, Firsttime breeding questions, borrowing a buck, Nigerian Dwarf goats

feathernfiber

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I'm going to be borrowing a buck to breed my ND junior doe, now 18 mo. old. I have a semisuburban neighborhood & have the older doe and a doeling of 6 months. I'm borrowing a registered buck from the breeder I got my does from, in a couple weeks. My first question to soneonne whos has borrowed or lent a buck, is what to do with the doeling while the buck is here?
I think I can either keep her on our property (backyard is one acre, frobt yard an acre) in the goat barn, with her sister doe, if I make a quick buck barn (4x4x4) for the buck and keep him locked in his little (temporary) barn at night, then I can move the doeling to ...where?...in the day when he's with the doe? We have no other ruminants here...do I keep her in the house till a few good days of mating take place?
My second question: What's the big stink? I've met the buck before, but I've never met a buck in rut. I imagine he'd spray & stink up our small barn pretty quickly & pernanently? Just how stinky & aggressive might he be? The other choice is to send the doeling off to the breeder's farm to be boarded while the buck visits, and let him cohabitate with the doe, in the barn (which incidentally is a geodesic dome, and I'm sure it's easy to spray on the walls if a buck wants to, since they are concave at the base,and hard to clean that smell off without harsh chemicals.

So which path to take for this? And how long might it take for her to come into heat & ovulate & get bred? She's not yet come into heat, as we have no bucks in our area. Any opinions, please!
 

dhansen

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If the breeder doesn't live too far away, I would consider bringing the doe to the buck when she is in heat. If she really is in standing heat, you can do a "driveway" breeding. Nigi's are easy to transport in a dog kennel and this is how we have done breedings in the past. THe buck smell does not get all over the barn. it is on the buck himself. The air around him smells nasty, but the barn walls don't smell.
 

feathernfiber

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The breeder is nearly 3 hours' drive away from me, otherwise I would like to do a driveway breeding. She needs a bucky smell to put her into heat first, also. That's goidto know about the buck smell, though. The breeder would much rather I borrow her buck, so I think I'll go that route. Would you suggest boarding the doeling at the breeder's ?Otherwise she'll be at risk being bred, right? Or in the garage , bawling:(
 

dhansen

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I personally would look to find a good buck who is close by! Three hours of driving is EXPENSIVE!
 

feathernfiber

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I just want to keep the herd as close to "closed" as I can, and I know the breeder's lines a bit, and her buck has a good dairy pedigree . I also have a really fuel efficient diesel station wagon which, yes, can transport goats. Whether or not I'll survive the drive back with a billy in rut remains to be seen.
 

autumnprairie

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I would make sure you have a sturdy cage for the buck I put a 4 month old buck in my van and I though he would take the windows out. Keeping him separate would mean no night breeding and some pick that time to breed I would separate the doeling from her Momma until the buck goes back. Are you only breeding the Momma or are you breeding the two older does? You can rotate the Momma and the other doe in with the doeling if you want her to have companionship. You might also want to use the breeding harness with the crayons to make sure they are being bred it will leave a mark on the doe. Good luck I love kidding time
 

OneFineAcre

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You need a way to separate, either a pen for breeding or a pen to place the goats in you don't want bred.
 

treeclimber233

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She needs a bucky smell to put her into heat first, also.

Your doe will come into season whether she smells a buck or not. You might want to board the doe you do not want bred because keeping a buck separated from a doe in heat can be difficult. They only have one thing on their mind at that time and that is getting together.
 

feathernfiber

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Thanks, I have a friend who is mailing me a "bucky" tpwel in ziplocs for the purpose of getting her to go into heat, and I will board the doeling with the breeder, in her doe barn, or bring her in the house in the worst case scenario.
 

frustratedearthmother

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Does will come into season with or without a buck - or his smell. Buck rags can be used to try and bring in a doe for an out of season breeding, or to try and get her to cycle at YOUR convenice -not hers. Good luck with your breeding however it works out! :)
 

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