# When to separate does



## heidivand (Aug 17, 2015)

I was wondering if and when you separate your does from the rest of the herd before labour. I separated my one doe she is due December 12 but she is so big, full udder, has the pooch and this is her first time kidding hence the precaution of separating her so early. She doesn't seem too impressed by me separating her 

So I was curious what everyone else's protocol on separating was.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

You might want to give her a friend. As for when I do when I used to kid in the winter I would bring them in a week before they were due. Now that I do spring kidding when it's warmer I leave them be till after they kid. I will sometimes bring them in if I think they will go that night or if it's going to rain but if not then I just leave them out in their pasture


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## luvmyherd (Apr 9, 2011)

I leave my herd together at kidding time unless the weather is really bad. One year I kept a doe in all day and all night during a terrible storm. She refused to deliver. I finally let her out in the pasture and she dropped a kid almost at once and the second soon after. It was cold and windy and they were shivering so they had to be brought in. Mom did not mind that but I firmly believe she needed to be outside to feel comfortable kidding.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Mine all kid in the community stall. They are all related and have been together their whole lives so, there are never any issues. The kidding doe will stake out a corner and the other does will avoid that corner until the kids come out to meet the herd.


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## heidivand (Aug 17, 2015)

Thanks! My herd is fairly new and I want to think that they have figured out their pecking order but I'm not sure I trust them just yet some are just savages! It is very wet where we live so the days out on pasture are limited to sunny cold days, that being said I will let the very bred does go out when that happens every once in awhile. I feel she could find a nice quiet place to kid in the pasture. The way my barn is set up we have the large pen where all the bred does are and then off of that I built kidding pens so she jumps up and visits with her friends on the other side. The other concern I had was I wanted to up her grain intake a couple weeks before kidding and that's impossible in the communal pen!


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## AncientBlue (Dec 21, 2014)

I probably won't separate my does when they kid. Other than to put the buck where he can't be an nuisance. The rest get along pretty well. The buck just acts like an idiot. Can't wait until the barn is done!


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Ugh I hear you about wanting to feed differently. I have 1 goat due in a month, all by herself! But lucky I have a old lady that needs extra so they will go together when she gets closer.


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## heidivand (Aug 17, 2015)

Yes! Because my herd is so new I have been piecing it together this year all my does are on different cycles! The majority are due Feb March but I have a couple due this month and a couple more due in January. My buck is still with them he's actually much better now that everyone is bred but the plan is still to separate him


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I leave them out with the herd during the day, where I can watch them. At night, I will stall all who look close.
They stress out too much, which isn't good, if they are separated too early and not ready, that is why I let them be out and about and watch them instead.
If it is super cold out, i watch super close and when they are acting like pre-labor(showing signs) I will put them in a stall or the barn.


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## Lstein (Oct 2, 2014)

I let mine kid with the herd, unless I catch it first, and then move them into their own panel stall that's built in the community pen in the barn her new kids. So they can still see everyone but they also get their own area to bond with babies, after a few days and assuming the kids aren't having any troubles and are much more mobile, I let them back out with the herd.


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

I thought I would be sassy and leave two does together for kidding last year, they are not sisters but have been together since birth. All went fine until the first doe dropped her kid, and the second doe, who was in early labor IMMEDIATELY claimed it as her own and was charging the true dam. It was utter chaos! Luckily the thief dropped her twins just 10 minutes later and I had gotten them separated and everyone bonded successfully. I don't think it would have happened if they weren't both in labor at the same time - but those labor hormones made her vicious and POSITIVE that large black buckling was HERS.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

SalteyLove said:


> I thought I would be sassy and leave two does together for kidding last year, they are not sisters but have been together since birth. All went fine until the first doe dropped her kid, and the second doe, who was in early labor IMMEDIATELY claimed it as her own and was charging the true dam. It was utter chaos! Luckily the thief dropped her twins just 10 minutes later and I had gotten them separated and everyone bonded successfully. I don't think it would have happened if they weren't both in labor at the same time - but those labor hormones made her vicious and POSITIVE that large black buckling was HERS.


Ugh I've had that happen. The one had triplets and the other doe Was a really good dos and would protect any kid, well she said those were hers and I'm guessing #1 doe got two away from her and when #2 doe kidded she realized the one wasn't hers lol so I had a bottle baby which was ok because I would have took one anyways. 
But they were In a pretty small pen, so maybe that's why, I haven't had that happen again having them In the big pens where they can sneak into the trees to have their babies. And that one doe is gone, she really was kinda a freak about any kids. If one cried she would gather her babies up and go to the other one to make sure it was safe


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## heidivand (Aug 17, 2015)

Well she successfully had her babies this am and is busy being a good mom!


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Very cute!


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## minibarn (Jul 20, 2010)

So adorable! Congrats!!


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

Congratulations! Buck or Does? Gosh boer kids are so sweet.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Oh congrats!!! Good sized babies too! She did a good job for you on those two


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## heidivand (Aug 17, 2015)

Thank you all! There is one of each! I'm very fond of when the boer markings hit the shoulder and the little doe has that like daddy


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