# Is it that time of year already ? OFA Breeding update



## OneFineAcre (Oct 1, 2014)

The girls are sure walking the fence line today.  Fortunately, the strand of electric wire I installed is keeping the boys off of the fence.





We have already bred one of our yearlings Clara Belle.  She actually will be 2 years old tomorrow. We bred her on Sept 10th to Moonshine.


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## jodief100 (Oct 1, 2014)

Time does fly!  I have 12 confirmed pregnant, 26 in the respective buck pens and another 5 more waiting to go up in the pens. 

Your goats are in great shape!  If anything the boys look a little overconditioned but a few weeks with the does will cure that.    Breeding should go very nicely.


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## OneFineAcre (Oct 1, 2014)

jodief100 said:


> Time does fly!  I have 12 confirmed pregnant, 26 in the respective buck pens and another 5 more waiting to go up in the pens.
> 
> Your goats are in great shape!  If anything the boys look a little overconditioned but a few weeks with the does will cure that.    Breeding should go very nicely.



The brown one closest in the picture is Caspian, and he is definitely overconditioned.  I would go so far to say he is fat.   Rocky, the white one is about right.  You can't see the yearling bucks too good, but Big Brown and Moonshine are a little fleshy too.  But, you are right, they have already cut way back on their eating and are slimming down.

My does are in great shape.  Clara Belle, the 2 year old is overfinished  (that's the term the judge used a couple of weeks ago when she placed her last in her age group ) but not unexpected since she hasn't been bred.  We tried to breed her last fall but she didn't settle.


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## OneFineAcre (Oct 1, 2014)

Here's Clara Belle.  Can you believe the judge said she was "over finished"?  
I actually call her fat Clare Belle.  I just love the way that judges have told me an animal of mine is too fat.  I've heard overconditioned, overfinished, fleshy, excess flesh.  And my favorite, "this goat looks like she's been loved too much".


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## OneFineAcre (Oct 1, 2014)

It was getting crazy this afternoon.


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## BrownSheep (Oct 1, 2014)

They want their boyfriends!


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## OneFineAcre (Oct 23, 2014)

We are well under way with breeding. 
Bred so far in Oct in this order:

Clara Bell x Moonshine (Sept 10th)
Minnie x Rocky
Ginger x Rocky
Taffy x Fortunato
Moonpie x Fortunato
Cookie x Fortunato
Zamia x Rocky

Still to Go:
Rosemary x Rocky
Daisy x Hank
Cocoa x ?
Coleus x ?
Molly x Fortunato

Shea is a maybe, but we may hold off
Nutmeg and Opal will definitely be our Jr. Does for showing next year.


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## Southern by choice (Oct 23, 2014)

So glad you have your new place too! This should make things even better for you!

Just saw the above post about Clara Belle.  
It seems there is always one that gets "fleshy" off air!
I know you are getting ready for the show! 
Good Luck!


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## GLENMAR (Oct 23, 2014)

I just put my 3 in with bucks today. Your new place is looking great.


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## OneFineAcre (Oct 29, 2014)

Coleus was in heat this morning so we put her in the pen with Big Brown.  We saw him breed her immediately.  We left her in the pen with him and Maurine is going home at lunch today to switch and put Rosemary and Rocky in since she is in heat this morning too.


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## OneFineAcre (Oct 29, 2014)

maurine couldn't do the switch and it was raining this afternoon
I guess we will see what Rosie is like in am or we may have to wait


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## goats&moregoats (Oct 29, 2014)

Your goats look great!   So does your pasture. Was wondering how a just a fence between bucks and does would work, duh, yeah, hot wire. Sometimes my mind doesn't kick into gear very good. lol.


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## OneFineAcre (Oct 29, 2014)

goats&moregoats said:


> Your goats look great!   So does your pasture. Was wondering how a just a fence between bucks and does would work, duh, yeah, hot wire. Sometimes my mind doesn't kick into gear very good. lol.



I really need another strand of Hotwire
We have had them break through before and had a unplanned breeding


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## OneFineAcre (Oct 30, 2014)

We did do the switch last night with Rocky and Rosie after the rains stopped.
She was still standing and we saw her bred last night.


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## Pearce Pastures (Oct 30, 2014)

Same here....the little flirts have been walking the fence line, twirling their heads, flagging their tails since the sun came up.  They can't see the boys from their pen but they sure know that they are there.


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## OneFineAcre (Nov 10, 2014)

Cocoa was bred to Fortunato.


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## OneFineAcre (Nov 10, 2014)

Bred Hank to Daisey tonight
He's a big boy 22 1/2 inches at 20 months and she's onnthe short side


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## Fullhousefarm (Nov 13, 2014)

Yea for babies on the way. It looks like the goats are really loving all the space.

 Not to steal the thread, but Orchid (x Drinian) is due the end of February. We are as sure as you can be with goats without biotracking.

We have 2 (or 3- the one that is showing mixed signals) Lamanchas due before her in early Jan and early Feb. I'm getting baby fever bad.


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## BrownSheep (Nov 13, 2014)

This goat heat thing blows my mind. You can't do that with sheep. I just can't put a ewe in with a ram for a couple of hours and be pretty confident she is bred. Heck I can't even leave her in for a week and be certain.....Just wow...

Ewes need to be more flirty.....


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## OneFineAcre (Nov 13, 2014)

Fullhousefarm said:


> Yea for babies on the way. It looks like the goats are really loving all the space.
> 
> Not to steal the thread, but Orchid (x Drinian) is due the end of February. We are as sure as you can be with goats without biotracking.
> 
> We have 2 (or 3- the one that is showing mixed signals) Lamanchas due before her in early Jan and early Feb. I'm getting baby fever bad.


@Fullhousefarm 
Haven't heard from you in a while
Was just thinking about Lord Drinian and Arivis
Can't wait to see babies


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## OneFineAcre (Nov 13, 2014)

BrownSheep said:


> This goat heat thing blows my mind. You can't do that with sheep. I just can't put a ewe in with a ram for a couple of hours and be pretty confident she is bred. Heck I can't even leave her in for a week and be certain.....Just wow...
> 
> Ewes need to be more flirty.....



We've always divided ours into groups and put with the buck for a month
But with the move and the new place while we have more room we don't have the breeding pens
Been forced to "hand breeding" in one pen


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## Southern by choice (Nov 14, 2014)

How are you liking the hand breeding?
Do you do 2 days in a row or just one breeding?

We have always done just one breeding, this year we did 2 on most.
I love knowing they are due.


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## OneFineAcre (Nov 14, 2014)

Southern by choice said:


> How are you liking the hand breeding?
> Do you do 2 days in a row or just one breeding?
> 
> We have always done just one breeding, this year we did 2 on most.
> I love knowing they are due.



We have a 30x30 pen we are using so we are usually leaving them for the day or overnight.  But, nearly every single one we have observed the breeding almost immediately and the the only two we have any questions about is Minnie and Rosemary no others have come back into heat.  Minnie is funny, she is black and has dark skin so she doesn't really show any pinkness or puffiness.  Plus, her cycles are short.


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## Fullhousefarm (Nov 15, 2014)

T


OneFineAcre said:


> @Fullhousefarm
> Haven't heard from you in a while
> Was just thinking about Lord Drinian and Arivis
> Can't wait to see babies



They are both doing great. Aravis placed well, IMO, at our November show. She was placed about middle or higher even though she is still on the smaller side and was only days over 6 months, making her the youngest goat in the class. I did get a picture of her partially clipped. She looks lighter clipped.

Drinian is happy and is pretty bonded to our wether. Our house sitters didn't put his buddy in with him one night when we were gone, and the neighbor said he cried all night <giggle> They put them together the next night. I found a picture from last week of him checking out the Alpine doeling that my daughter is leasing for the State fair.


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## OneFineAcre (Nov 15, 2014)

Fullhousefarm said:


> T
> 
> 
> They are both doing great. Aravis placed well, IMO, at our November show. She was placed about middle or higher even though she is still on the smaller side and was only days over 6 months, making her the youngest goat in the class. I did get a picture of her partially clipped. She looks lighter clipped.
> ...



I hope you have some buck shows in the spring


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## Fullhousefarm (Nov 16, 2014)

There is a sanctioned Nigee only specialty March 8 and at least one one sanctioned show later in March.


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