Some of you may have been watching the thread about my goat, Spot, and the kidding that wasn't.
My quandry is this: my son is thinking he'd like to show goats, and both Spot and Audra Belle are grade (although Audra's sire is AGS). We are "backyard homesteading" on a small city lot, and having even a small herd of goats is not an option. Two little ND does is nice....and we'll control the chaos for two or three months of kids a year...although this is going to be tougher if it's quads..., but to add more permanent adult goats is an unwise move.
My son and I talked it over and decided that we may needed to have Spot move on to another loving home where she can furnish them with quads and quints and sextuplets if she wants and there won't be a space issue. He would like to keep Audra Belle, however, she's a doeling, so we'd have a first freshener and a doeling on our hands next year and with no senior doe to show them the ropes.
How well do first fresheners cope as mamas if they don't have an experienced doe around?
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Oh no, we would never leave any goat alone, ever ever ever ever. Ever. The new registered kid would be in place or a kid from this kidding retained before Spot moved on to a new home.
He knows he could never show Audra Belle, but loves her so much he is sure he could not live without her. I just adore her too and would find it hard to part with her, BUT she and Spot are soooooooo bonded that I am feeling major guilt at the thought of splitting them up. That dynamic may change once Spot has a new bunch of babies to look after...I don't know.
The bigger breeding operations here (and I suppose everywhere) sometimes sell off a few senior does after kidding season, and that might be the most practical way to go....just start again with a senior doe and a doeling, only this time registered....I actually exchanged a couple of emails with a lady about a senior doe, but she stopped responding once she realized my goats are in my back yard.
Here is a photo of Audra Belle being her sweet but contrary self:
I don't think they actually get much help from older does. On our farm, they each have their own personal kidding pen, and they do fine. They might need a little human attention for the first couple hours after kidding, but once the kids are nursing, you're usually good to go. My only concern would be getting rid of Spot and leaving Audra Belle alone. She might get very loud if she was the only goat at your place. Your son would not be able to show Audra Belle if she is not registered though -- at least not at a sanctioned goat show. Local 4-H clubs have their own rules, which vary from place to place about registration.