My buckling, Shamrock, will be 2 calendar months old (2 days shy of 9 weeks) on the 23rd of this month. The other buckling, Aspen, will be 2 calendar months (exactly 9 weeks) on July 2. I'm wondering how technical I have to be about weaning at 2 months. I really don't want to take one of them away from mom by himself. Does it matter if I keep Sham with the does until he's 10 weeks, or take Aspen away when he's two days shy of 8 weeks? Which would be a better choice?
You need to be a member of Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Goats to add comments!
Replies
Oh, it really is funny. I've come to the conclusion that when possible, it is best to put a young buck with an inexperienced doe. She doesn't know what he's supposed to do, so she's patient. I've seen too many older does beat the snot out of young bucks as they are trying to figure out what to do. My very first year I had only a 7-month-old buckling, and one of my does was 3 years old, and she butted heads with him until his head was bleeding. Very sad! I thought he was going to have a complex or something, but he didn't seem to have any lasting scars, physical or mental. Last year, I really wanted to breed a young buck to a 8-year-old doe. Well, that didn't happen! She gave him about one minute to figure things out, and then she started beating him up so badly that my daughter separated them, and we bred the doe to a different buck.
LOL! Ya'll have made my eyes well up picturing this. I bet it is hilarious when a bunch of little things around 3 months are crawling all over everyone else. That must be just to funny. Marleys twins are 4 weeks and 3 days and they have been topping each other since they were born practically. Even the little doe gets on her brother. They are so funny, and I can just imagine a whole herd with their kids at one time acting like that. LOL! I am going to have to arrange my separation soon Marley and the twins stay with my 9 ND yearling does. So I will be leaving both her kids with her for a good while and remove all 3 from the NDs and work Butter and her kids into the doeling herd. IF SHE EVER HAS ANY!
Thanks Deborah, Rachel and Margaret. Okay, of course I never thought of the fact that he may not be producing sperm now. I haven't seen any heats since the kids were born. I think things are all fine. Thanks for all your input! We just sold our first kids today, and I was surprised to find I had tears in my eyes as they drove away. I could see the tops of their ears as they rode away next to the gentleman in the passenger side of the pickup truck. Bittersweet!
TOTALLY can vouch for that one!! My bucklings are much older than 2 months, and they are *just* starting to get everything together enough that I might actually get BABIES from their breedings. Been trying for about 3 months now, but all the kinks weren't worked out. They were too young.
Deborah Niemann-Boehle said:
Sure, you could do visits if that is what you want. I don't see where that would hurt anything. Rachel and lots of others have obviously had good luck at 8 weeks also. Therefore whatever you are comfortable with should be fine!
You can definitely let him visit his mom once a day. Remember, she would have to be in heat, and he would have to be able to do everything correctly, and he would have to be producing an adequate amount of sperm. Bucklings + senior does usually make for a pretty humorous situation, even when you want them to breed.
Patty Meyer said:
I have taken home kids at 8 weeks, and they did OK, if that helps your decision.
Okay, my question has been answered. It is apparent that Shamrock, at two months (and about 20 lbs.), has everything figured out and all parts are in working order. Poor Aspen is going to have to be weaned early if Sham is going to have a companion. Aspen is 8.5 weeks old now. I could let Aspen "visit" his mom every day for a little while. What do you all think? Will that work? I'm going to have to make a decision by tonight, so any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks ladies. I'm just going to watch and wait then. :)
Good for you Deborah, I hardly think that it is worth it to worry so about taking them away at "two" months. I know of a large show farm where there are little bucks and does together til about 4 months so obviously they don't feel the risk are to high of an accident either. I think Deborah's 2 1/2 to 3 month time frame is very reasonable.
-
1
-
2
of 2 Next