# Best time for kidding



## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

When is your ideal month/season for kidding? Why?


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## goat girls (Dec 13, 2017)

May because it's warm enough that I don't need heat lamps and the kids have plenty of time to grow before the cold weather hits


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

My winter kids are so much stronger and have less cocci than the late Spring kids. I'll take a Jan-early March anytime. Unfortunately, 
this upcoming year will be Apr and May.


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

It depends on the purpose of the kids. If I want to sell at auction, then November/December, so they are good and big toward Easter time. To have for replacement does, later in the Spring because in my rough conditions it is a lot easier to house, feed and care for a pregnant doe than a doe and kids.


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## Calfee Farms (Oct 10, 2017)

Suzanne_Tyler said:


> When is your ideal month/season for kidding? Why?


I would love to kid out in November here in East Tennessee where the temps can be in the 50's and 60's but usually no lower than the 30's or 40's. I prefer a Winter kid crop to a Spring kid crop for these simple facts: our does produce more milk in cool weather, the internal parasites are less burdensome on momma and baby, the kids just seem to grow better in the winter, the kids are 4 or so months old when Spring and internal parasites show up, and the kids that go to the meat market around Easter when the prices are sky high have more weight and this means more $$$. Another reason, the bucklings will be ready to breed (8-9 months old) in the Fall. Here's a November born Spanish buckling this past Spring at 4 months old. He just bred 25+ commercial does last month at 9 months old.


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

@Calfee Farms - do you use CIDR or other method to get your Spanish bred in June?


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## Deborah Haney (Jul 11, 2017)

It's still pretty chilly in Seattle in May. I plan to go for June. Both of my babies are June babies.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I like April since it is a little warmer and I only have 2 goats. I used to prefer winter for the same reasons as Goats Rock when I had a larger herd.


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

March because it is easy to breed the does to kid then and it is before fly season. Unfortunately we can still get some bitter cold in March so it is sometimes very stressful depending on the weather. 

I think my ideal WOULD be October if I could easily get my does bred to kid then without hormones added


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I was doing march/ April and loved the weather! But after I lost a bunch of kids and sold the Wethers at rock bottom price at the sale that stung pretty badly. My sons fair wether also did poorly because he was so young. This year I bred back earlier for January February kids. The cold is going to suck but I should get better prices on sale yard kids and fair wether do better. I’m debating on going a little earlier again for October November kids but might wait till the following year. That would totally be ideal for me. Not to cold yet, sale at a good time at the sale and show Wethers have time to grow and build muscle.


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## goatblessings (Jan 6, 2015)

For me it depends on my market and thriftiness of the kids. Since I'm not going for a strong fair market for wethers this year, I've bred mine for March. Less bugs, a little warmer, less parasites, but not as cold as February - hopefully.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I like Match kiddings so spring grasses are best for growing kids and warmer weather. 
But, I always seem to have them in February.


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## Calfee Farms (Oct 10, 2017)

SalteyLove said:


> @Calfee Farms - do you use CIDR or other method to get your Spanish bred in June?


Breeding in June is only a wish. Reality is they won't breed until late July or early August at the very earliest. I am throwing around the idea of CIDR in 2018.


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## Goatzrule (Feb 7, 2013)

April because the kids are would be old enough to show and its during my school break


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## ALBoerGoats (Dec 27, 2015)

Calfee Farms said:


> Breeding in June is only a wish. Reality is they won't breed until late July or early August at the very earliest. I am throwing around the idea of CIDR in 2018.


I am also thinking about CIDRs for my does in 2018. I just don't know what the best protocol is for goats. I used them with my cows along with lutalyse and cystorelin but have never done it with goats.


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## TexasGoatMan (Jul 4, 2015)

We like March and April the best because of the warm weather however we can get a cold front drop down that time of the year that can cause issues but it will move out pretty fast usually with in a few days. Also the Green grasses and other plants are starting to pop up tender and sweet that the goats love and the flies are still not an issue. Although we have one doe that bred in September that one will come early. We have 2 older does and 6 yearlings first time kidders to kid this coming year. Will be exciting and worrisome at the same time. We are praying for good healthy kids and no delivery issues. We want kids to grow all summer and be as heavy as possible for those that we will sell for meat. We say we are not keeping any doelings but always seem to forget that once they get here.


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## IHEARTGOATS (Jun 14, 2016)

We have to spread ours out from Feb to late April
We bred 2 of our best this year to kid in late April to try to have them freshen about 2 months before the ADGA National Show


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## goat girls (Dec 13, 2017)

Where is the ADGA show next year?


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

Ideally, I'd love to have the kids in Feb, because we show and our kids are ALWAYS the youngest in the ring. But Feb does NOT work for us!

So....I like April. It's late enough that the snow and cold temps aren't as much of an issue. (Though we often still have snow in April). I do not have a real barn. My girls just have one stall to share. So kidding means clean bedding and one doe inside having babies. Of course last year we two go at the same time. So while I was supervising Lola in the stall my daughters were helping Aviva out in our back yard.


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## jschies (Aug 15, 2014)

I like to kid in June because I am out of school for the summer and able to watch them!


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## IHEARTGOATS (Jun 14, 2016)

goat girls said:


> Where is the ADGA show next year?


Columbus OH


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