# When to breed



## Redboer (Jan 21, 2011)

Hi all,
I've been stressing myself trying to decide when to breed a group of does as the breeding season is getting pretty late, so I thought maybe an outside thoughts would help. I have 3 does that will be yearlings the first week of march. They are all short stocky girls, at least 100 pounds. Should I breed them the beginning of february before they are a year old or wait and breed for fall kids? And where would that put me for next years kidding?


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## Springbett Farm (Jan 5, 2011)

I would just let them grow a bit more and breed in the fall. Then you'd have spring kids from more physically mature does. jmo


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## RPC (Nov 6, 2009)

What are you planning on doing with the kids once they are born. That is my main question. If your program is just for feeding out market kids then you can breed anytime but I breed for 4-H kids. So I want January- February kids. If it were me in my situation I would just wait but for you this might be the time. I like winter kiddings because I have heard the kids usually do better since the cold kills most parasites. The only tricky part is you need to be there for all kiddings or the kids can freeze. I hope this helps more then it confuses you.


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## Redboer (Jan 21, 2011)

I'd like to keep a few doelings out of them to use as breeding stock. The others would be for resale for show or breeding. And all bucklings will be sold. I also have to plan as I only have 3 kidding stalls. I'd rather not use our lower barns for kidding due to the ridiculous amountt of theft in our area, it would be too easy to grab a kid by the road. I have 2 does due april/may whose kids are for market. And 2 due early june, whose doelings I will also keep. And 3 more does that will not be ready to breed until next fall.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Hi there... :wave: 

Your Does are big enough to breed at the end of Feb.... if you wanted to do that.... 

But......With next years kidding....it may put a damper on things....I try to breed 1x a year... because....... it is easier on the Does...as they need that break to recoup.... so you have to really think it over on when they would take and kid.... as to when you breed the whole heard....or.... you can split them up.. and have some... other times of the year...... :wink:


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## Redboer (Jan 21, 2011)

I definately need to break the herd up as far as kidding. I was trying to make a chart his morning to figure out where it would put me as far as kidding season for 2012 too. 
How long do you usually wait to rebreed your does after weaning toth boer?


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## Desert Viking Ranch (Jan 17, 2011)

If your does are over 100lbs and 12 months old you are fine for breeding them. A Boer doe should be between 70%-75% of her mature weight before breeding the first time at a _minimum_. They can reach up to 200lbs so it really depends on your genetic line and taking averages from birth weekly/monthly to help determine how heavy they will get (lots of time and record keeping). I like to wait at least until they are 10 months and their weight should be well over this mark - if not I wait till 12 months old. They can reach sexual maturity at 5 months so at 12 it would almost be a natural cycle for them anyway. The easiest example would be if you expect their mature weight to be 100lbs you can breed them when they reach 70-75lbs. This is considering you are looking to sell market goats where your goal is to make as many as possible with the fastest weight gain in approx 90-120 days prior to market.

If you are targeting both market and show (like me) then volume isn't as big of a deal and you can wait longer with some. I have commercial grade does that breed sooner and more often and registered does that I breed once a year (approx) for show times.

The when part of the equation is a very open-ended question with many different answers depending on the show and market times in your area. Check with local 4H and FFA and see when the best time to breed for them is.

Selling for meat considerations:
1. Selling your goat to auctions - check for time frame to backwards plan when to breed
2. Selling to dealers or wholesalers - check the dealer/wholesaler
3. Selling to cooperatives - usually a year 'round event
4. Direct sales - usually a year 'round event (depending on holiday times)

Here is a quick rundown of holiday dates for 2011:

Jan 01 - New Years
Jan 06 - Epiphany (Greek)
Mar 20 - Birth of the Prophet (Islamic)
Apr 19-26 - Passover
Apr 24 - Easter (both Christian and Orthodox this year)
Aug 1 - Ramadan (Islamic - month of fasting, supply before)
Aug 31 - Ramadan ends (Eid al Fitr)
Sep 29 - Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year)
Nov 6 - Festival of Sacrifice (Islamic - Eid ul Adha)
Nov 24 - Thanksgiving
Dec 21-28 Chanukkah (Jewish)
Dec 25 - Chirstmas

These dates change somewhat every year but give you a general idea of target dates should you want to market for these holidays. They are not all the important dates but give a good general idea. I am very close to the Mexico border and have a very large potential Hispanic client base and they really buy almost all year long - any family specific event (birthday for example) can trigger a sale. Cinco de Mayo (May 5th) is another big holiday here where goat is consumed. You also need to be aware of how old they should be, weight and if they should be intact or not.

I am trying to paraphrase 100's of pages of documents that I have referenced in the past and I can send you them or post them online for download (easier than large email attachments) if you like. Hope this helps some :thumb:


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## jodief100 (Jan 15, 2011)

Your girls are big enough now. With full size goats they should reach 80 lbs before thier first kidding. 

I rebreed when the does are back in good condition. Some does this is a few weeks after weaning, others it is a few months. 9-12 months is a "normal" cycle for me. Over 12 months and they are culled. I do make adjustments to this based on situations and individual animals. Summer born kids tend to take more out of momma than winter born ones so those who have difficulty with condition I try to not have kid in June, July or August. 

I sell market meat goats so it is to my advantage to kid year round when possible. If I were trying to hit a specific market I might do it differently.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

> How long do you usually wait to rebreed your does after weaning toth boer?


 About 6 months or so.... depending on...If I want... winter kids or spring kids... :wink:


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