# Selling babies questions



## emmaandoscar (Jan 20, 2013)

Hi all,

Well, I finally had my first kids! This has been a long time coming and a learning process along the way. My plan was to have babies so I have milk and to sell the babies after they're weaned.

Will Mama's automatically wean their babies? 
If so, at what age does that typically happen?

I am struggling with what's going to happen when I separate the mama's from babies for when I sell them. I can't imagine the mama's or babies will be too happy. Anyone else struggle with this? Kind of hurts my heart a little, seeing how bonded they are to each other.

What are your experiences with raising babies with mama's and then selling them?

I'm just trying to get prepared. I have 2 kids now....one 8 days old and one 6 days old. 

Thanks everyone!


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

They will nurse as long as you let them. I wean and sell kids at three months. They adjust to their new homes/life without their babies just fine.


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## Lstein (Oct 2, 2014)

There will be some vocal goats for a couple days, maybe less if you are selling them right away. I also wean and sell at 3 months.


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## JK_Farms (Nov 12, 2016)

I let me does wean the doelings or if I see the doelings not nursing much I'll put them up for sale. Moms don't really seem to mind. The bucklings get put in with my bucks when they start doing to much humping and seems to be extending.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

From all the years of goats. None of them will naturally wean them, so I have to separate, for 1 month, they do dry off, but even then, the doeling kids will try to suckle again and mostly all Mamma's will allow this. So thereafter for a while, I have to tape the teats until the kids get the hint. 
I hate weaning time, it is a sad, but needs to be done so the Doe can recoup, gain weight back and prepare for the next breeding time.

Kids lose their voices from yelling, but after about 1 week, things settle down.


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## JK_Farms (Nov 12, 2016)

Really? You've never seen them wean naturally? Mine wean their kids all the time. That's weird.


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

My kids always nurse until I sell them, be that at 3 months, 1 year, whenever.


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## emmaandoscar (Jan 20, 2013)

JK_Farms said:


> Really? You've never seen them wean naturally? Mine wean their kids all the time. That's weird.


How old are yours when the mama's wean them?


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## JK_Farms (Nov 12, 2016)

I had one momma wean her twin boys at 2 months. That one's sister weaned her twins at 3 months. The others normally wean their kids around 3-4 months and I've only had a problem with one doe weaning but she ends up weaning at 5 months. Even tho I pull her boys at 2 months cause hers always ends up extending then


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## ShireRidgeFarm (Sep 24, 2015)

In my experience, a doe will be very unhappy to see her kids sold at a young age (about less than 8 weeks or so) but after the 8 to 10 week range both the moms and the kids are far more comfortable going out on their own. None of my does last year were bothered to see their kids leave at 10 weeks of age. 

I kept three babies from last year and their moms did eventually wean them on their own. It took a LONG time, though, and the kids were probably 7 months old or so - and fat!


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## JK_Farms (Nov 12, 2016)

They don't ever seem bothered by it. I've never had one cry for her baby when they're sold not even FF.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

It goes a lot better if kids are weaned by selling. My does usually cry around for the first day and then go on with life. The ones that I keep OMG!! It seems to go on forever! I think I have to agree on the week time line. Even then they still will go to the fence line to check on each other.
They will so so not wean their kids on their own. Maybe few and far between will but it's not common. I weaned a does kid at 4 months old. I kept them apart because they needed to be weaned and then I had the buck in with the mom so they were apart for 7 months, that doe lost her kids and that little snot of a kid from last year went back to nursing her! I have another one that stays close to her mom but so far have not seen her nurse and her kids this year are growing well


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## JK_Farms (Nov 12, 2016)

Wow that's crazy! But they will wean there kids on there own mine do!


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

So far, all of mine will wean their own. I don't need the milk, so that is fine with me. 5-6 months all of them are weaned, but still very emotionally close to mom, who is still emotionally close to grandmom. They will form family groups. 

I do have a couple of new-to-me does this year and perhaps one or both of them will make me a liar. We'll see.

Weak mothering is one thing I'll cull a doe for. But I could see someone having a problem with a grandmom nursing a mom nursing a daughter! That just hasn't happened to me...yet...


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I guess I have really good mamma's, is the reason they will not wean on their own, they love their babies. 

When the next batch of babies do come along, then I see the mom's not wanting their last years kids around, especially their udders and let them know.


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