So let me explain, i am gonna probably breed my goat in September, I don't have a buck but i am paying $75 to breed my doe to a buck. I'm very exited but nervous at the same time.
My question is: Is fall a good time to breed? my breeder that has the buck said to breed her in the fall so the kids could be used for show.
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Weaning is not about eating solid foods, although so many people mistakenly assume that it is. The fact is that dam-raised kids will start nibbling on solids next to their mom when they are only days old. Two months is really the absolute minimum age for weaning, but then it depends upon size of the kids. If a doe has a single or twins, they will probably be big enough to wean. But if there were more kids, or if the doe doesn't have a hearty milk supply and the kids are smaller than 20 pounds each, it's a good idea to let them nurse longer. There are no foods other than milk that can provide the calcium and protein needed for fast growth in the early months. There is also nothing else that provides the antibodies available in mom's milk, so as long as kids are on mom, they tend to be healthier (less problems with worms and coccidia, provided they are living in a clean area). As they mature, so does their immune system and they are better able to fight off "bugs" on their own.
okay, well if i breed them next month the kids will be about 4 months old and i was planning on trying to wean them at around 2-3 months old, is 2 months to young or is it okay if there eating solid foods.
Right! If she's thinking of 4-H, they have a deadline by which the members have to have the animals in their possession in order to be able to show them at the fair. It is usually a couple of months before the fair, so you just have to be sure that your kids are old enough to be weaned by then.
I'm not planning on showing the kids but my breeder said the people that buy the kids can show them, my shows start around i want to say about late June. She is a First Freshener and she ways about 45 - 50 pounds.
It depends! Are you planning to show? And if so, when are the shows in your area? Shows don't even start in Illinois until May, so when we showed, we usually went for Feb and March due dates.
The more important question, however, is how much your doe weighs, if she's a first freshener. It is really not a good idea to breed a ND doe that is less than 40 pounds.