# Age of 1st breeding?



## 49693 (Oct 4, 2020)

My Nubian Doe is 8ish months old. We re wanting to breed her but dont want to too soon. Whats the proper age of the 1st breeding yr. Thanks!


----------



## KST Goat Farm (Jul 29, 2019)

I like to breed my young does when they are at least a year old or over 90 pounds. 
Your doe is 8 months old so if she were mine I would not breed her unless she is over 90 pounds.


----------



## 49693 (Oct 4, 2020)

KST Goat Farm said:


> I like to breed my young does when they are at least a year old or over 90 pounds.
> Your doe is 8 months old so if she were mine I would not breed her unless she is over 90 pounds.


So could I breed her in the spring?


----------



## Michaela Van Mecl (Sep 3, 2018)

Nubians are seasonal breeders and likely will not go into heat in the Spring.... You will probably have to wait until Fall 2021


----------



## KST Goat Farm (Jul 29, 2019)

Beth Stevenson said:


> So could I breed her in the spring?


I think you could if she goes into heat.


----------



## goatblessings (Jan 6, 2015)

Track her weight - also, her mentality - is she more mature or skiddish, young in her mind? What is the length and width of rump and mom's history. You may be able to do a December ish breeding for very late spring kids. The latest mine have cycled is January. Keep her on fabulous minerals and great nutrition if you decide to breed and not hold her over until next year.


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I prefer any young doe to be at minimum of 1 year old and of good size.

I myself wait until they are 1.5 years old.


----------



## Courtney De St Jean (Apr 18, 2019)

Depends on the doe. A lot of people wait until a year old, for me I look more for width than weight (but definitely need to be a certain weight). I don't usually breed before a year old, it's like a 12 year old human having a kid, while she can technically do it, it isn't the best for a developing body. Nubians tend to mature physically until around 2, so personally I would wait until next fall unless. But I know a lot of successful goat breeders will do before a year old so really up to you.


----------



## Ranger1 (Sep 1, 2014)

I breed at 90-100 pounds.


----------



## daisymay (Feb 13, 2017)

i have Nigerian dwarfs, i breed between 1-2 yrs, depending on doe and season. so almost a year and a half to 2.5 when kidding for the first time.


----------



## Kass (Apr 26, 2020)

I am breeding a 10 month 45 pound give or take nigerian doe this fall.


----------



## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

I like waiting 18 to 24 months to breed my girls. Weight also is factored in. I have both large breed and nigies..goes for either breed.


----------



## goatblessings (Jan 6, 2015)

I really think knowing your lines is very important. I have some that are fast growers, and some that are more slow growing and need more mineral support. Even though you may have two of the same size, knowing the history , especially of the dam is important.


----------



## Calistar (Jan 16, 2017)

I wait until they're a year old. But since they're usually born in spring and I don't breed until fall, most of my young does don't actually get bred until they're about 1.5 years old and kid just shy of 2 years old. Anything less than a year just doesn't look mature enough to me, although as others have said there are lines that mature differently. I raise nigerians.


----------



## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

I have several bloodlines that are huge and I used to breed their first fall/80 pounds or more. Because of my work schedule, I waited until their 2nd fall to breed the past 2 years and ended up with these HUGE, fat ginormous does, even when they are fed just hay. Next year it will be back to first fall for these behemoths.


----------



## CountyLineAcres (Jan 22, 2014)

You should consider both age and weight. For us, we won’t breed before 12 months and not under 100lbs. If we just went by weight, some of our 4 month old does are 90lbs already, and that’s just way too young to breed.


----------



## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

CountyLineAcres said:


> You should consider both age and weight. For us, we won't breed before 12 months and not under 100lbs. If we just went by weight, some of our 4 month old does are 90lbs already, and that's just way too young to breed.


Same! 
Just some advise, if you are new to goats, I would go ahead and wait to 18-24 months and make sure they are nice and wide girls. My first kidding ever was a young small doe and there was complications. I still to this day (11 years later) am so upset over that kidding. Now I totally could have handled it, back then I had no clue and learning on a small doe without much room was a nightmare.....like to the point kidding went from something I was totally looking forward to, to down right dreading. So I say give the doe time, get some deliveries under your belt and then go from there


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

:nod::up: Ditto, ditto.


----------



## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

I prefer to breed around six months old _if I can_. I've had no problems breeding mine young since my doelings are usually well over 80 lbs. by the time I'm ready to breed in late fall/early winter. Like Lottsagoats1, I've had problems with my yearlings being excessively fat and this year they're developing precocious udders (which I hate!). My only problem is that I prefer to limit my kids every year, so lately I've had to skip breeding my babies because I've got so many older ones to breed (the yearlings HAVE to get bred to avoid exacerbating the above-mentioned problems).

I've currently got one late May doeling who was a singleton from a high producing-mother that is starting to look as big as my yearlings! She's for sale and I'm going to strongly advise whoever buys her to please go ahead and breed her this season or she's almost certainly going to be obese and precocious by this time next year, which could set her up for problems. My first little doeling had to get bred a year earlier than what I originally planned because she kept running away from home in search of a buck every time she came into heat, and she was starting an udder at 8 months old. I decided breeding was in her best interest even if it wasn't in mine. So really, it all depends on your goat and your situation.


----------



## goatblessings (Jan 6, 2015)

Damfino - you've pointed out some great experiences, and what I see is that you know your lines well. For the OP - if she doesn't it may be in her best interest to wait......


----------



## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

Well, I didn't know anything about the lines on the first doeling I ever purchased, but I could see what was going to happen if I didn't get her bred ASAP! Every three weeks she would disappear and I'd find her half a mile down the road gazing longingly into my neighbor's buck pen. I knew I'd end up with some unwanted Boer/Alpine babies if I didn't go ahead and find her an appropriate date!


----------



## AlabamaGirl (Jun 18, 2020)

CountyLineAcres said:


> If we just went by weight, some of our 4 month old does are 90lbs already, and that’s just way too young to breed.


How much do your adults weigh?


----------



## CountyLineAcres (Jan 22, 2014)

AlabamaGirl said:


> How much do your adults weigh?


They vary depending on the genetics. We have fully grown adults anywhere from 150 to well over 200lbs+. Our 2020 doelings are sired by a new bloodline, and I’m expecting them to be some of our biggest adults yet.


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I agree.


----------

