Breeding Setup

[Aped]

Can anyone tell me what their breeding setup is like? As in, how many animals you keep for breeding if you are breeding for a certain trait. I was thinking that if one was to breed for milk output they would probably have to wait until at least the second year before know if the doe will be good or not. That could add up to having a lot of goats around just to wait and see. Is this what people do? Or how does one decide which new buckling to keep. If you want to keep one for dairy genetics you'd theoretically have to keep it to see how the dam milks in her second year, if she is a first freshener.

 

[Roll farms]

I keep nearly every doeling at least a year to see how they mature, and only keep (or buy) bucklings out of mature, PROVEN high-producing does.

We have a doe that didn't impress me at all her 1st or 2nd year. We kept her for sentimental reasons, though. Her 3rd freshening, though...her udder just blossumed and I literally heard, "Wow" when I'd show it to other goat people. It takes time / patience to wait for the good stuff.

When I see folks selling bucklings out of first fresheners as "Your next herd sire" for huge prices, I cringe....they may have the potential, they may not.

 

[Aped]

Thanks for the info. I think I was one of those people that fell for the "next herd sire" line. I don't think I paid huge price ($300) but my buck is out of a first freshener. I originally bought him for his appearance/coat color and to just have a buck around. This was before I actually decided I'd like to breed for certain traits although one of the traits I'd like to breed for is color, the color of the buck I have.

And here he is:

 

[ksalvagno]

I love his flash!

All you can do is use him and see what happens. I would give him and your girls at least a couple years to see what you get. Unless everything you get is really bad, you may as well wait and see. As first time goat owners, we are going to make some mistakes and we are going to make some great choices. All a learning curve. I just got into goats this year myself. I've been researching and trying to make the smartest choices possible but in the end we will see.

 

[Aped]

That's why I got him! Also he supposedly comes from great milking lines but my research tells me there are MUCH better ones out there haha

My goal now is to breed him with girls that look like him with good milking genetics. The challenge is finding does with those characteristics and background. But once I really get breeding I am pretty sure I am going to end up with way too many goats.

Just like my chickens I always play wait and see, to see what they will look like when there are all grown up before I keep, cull or sell them. But that's how I go from 6 to 20 chickens in no time at all! My goat population is really going to explode.

 

[ksalvagno]

I know the feeling! I bet I will be doing the same with my goats.