# Getting ready for breeding season (questions)



## TheMixedBag (Jun 8, 2011)

It's still only June, but I'm already planning this year's breeding season.

First, Talala will either be bred to a Blissberry or Kastemur's buck, it depends on whether I can get a straw for the Kastemur's or not. And of course, failing being able to get either buck I want, I'm just gonna breed her to Barclay and get me some Sabiens (I HATE the word snubian....). Problem on her is, again, her weight. She's so overweight her ribs are virtually non-existent....

Then, we have the new girl, coming either July or August. She'll be 3 months old when I pick her up, and while I'm not sure on their weights now, I planned on breeding everybody late December/early January. D'think she might be old/heavy enough to breed by then, or should I hold off on her for another year (she's being put on milk test, so breeding her before a year is optimal)?

Finally, we have Jenny. Perfect health, energetic, good appetite, still skinny. She's up to 120 as of right now, and there's plenty of jiggle on her hips and shoulder blades. She's also completely dried off. My question on her is, do you think she can gain enough weight by December to be breedable? I bred her in roughly the same condition last year, with just a little bit more cushion than now, and she pulled through with flying colors (and massive kids).

Now, on the buck's side, he was weaned at 6 weeks (ugh) and had coccidia at about 8 weeks. He's now close to 4 months old (the 21st of this month) and finally broke 50lb last week. Will his weight and growth problem be an issue for breeding? 

I've got everyone on a high-protein diet, with a 20% block they LOVE, and a heavy feed mix that's 1 part Calf Manna, 2 parts BOSS, 1 part 16% dairy ration and 2 parts alfalfa pellets. They're off alfalfa hay and on just pasture and the old timothy/oat hay from this winter for roughage. How is this going to have to be changed for pregnancy? Last year I kinda just winged it with feeding, this year I've absolutely no intention of a repeat.














(^I couldn't resist this photo op-they were both copying each other perfectly-had to get it from all angles)


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## poorboys (Jun 8, 2011)

i usually want to bred my yearlings only if they have reached 80lbs or more, had two last year that was bred in january so due any day. if the one will only be 3-4 months old in aug, i would probably wait till the following year, but that's just me.


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## TheMixedBag (Jun 8, 2011)

That's what I'm planning right now (I have a feeling it'll be a long shot to get her to 80lb by the end of the season), but I'm also crossing my fingers that she's gonna be a big girl. She's on a lambar system for feeding right now, and they're not gonna wean her until she's 3 months old, if that makes a difference. I also plan on feeding her the feed I've got everyone else on as well.

Even if I can't breed her this year, I'm still SUPER happy I'm getting a chance to buy her. She's the granddaughter of the 2010 Nat'l Champion Saanen on her sire's side (senior, I believe-I watched the auction of one of her doe kids that year), and she'll have super heavy milking lines to boot.


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## TheMixedBag (Jun 13, 2011)

Well, it looks like Jenny will be on track for a November/December breeding. She's still packing on pounds, probably not enough for the extra padding I wanted, but enough to get her by so that I can actually put her on test next year.

It also looks like Talala isn't going to be a year round breeder like I hoped, but it doesn't matter much anyways. I think she's just going to be bred by Barclay for this year and we'll sort out whether I'm going to spend the money for expensive boys on her next year, based on her udder. It was just too funky this year, and I don't know if it's because she was nearly dry, or if it's once a day milking or what, but we'll find out next year.


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## elevan (Jun 13, 2011)

It's so exciting planning matches, isn't it?  I'm already planning for some of my doelings and they won't be ready to breed for a good while yet


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## Roll farms (Jun 14, 2011)

Right after we bought our new buckling (January) I started making my annual 'who's being bred to who' list and DH made fun of me.  
We'd only kidded 3 of 18 does at the time, he said something like, "They're still pregnant and you're already planning knocking them up again..."
So I put it away and forgot about it.  

I realized this weekend that we'll be starting next month so I really, reallllly need to get it ready.

Now I can't decide who goes w/ who.

I shoulda stuck w/ it back in January.


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## 20kidsonhill (Jun 14, 2011)

I am not looking forward to it. We are putting our main herdsire up for sale and going with our two new bucks, and I don't really care for the one buck very much. The other buck is unproven, so it will be hard putting too many with him. 

My dh wants to put most of them with the buck I don't like very much, so any of those females can be bred the following year to the younger buck. I can see we are't going to agree on this. 

I didn't want to sell our herd sire. But I am sure he is right, it is time to move on.    

If I had more confidence in our two new bucks, I would probably be enjoying this a little more.


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## rebelINny (Jun 14, 2011)

Yeah I usually enjoy matching goats for breeding as well but this year is very different because I will be selling all but seven or eight of my does to the meat market here in another month cause they are cae positive. I want a clean herd but it's hard cause I will be losing at least eight but possibly ten. I alsomam waiting to breed till my buck kids born this year are 6 months and I can get accurate testing on them. It's just a hassle this year because of all the cae crap!


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## TheMixedBag (Jun 14, 2011)

That's why I'm not bothering with it, or at least not caring if someone pops up positive. I had the one doe who tested positive last year, so there's a chance at least Jenny will test positive for it. I know she doesn't have it (as in, the actual disease) so I'm just not gonna worry about it. And I already know all 3 will test positive for CL, they've all been vaccinated for it.


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## Livinwright Farm (Jun 14, 2011)

Do you have a pick of the sire you want to pair her up with?


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## TheMixedBag (Jun 15, 2011)

This is the buck I'm breeding at least Jenny to







I had two bucks I was looking at using for Talala, *B  Blissberry MW Rocketeer or a Kastemur's buck (semen, he's no longer alive), I'll have to get back to the guy who was going to sell me the straw.
http://www.shekinahspringsfarm.com/bucks.html


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