When to separate bucklings?

My bucklings are seven weeks old this weekend. How soon is it critical I separate them from their moms, aunt and sister?

I have listed two of the bucklings for sale but don't plan to let them leave until the second week of June even if they sell right away. That gives them a full two months with mom. My day-older buckling is significantly bigger than the other two, both height and body mass (huskiness). Seems like everyone is busy sniffing behinds on everyone else and have been for the past three or more weeks.

Today, I might have sold Capri's boy but will know more later. She doesn't currently have any goats yet so I cannot let him go alone but she is willing to take one or both of the two younger boys for a while. If they don't sell, they will very likely go to my son for eating though I really, really don't like to think of that! Now that their mom has turned out to be such a great milker, I'm not sure they should be wethered or eaten but, as you know, there can be only so many bucks out there.

We have lots of info on here on the subject and I can't remember which people have what opinions. But I do know that some people really want the bucklings away from the does at 8 weeks. However, I know that Deborah and I both are very much for the idea of their staying on the dam until at least 12 weeks! We feel that it is very safe to keep them with them for 3 months and (I think she agrees also that) they need their milk that long.

I personally am very afraid of taking them off mom sooner because I lost 3 kids that I had several years ago very suddenly that were about 3 months old and the only thing the vet could find wrong was low blood sugar which he attributed to being weaned off milk to early. They had been off their bottles for about a week or two and were very fat and healthy looking. I seem to remember that he may have felt it was even more dangerous in our climate. I believe that he felt that with our heat dehydration is riskier and therefore the sugar levels more of a risk because of the extra energy it provides. Anyway they were not dehydrated though. At any rate obviously if they had low sugar the milk would have prevented that.sis

It is only fair that I also mention that they were on a replacer milk and I did not know then what I know now about that! Believe me as expensive as that stuff was I certainly would rather have not used it and will not next time. I also did not choose to bottle them. 2 were from a mom who passed away 3 days after kidding and 1 was given to me because she was suffering from what turned out to be a temporary paralysis after kidding. It still makes me just sick and is the reason I intend to keep all mine for 3 months minimum.

I am sorry, about the buck problem. It saddens me too but it is a fact that we all have to deal with, that they have to have something done with them and if we don't have a market then...our options are very limited!

Replies

Margaret Langley May 26, 2013 at 8:50pm

We have lots of info on here on the subject and I can't remember which people have what opinions. But I do know that some people really want the bucklings away from the does at 8 weeks. However, I know that Deborah and I both are very much for the idea of their staying on the dam until at least 12 weeks! We feel that it is very safe to keep them with them for 3 months and (I think she agrees also that) they need their milk that long.

I personally am very afraid of taking them off mom sooner because I lost 3 kids that I had several years ago very suddenly that were about 3 months old and the only thing the vet could find wrong was low blood sugar which he attributed to being weaned off milk to early. They had been off their bottles for about a week or two and were very fat and healthy looking. I seem to remember that he may have felt it was even more dangerous in our climate. I believe that he felt that with our heat dehydration is riskier and therefore the sugar levels more of a risk because of the extra energy it provides. Anyway they were not dehydrated though. At any rate obviously if they had low sugar the milk would have prevented that.sis

It is only fair that I also mention that they were on a replacer milk and I did not know then what I know now about that! Believe me as expensive as that stuff was I certainly would rather have not used it and will not next time. I also did not choose to bottle them. 2 were from a mom who passed away 3 days after kidding and 1 was given to me because she was suffering from what turned out to be a temporary paralysis after kidding. It still makes me just sick and is the reason I intend to keep all mine for 3 months minimum.

I am sorry, about the buck problem. It saddens me too but it is a fact that we all have to deal with, that they have to have something done with them and if we don't have a market then...our options are very limited!

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