This is Lucy. She is one of two does that I did not actually PUT in with a buck this year. However, in November, one of my bucks figured out how to get into the girl's pen. When I noticed the Lucy was looking pregnant, I figured he had gotten to her. This is the ONLY time the bucks have breached the fencing, so even though her udder was looking large, I calculated her due date to be in April.
Fast forward from November to today, when I went out to the barn and found the image above in the corner.
So yeah. One of my bucks nailed her through the fence. I have no idea which one, because the babies look nothing like either of the boys... I can't register these guys anyway, so it's not a HUGE deal for me, but I figured all of you would like the cute trio that makes up my PSA for all of you today.
If your does share a fence line with your bucks, use all your resources to create some kind of double fence. Even if it's just two fences a foot apart. I had cattle panels with netting fencing along the bottom 3', and that wasn't enough. Now we have an added three lines of electric on the boy's side of the fence, and fence mating won't be an issue, but if your bucks can lean into your fence in ANY way, they can get a girl bred. I have three adorable bucklings to prove that.
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Yes, same doe, and I just KNEW her udder was too big for that due date... but I also knew she hadn't been in with the boys any other time!! lol Stinker. The boys are doing great! I'm trying to be as hands off as I can right now... because she is my most skittish doe, and I want her really bonded before I start touching them. She rejected her buckling last year, and I think it was because he was handled too much right away for her liking. Everyone seems to have full tummies, and are bouncing around. I'm keeping a close eye. I did have to milk out just a few drops of colostrum the first day, because one of the boys was a little droopy, but he seems better today, and I've seen her calling him/nudging him to nurse.
Wow! I've heard of them breeding through woven wire, and I saw it almost happen here, but a cattle panel??? Geez!!!
If this is the doe that you said had a huge udder and wasn't due until April, I was thinking that sounded off. I've seen a huge udder 3-4 weeks before a due date, but not two months.
Congratulations on three healthy boys!
Micheal,
Yes, through the fence is the only explanation. There was only one instance that the bucks got into the pen, and we fixed that. These babies would be nearly two months early for that instance to have been when breeding took place, and they are certainly NOT. Which means that one of the bucks got her bred through the fence. The breeding took place through the cattle panel AND very sturdy chicken wire sized netting.
This particular doe had a mom whose paperwork got lost in the line of ownership, so she can't be registered, and neither can her kids. She's purebred, but I can't prove it. If she were able to be registered and I did want to register her kids, I would be able to do that with a DNA test, yes. I just won't be bothering for these guys.
Julia, YES!! Industrious is right! I knew it was a risk, because I've read that it happens before, but I seriously couldn't see/figure out how it could happen looking at things the way I had them before. Now, if a buck can lean into a fence in any way, and it shares the line with the does, I'm putting up electric. lol
Huh? Didn't you say you had netting 3' up the cattle panel as well? How in the world...? Those goats sure can be industrious! Cute babies by the way!
Rachel,
Just to be sure I understand..., the buck got to her THROUGH the fence? He didn't figure out how to get in the pen with her, but actually, the breeding took place through the cattle panel??
If that is correct, it is amazing, and a really good bit of information about how careful I will need to be.
Could you register the kids after a DNA test? The test should clearly show who the buck is.
Thanks for the information...,
Michael