Breeding issues with alpines

[Neelie Nix]

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Hello
I have 2 Alpine does that I purchased a couple years ago. They have never been bred I had them running with a buck when I first got them but I think he was too small and was attached to one particular doe. Since then I have sold the buck and the doe that he was attached to and purchased a Nubian buck that is year and a half almost 2. They are all running together I have not seen him even try to mount them. I don't know if they have even come in or not they don't act like they are in heat ever. Do I need to give them hormones? I hate to call them out

 

[Ridgetop]

Alpines are strictly seasonal breeders. They probably won't start to cycle until September so your first kids would not be expected until February. Nubians have a longer breeding season, often beginning to cycle in August.

How old are these does? If they are older (yoi did not say whether they were adults when youi got them) and have never been bred you may have some trouble getting them to settle.

 

[Neelie Nix]

They are 3 ish and I got them a couple years ago.

 

[Mini Horses]

Also -- estrus is short in goats, were talking 2-3 days at a time. Night breeding often. So tail wagging does, a buck at her side, a couple minutes of fun -- easy to miss seeing.

 

[Ridgetop]

Mini Horses is right, you will seldom see them breeding in a penned situation. These does are old for first breedings. Leave the new buck with them from now through December/January. If they do not produce kids, then they probably won't breed in future either. Unfortunately, older female goats and sheep (and other animals also) that are kept too long past their first prime breeding time will often not breed when exposed to a male at an older age.