I am trying to look at all the buck/ doe match ups I have available this year and my head is swimming. I have no idea how folks make those decisions. I have a proven buck,Halifax who has put lovely daughters on the ground. His first daughter freshened with twins and has a beautiful udder and is milking well and easily. I have a 10 month old buck, unproven, whose mother is here and is milking over 2 quarts a
day . Then I have two 3 month olds from great backgrounds.
I am planning to sell the 10 month old in the fall but can use him daughter.
How do I figure it all out?
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and to add to Juliana's mention that it depends on what you are breeding for... I'm breeding for milking, and I have limited buck choices. (two on site)
I haven't had any of mine refuse a buck yet, but Deb has mentioned that her does have "picked" for her, and don't stand well for the bucks they don't like! lol
I just bred my FIRST on site this week! I'm pretty excited!! Lucy and Milton liked each other really well, and it was the first breeding for both of them. I'm looking forward to seeing what Lucy is like as a milker. Her mom is one of my breeder's best milking does.
Now if I can get my bucky girl to give me better heat cues... I'd be set!
Oh, that's sweet. I have to admit that I have noticed a couple of mine seem to be infatuated with certain others and have thought about letting some of them choose their on mates later when I can't decide for sure.
I am thrilled this year to have my own bucks - though they are still growing, 8 months next month. My little doe (Savannah) has been in love with the bigger boy since I brought him home as a kid (Ezaray) LOL - The other buck is smaller, but longer in body which is what I would like to improve in Savannah. However, when I put her with him, he needed to grow some more - and after many attempts, they both started eating acorns. ;/ So out she came and "Romeo and Juliet" were once again united. She stood for him and within 15 seconds or so, it was a done deal. Was so funny - afterwards they looks a little surprised - like "ish, what just happened?" Sometimes love wins out. LOL
I was thinking about what Rachel said also.If I had one that was going to be leaving ( unless I really did not like something about him/presuming he is nice I would look at what he could do for each doe. If I felt he could improve on her kids in the desired areas, then I would use him. If it meant none,one or all. I would try those does with him before he leaves and then if some don't settle you can use the more mature buck. I would probably wait a little while on the 3 month olds.
Personally, I'd look at all the pairings I could get with the 10 month old... since you won't be keeping him. Get as much out of his bloodlines as you can before he leaves.
In addition to what Julia said, I'd also add that you don't want to breed together two goats that have the same "issue." For example, don't breed a doe with short teats to a buck whose dam has short teats. Don't breed a 22.5 inch doe with a 23.5 inch buck because you could easily wind up with kids that go over the height limit. If you have goats that are new to you, be sure that you know as much as possible about their parents. A couple years ago I bred my smallest doe to a brand new buck that I had bought and THEN I learned that his dam was also very short, which was very frustrating to me because the kids are really small even at a year of age.
I look at each buck and doe I try to see what I want improved on the doe and then match her up with a buck who may make that impovement to her kids. For a exsample I have a doe with a nice udder but she is not as long as I would like and not as wide so I use a buck that is longer and wide. Her kids the last two years have turned out longer and wider then her. Of couse they have not been breed yet so I just hope they have her nice udder. I also have a doe that is very long and wide but lack refinement exspecially in her shoulders so I try to match her up with a more dairy buck that has nice shoulders so far both of her doe kids are better then her and they both have nice udders. It also depends on what you are breeding for. If it is milk only then you would breed differently then I do. I breed for milk/show. Good luck