I'm wondering if you all could help me decide if I should keep Cupcake's doeling. Cupcake has proven to be an unreliable mother. She's sort of on again/off again in her interest toward her kids. She just had started to seem like she was doing better with them when we disbudded them (yesterday). We put peppermint oil on her nose before we gave them back to her and gave them to her butt first, but she still wanted nothing to do with them. She just butted them away. This morning she was full of milk. Babies were hungry and needed a bottle again. She also rejected her doeling from last year after she was disbudded.
I've decided to cull Cupcake from my herd. I'm debating keeping her daughter, but unsure if it would be a good idea. Since she's had this really rocky experience with her mom, is it likely that through learned behavior or genetics, she might not make a good mother either?
I'd love your input as I struggle to make a decision about which two of the three lovely girls I will be keeping. It's hard to choose between them! I'm sure you can all relate. :)
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Yes, I do see your point that I still have a problem in the future if (or rather, when) I decide to keep daughters of these does and doelings. I guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it, hopefully not for a while.
LOL, yes, Sham is such a one of a kind. He definitely keeps everyone here laughing with his antics! I'm pretty sure he's here to stay. I don't know if I'll be able to part with Starlight's buckling (Aspen?) either, but he'd probably be the one I'd sell in future since I need him for breeding to only one doe.
It's crazy how these little critters steal a piece of your heart! :)
Well, it sounds like you have been doing a lot of thinking, about both your goals and how to accomplish them. It also sounds like you not only have decided what you want to do but are happy with that decision. That is wonderful. It should take a load off your mind, and it sounds like a pretty smart choice also. Only bad thing about it is that you will have 1 buck that you can only breed to one doe and then your doelings out of that will still be related to both bucks. I would keep Sham also, and although it is not necessary with only 4 does to have more than 1 buck I can understand why anyone would want to go ahead and have two. I think if it were me I would however consider the possibility of selling that second buck and buying a different buck. Then you would have 1 that would not be related to any of the does. The first reason for this is obvious but a second very good reason not so obvious is this. God forbid that something happened to Sham. You would be left with only 1 buck related to 3 of your 4 does. That would put you in a difficult situation. If your second buck were not related you would also have the option (should you decide to increase your herd size later) of keeping does from either buck and breeding them back to your second buck. Please don't take this wrong, it is none of my business and you have a GOOD plan. It is just something I have been through and wish I had done differently and something to think about. By the way I like the look of that little pre-kidding udder . I think it is pretty. You know, I really like Sham, so if you change your mind, LOL, you can send HIM my way! I just think he is so darn cute! And I love his name too!
Thanks for your input, Rachel and Janel. Both of you have confirmed my suspicion that these personality traits could be passed down.
Margaret and Janel, your questions are helping me to keep in mind what I'm trying to do. So yes, you're right about all my does and their kids, and that I have no bucks. So far I know I'm keeping Sham (to breed to Starlight and any doelings I keep) and Starlight's buckling to breed to Japanzy. I intend to own and milk no more than four does. My goal, other than the ultimate animal entertainment and cuteness, is milk production.
I am going to get rid of Cupcake after she dries up, since she's not proving to have great production, capacity, or personality.
By the looks of things, Starlight is a great doe in every way. Her udder is very capacious. Here's a picture of her udder before she freshened.
She easily delivered triplets and cleaned them all up herself. Her kids are rolly polly and growing well. To top it off, she's still sweet and affectionate to us even with triplets to care for.
I'm pretty sure answering your questions has helped me decide what I'm going to do. :) I'm pretty sure I should keep Starlight's two does.
Cupcake's daughter is just so cute, it's been a hard choice to make. Especially with human kids all begging for me to keep their personal favorites. :)
Patty, can you help me make sure I have this right? I want to wrap my brain around what you are working with and what your goal is. I believe you have 3 does, No buck. Doe 1) Sham mom Doe 2) Cupcake has a doeling and buckling & Doe3) has triplets- 2doelings and 1buckling. Now if that is not correct, straighten me out please. As for your goal. Is that to come out of this with still only 3does or what? and are you keeping Sham or any others? How many total will stay with you? And are you limited for any reason on how many you need or are allowed. Just trying to get a clear picture of the situation. This is one of the hard parts. Having to cull and let go. I have a feeling I will have to move more than once to accommodate my goaties over the years. I am ok for now. Thank goodness I will not have to be limited for a couple of seasons on what I want to keep. And we were already looking at other land/farms etc. before we got our herd so we will just get more space if we need to. For right now I plan to keep everything I can for as long as I can to start with so I can see how they grow out and hopefully do some showing etc. I really want to learn the fine details of how they should look and breed for performance and conformation and I don't want to get rid of my best stock because I don't know what I am doing. Besides I like learning in general anyways. That is my main objective. I know that if I can only learn what I am suppose to be after I can breed it for sure. Problem with this I have no one close to me for a mentor, who can actually go over my herd with me. My only mentors are on this forum. I have the best, just not geographically convenient. I really want professional evaluations on my stock. Great reason to do shows I think. If I were not so computer illiterate, I would set us up a site for evaluation purposes. You know, just like a virtual show site. Maybe I can find someone later to help me with one, but I would have to do a lot of research first and also figure out how to find someone qualified to evaluate the pictures and judge them for us. But that would be so awesome. The one that exist does not have a category for NDs. Only the minis which are ND crosses so go figure that LOL!
I got lucky with my goats, because the breeder I got them from has a TON of good mommies, and all of mine are/came from good mommies. Since those traits CAN be passed down, I'm really hoping that the does that aren't proven fall in their mother's footsteps.
Q for you, Patty: How many does do you have? Do you have others that are better mommies? Do you milk? I guess I would only be keeping a doeling from a questionable doe if the doe had really great milking lines... and then I'd take the risk, with the thought that I'd give her doeling a chance to prove herself a better mom. If she failed, I'd be culling her too.
I'm going through this same thing right now. I have a FF who had a doeling and a buckling. When we breed her, her personality changed dramatically. She is so rude and pushy, and started out as a horrible mom. After talking to the people we bought her from, and talking to the breeder her dam came from, I am realizing this ugly personality is passed down. I am really considering selling her, but struggle with whether or not I want to keep her daughter. Her daughter is gorgeous, but she has been a little hard to bond with. She will come and lay with me, but on her terms. I'm assuming she will have the same personality as her mom. Ugh decisions. Her mom is an awesome milker, being a FF she is producing a full quart after 12 hours of being separated from her babies. So I am really struggling with overlooking her personality flaws and just dealing with her or selling her for a girl with a better personality!! Good luck with making your decision :0)