# Breeding possibility???



## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Heidi is her dam Tilly's replacement and I am back and forth on wether or not she should be bred this fall....October at the earliest.
She is now 15 months old, stands 17" at the withers and weighs 32#. To me she is small and I hope she grows well in the next 4-5 months otherwise I'll have another "hayburner"
Here she is next to 8 week old Bonnie








And with Binky, Bonnies' dam








And with her mom, Tilly









And a rear shot









Tilly had a wonderful easy to milk udder with decent attachments, I hoped to continue her through her daughter....but I have reservations and am just asking opinions.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

very nice and wide -- I found that by breeding them they grew faster. I know sounds weird but Angie grew up faster then Jitterbug did and personality wise too.

She has plenty of months to grow for your sake but she isnt a bad size at all


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Thank you.....it's awful how I stress over these things this far in advance! She'll be paired with Chief as Hank is her sire and Teddy shares Tilly's dam.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Anyone else? I value all of your opinions :hug:


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## RowdyKidz (Apr 2, 2009)

I think she'd be fine. I had a really tiny doe kid fine before, probably around her height. She should be OK.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Thank you Tara....Heidi has a bit of Nigerian back in her bloodlines but she has that short wide body of a pygmy, I hope her short body doesn't cause her problems :?


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## RowdyKidz (Apr 2, 2009)

Not a problem.  I'll have to measure my does and let you know. I know this lady had a tiny tiny doe and that doe kids fine. Looks to be smaller than 17 inches. She is below my knee and my knee is like 1 foot from the ground...and she's smaller than that.


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## sparks879 (Oct 17, 2007)

I have found that my yearlings or late two year olds hit a huge growth spurt about three months into their pregnancy. Just be sure to keep her on a good quality hay and good grain ration so she can supposrt herself and her growing kids.
beth


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## ChestnutGrove (Apr 30, 2009)

She looks healthy, Like other have said - she still has some growing to do - you may be suprised with how much growing she may do this summer. I bet by Oct. you will think she is ready.

Deidre


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Thanks, I hope she grows a heap...her dam was a dream to milk and Heidi is her replacement....I hope


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## Sweet Gum Minis (Oct 6, 2007)

I breed them when I feel they're big enough and some are somewhat small. They don't look like a 3+ year old doe when they kid but they're not suppose to. There's only been one that I wouldn't have repeated last fall when breeding. But she did just fine with a single doeling. However, we do have a doeling who's accidently bred for late September. She won't be a year old then. I haven't been able to be sure whether or not she returned to heat yet or if she could be settled. I think I'll let it run its course though. She's not big though. We have a 13 month old doe out there who's the same size as she is. But that doe is small for her age and still not bred.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

there was this TINY TINY 1 year old doeling with a buck at her side that was half her size!! She was smaller then Jitterbug. But she was producing lots of milk. I will show you pictures when I post pictures on the show


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Ashley, I know that you had said that you go by the thurl, as well as the hip points,and last year with Angel's accidental breeding I panicked and you were one of those who reassured me by saying that she was wide enough...thanks, but with Heidi, I'm surprised that she isn't even as big as Angel was at 6 months old...Heidi is now 15 months old, I try to imagine a kid coming thru between her hip points and she looks big enough but I still wonder.

Thank you Stacey....I appreciate that reassurance. :hug:


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## Sweet Gum Minis (Oct 6, 2007)

I still go by that but I also go by body size. Mariposa is small in all accounts. She's grown out very well and I aim to pamper her now to ensure she can grow more. I don't want to have problems later but its possible.


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## jdgray716 (Aug 8, 2008)

Liz, she is plenty old enough if I understand right, 15 months old. As for size, I have three does on this farm right now 3 years old and all of 17' high. The last kid from Jordan you can see in the pics here. I know of two breeders in Myotonics that are getting far more for their minis right now then their standard too. Hope this helps!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Aww ...JD....what a cute little goat........so adorable... love the coloring to...  . :wink: :greengrin:


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Thank you John for the confidence! Your doe is a pretty girl!

I know that my Heidi is old enough...but even her own mother was 2x her size in weight and length at 15 months, I am thinking that may be my problem, besides thinking too much, Heidi isn't very long at all, in fact she is a compact little pygmy/nigi that is more pygmy than anything.


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## jdgray716 (Aug 8, 2008)

Just keep your buck small and you should be fine. :wink: :greengrin:


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## jdgray716 (Aug 8, 2008)

Thanks Pam, I loved him too but he had to be sold. 

There is only enough room for one small buck on this property and Jester is it. :thumb:


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I have 3 bucks here....1 of which is her sire and a pygmy....the other 2 are nigerians. I had thot of breeding her back to her sire as he throws small kids BUT it is unethical on my end to do so, My pb nigi buck has thrown small kids and he himself was a small baby...as is his dam and sire sooooo....Chief may be the lucky man come October.


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## RowdyKidz (Apr 2, 2009)

I have three boys now too!


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Heidi's measurments at this point are...Height 17" heart girth is 22 1/2" and her length from the front of her chest to the back of her rump is 20". She doesn't even reach the feed pan when in the headgate of the milkstand without a 2x4 under her front feet.


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## jdgray716 (Aug 8, 2008)

You could get some straws if you wanted to?

Just a thought...

Oh and thanks for not breeding back to dad, just something about that...NOT cool. :shocked: :roll:


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

> Thanks Pam, I loved him too but he had to be sold.


your welcome JD... oh no.......he was so handsome.....  



> Oh and thanks for not breeding back to dad, just something about that...NOT cool. :shocked: :roll:


 you've got that right.... :wink: :thumbup:


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Well, I will not be having Heidi bred, so her mama's lines have ended with Heidi and her 2 sister's.

Heidi had a weak spot on her belly just in front of her udder but not at the navel last year at 5 months old....it was like a split in the abdominal muscle with definate edges the size of a quarter. The weak spot is still there, a bit smaller but I can still feel a "hole", I fear losing her too much to have her attempt to carry kids with that weakened area. She will be another resident hayburner here at Dollys Acre.


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## jdgray716 (Aug 8, 2008)

Sorry to hear that. Could you not breed the sisters or the Dam again to keep the lines going? :scratch:


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Heidi's dam was Tilly, the doe I lost with the copper tragedy. The sisters of Heidi were sold last year, so Heidi is the only one I have.


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## jdgray716 (Aug 8, 2008)

Well, maybe things will get better. It could firm up? :? Right? :? I will prey good things for you. ray:


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Thank you JD, I just hope that it doesn't cause her any major problems regardless of her breedability ray: 

She is a sweet heart, literally a lap goat too, I'd rather have a 35# goat on my lap than a 50# dog(big puppy ):greengrin: any day.


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