2 in one. weaning & breeding doe.

[KWAK]

I'm bottle raising a Toggenburg 5 week old buckling, when do I wean him?
&&&& I have 3 does, 2 toggenburgs and 1 Pygmy/lamancha/saanen cross... How do I know when they are in heat?

 

[TGreenhut]

You could wean him at 8 weeks to 3 months old.

Signs of heat may or may not include: tail wagging, sticky goo dripping from vulva, snorting, they may get friendlier or more "needy", crying out for no reason, etc.

Edited to fix my info (I was thinking about weaning doelings- sorry!)

 

[TGreenhut]

More from Fias Co Farms: (https://www.fiascofarm.com/goats/breeding.htm#heatsigns)

"A doe's heat cycle is approximately every 18-21 days.

Signs of heat: (A doe may exhibit any, all, or none of these signs)

"Flagging" (wagging) her tail.
Mounting other does.
Letting other does mount her.
Fighting
Letting herself get beat up without defending herself.
Having a "crush" on another doe.
No interest in feed.
Swollen and/or pink rear end.
Mucous discharge from her vagina
Her side tail hair is wet and/or clumped together.
Yelling for no reason.


How long does a heat last?

Anywhere for 6 hours to 3 days depending on the doe."

 

[Renegade]

You can wean a bottle baby at around 8 wks. Just make sure he's eating hay and grain well prior to weaning. Also make sure he has a friend or he will be very unhappy.

Donna

 

[Renegade]

You could wean him at 3 to 5 months old.

Leaving a buck kid on it's mother for 3-5 months will usually result in his mother being bred by him. You can leave a doe kid on her mother for 3 months as long as the dam remains in good shape. Beyond that just draws weight off the doe and is no benefit to the kid.

Donna