amounts to help him adjust...for at least a few days. I've heard that you can put a pinch of baking soda in one bottle a day to help his tummy stay settled.


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## brogerschwiler (Jan 1, 2014)

he was with his mom but the people said that he wasn't drinking much from her and that she wasn't letting the babies drink much from her, they said he had started eating some hay and grain 


hobby farmer of 6 pygmy goats, 15 chickens and 3 ducks

part of the clearview dairy 4H club


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## brogerschwiler (Jan 1, 2014)

So maybe just feed a few bottle a day of whole milk and add a little baking soda in one bottle and see how that goes?


hobby farmer of 6 pygmy goats, 15 chickens and 3 ducks

part of the clearview dairy 4H club


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

That's what I would probably do...but I'll admit, I don't do bottle babies if I don't have to! He still needs milk for a few more weeks, but I'm afraid if you just give him a full bottle a couple times a day you'll end up with a baby with a BAD tummy ache! If you give just a little several times until he gets use to it his tummy ache might not be as severe. That's my reasoning anyway... I wonder about getting the canned goats milk and mixing that to begin with? Then gradually transitioning to the whole cows milk?


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## harleybarley (Sep 15, 2014)

Did they bottle train him for you? Getting a dam-raised goat to take the bottle is a project.


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## J-TRanch (Jan 31, 2014)

If he's been on his dam for 5 weeks, Its going to be pretty hard to get him on a bottle. I would just feed a few ounces every few hours for a few days and work your way up. Get some raw goats milk if you can. I have heard of several people weaning bucks at 6 weeks old if they're acting really bucky. Maybe he would be fine without a bottle at all. Would grow slower--but would catch up later. 

Maybe alfalfa pellets and kid grower grain. Make sure hes on di-methox or something for cocci prevention since he is going to be super stressed for a few days.


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## brogerschwiler (Jan 1, 2014)

No they didn't bottle train him... your right he might be fine and not even be interested in the mill anymore but I'll keep trying and see what happens, it's just that he is so tiny! I got a bottle baby last year around the same age as him and she had been on a bottle from birth and she was even bigger than him! 


hobby farmer of 6 pygmy goats, 15 chickens and 3 ducks

part of the clearview dairy 4H club


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I would keep working to get him on a bottle.


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## StevenC (Jul 11, 2014)

Here's my little buck I bought him a week or so ago at 3 1/2 months. Planning on letting him start to breed in February at 5 months. Don't know about the whole summer baby thing though.

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. (*Matthew‬ *6‬:*33‬ NLT)


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Cute little guy!


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## harleybarley (Sep 15, 2014)

If he won't take a bottle, see if he'll drink milk from a bowl.

I've gotten older kids on the bottle, it's challenging but it can work. I get down on the floor and cover their bodies like a mama goat. Put the nipple in their mouth, dribble a little milk in their mouth so they understand the bottle has milk. Make sucking noises, and rub the baby's head with your chin. Repeat often. They'll fight, but their resolve weakens as they get hungry. Use goat milk to start, because they know the taste.


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## brogerschwiler (Jan 1, 2014)

Okay I will try that for tonight's feeding, I did this afternoon get him to start sucking on the bottle and put it in his mouth without him chewing it or spitting it out so we are defiantly making progress 


hobby farmer of 6 pygmy goats, 15 chickens and 3 ducks

part of the clearview dairy 4H club


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

How's it going? It can be pretty challenging getting them to suck on a bottle at that age, but it can be done. If he's eating grain and hay, that's a good thing. But I still say if you can get him to take a bottle that would be best. It sounds like you are making some progress too since he didn't spit it out earlier. Are you using honey or molasses on the nipple to make him want to have it in his mouth?


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## brogerschwiler (Jan 1, 2014)

Well we are making great progress this afternoon I tried putting molasses on the nipple and he drank 1.5 ounces and normally he won't even drink .5 ounces!!! now I just have to work on getting him to not chew the nipples and rip them! but he is loving the molasses which I am glad! He went today to the vets to get his horns removed but he is feeling great munching away on his hay


hobby farmer of 6 pygmy goats, 15 chickens and 3 ducks

part of the clearview dairy 4H club


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## harleybarley (Sep 15, 2014)

That's fantastic news! It's going much better than I would have expected. What kind of nipple are you using? I try to match the nipple to the teat they had before, but you seem to be having smoother sailing than I've ever had. I could learn a thing or two!

If they chew/play with the nipple, it usually indicates that they've had enough (or they're just wondering "what is this thing?". If mom only gave him "sips" he might think an ounce and a half is darn good meal!


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

Good job! So happy to hear he is finally catching on!


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## brogerschwiler (Jan 1, 2014)

He is doing awesome now!! yesterday he drank a total of 7 oz and today so far he drank 4 oz, I barley even have to put molasses on the nipple he will just drink it without it now! When I go into his stall he comes running up to me knowing he is going to get his bottle! He loves it


hobby farmer of 6 pygmy goats, 15 chickens and 3 ducks

part of the clearview dairy 4H club


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

Way to go! :thumbup:


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## brogerschwiler (Jan 1, 2014)

so now we have another problem.. His poop! About 2 days ago it all of a sudden just comes out in one big soft roll! When I first saw it I thought it was our cats poop but it turns out it is the goat! What do I do to make it go away? Should I give him some electrolytes? He is eating his hay and grain and he gets minerals and his 2 bottles a day! What should I do?








hobby farmer of 6 pygmy goats, 15 chickens and 3 ducks

part of the clearview dairy 4H club


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Get a fecal done to include coccidia.


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## harleybarley (Sep 15, 2014)

Is he standing different? They sometimes hunch up with coccidia. I'd start treatment if he's hunching.

Moving is stressful for them, and so is weaning (he's "weaned" off mom but now on the bottle). Stress can give parasites a boost. I don't believe in routine coccidistat, but if I sell a dam-raised baby on the bottle, I recommend it because the stress increases coccidian (and worm) risk.

Do a skin pinch to check for dehydration. If any signs of dehydration, I'd give electrolytes. 

Cat poop is definitely worthy of careful attention, especially after several days. Did you increase his grain or milk serving size? I have seen "cat poop" that resolved on its own after one time; I assume it's related to excess protein in those cases (but still give the goat a look-over). But more than once is worrying (not panicking, but worrying).


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## brogerschwiler (Jan 1, 2014)

He does seem to be standing hunched, we are calling the vet tomorrow morning to see what she says If she wants us to bring him there so just bring a fecel sample but I am almost certain he has coccidia. I think it could have been because of stressing of being weaned off his mom then on a bottle and moving to a new place all at once. I'll see what the vet has to say about poor moose!


hobby farmer of 6 pygmy goats, 15 chickens and 3 ducks

part of the clearview dairy 4H club


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## brogerschwiler (Jan 1, 2014)

so we took him to the vet and she took a fecel sample but we don't know yet if he has coccidia but she treated him for it incase and she checked his temperature and it was a little high so she gave him a shot for that and also he has lice so we drenched him to kill it off. She thinks the diarrhea is just stress related but at least we are getting things under control, tomorrow I'm going to drench our other 5 goats incase they have lice 


hobby farmer of 6 pygmy goats, 15 chickens and 3 ducks

part of the clearview dairy 4H club


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## harleybarley (Sep 15, 2014)

Moving is stressful for goats! Good that you've got a vet giving advice.


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## brogerschwiler (Jan 1, 2014)

we had the vet come out today again because moose again is not doing good and this time it looks like polio... This morning he won't stand up and when he did he would just flop over and he won't eat or drink anything he just would lay down, she we called the vet and she said polio so she treated him and I have to give him another injection tonight and one tomorrow and Monday and she also said to give him 2cc twice a day of glycol to give him some energy till he starts eating good again, I have him wrapped up in blankets to keep him warm since his temperature was low but he is SO FLOPPY I went to pick him up to see if he would eat or drink but he would just cry like he has zero muscle in his body, he can only lay down!!! I have him some electrolytes and water to keep him hydrated him but I can't get him to eat! I just don't know what to do or how else to help him!!! And it turns out that he did have coccidia and a lot of it in his fecel sample! 


hobby farmer of 6 pygmy goats, 15 chickens and 3 ducks

part of the clearview dairy 4H club


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## brogerschwiler (Jan 1, 2014)

He didn't make it.


hobby farmer of 6 pygmy goats, 15 chickens and 3 ducks

part of the clearview dairy 4H club


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## Zzpygmies (Oct 31, 2014)

I'm so sorry for your loss!! At least you know you tried your best!


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## harleybarley (Sep 15, 2014)

I'm so sorry! Coccidia can be a horrible robber. (Hug)


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## LadySecret (Apr 20, 2013)

I'm so sorry your guy didn't make it. Is it possible he had floppy kid syndrome instead of polio?


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