OneFineAcre
Herd Master
Oops.
You already ready Fiasco Farms.
I need to read these threads completely before I reply
You already ready Fiasco Farms.
I need to read these threads completely before I reply
Is this nubian ready to be bred?
- Thread starter SuperChemicalGirl
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #12
SuperChemicalGirl
Chillin' with the herd
Thank you, all, for your opinions. I think I'll wait. Not sure when but at least after May.
ThreeBoysChicks
Loving the herd life
Funny - I was out taking pictures today. I will post some of Nina and her daughters so you can compare.
Nina and her daughters The one that looks like Nina is Tilly and the black one is Libby. Nina was born 4/23/2010. She delivered Tilly and Libby 4/18/2012.
This pictures is of Nina the day she was bred in November 2011.
Nina and her daughters The one that looks like Nina is Tilly and the black one is Libby. Nina was born 4/23/2010. She delivered Tilly and Libby 4/18/2012.
This pictures is of Nina the day she was bred in November 2011.
- Thread starter
- #14
SuperChemicalGirl
Chillin' with the herd
I did. They're the only ones saying to breed early! You guys are all telling me to wait.OneFineAcre said:
ThreeBoysChicks
Loving the herd life
It is a personal preference. I know folks that are meat goat breeders and they breed pretty much all of their does at 8 months. For them, it is a cost / benefit issue. They can not afford to feed the does for months and months if they are not making babies.
For me and many others, our goats are a hobby, definitely not our main source of income, so we can afford to wait.
For me and many others, our goats are a hobby, definitely not our main source of income, so we can afford to wait.
- Thread starter
- #16
SuperChemicalGirl
Chillin' with the herd
Nice pictures. Those babies are so much smaller, you're right! Did you have to practice with yours on a leash for her to be that tame???ThreeBoysChicks said:
Mostly though my thought with your pictures was "where is he that his grass is that green in November!!!!" I was raised in Charles County, Maryland... but been out of there too long to remember that lush grass in November. I'm not even sure my grass up here looks like that in July.
- Thread starter
- #17
SuperChemicalGirl
Chillin' with the herd
Farming is definitely not an income hobby for me.ThreeBoysChicks said:
Where's the emoticon with money being flushed down the toilet?
Fluffygal
Ridin' The Range
- Joined
- Sep 29, 2011
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Threeboyschick,
Thanks for the size comparison picks. It is a good learning tool for us newbies to see on the Nubians.
Thanks for the size comparison picks. It is a good learning tool for us newbies to see on the Nubians.
ThreeBoysChicks
Loving the herd life
Nina was raised on her mother and I got her at 12 weeks old. I was worried that she would not be tame, but she came home and slept in my lap by the pool for hours. She goes anywhere I want her to go. She raised her daughters and they are just as tame as she is.
Here is Nina, the day she came home.
I am in Thurmont MD, which is between Frederick, MD and Gettysburg, PA. Yeah it was that green this November also. My sister lived in Charles County for years. Her daughter still does. Small world.
Here is Nina, the day she came home.
I am in Thurmont MD, which is between Frederick, MD and Gettysburg, PA. Yeah it was that green this November also. My sister lived in Charles County for years. Her daughter still does. Small world.
Roll farms
Spot Master
I'm a breeder, so my purpose is to make a profit.....keep that in mind when reading my answer. Also, I'm talking about standard goats, NOT minis.
I breed our Nubian does by the 8 mos / 80# rule...I try to let them get bigger if possible, but that's not always an option.....and I usually cull any does who DON'T make 80# by 8 mos. We try to be 'done' kidding my March, which means I *should* be able to breed the doelings by November if they were born in March or before.
I've found the 'slow grower' lines tend to not be very impressive as adults, anyway....in my experience.
I don't want kids born in Sept / October, our kiddings run from late Nov - March. I need the rest of the year for gardening / putting food up for winter / getting ready for the holidays.
I cannot afford to feed goats for 1+ years and NOT get kids from them...again, while I ADORE my animals and take good care of them....I have to also be practical as this isn't 'just' a hobby or a couple of backyard milkers / pets I'm talking about here. I have to feed that animal for a year, it has to give back.
IMHO, the 1.5 yr old rule makes breeders 'feel' better, but if the goats were in the wild and cycling, they'd get bred and the strong, good breeders would survive, the weak would not....we coddle our animals too much and that's how we end up w/ weak animals.
I can honestly say that in almost 15 yrs of kidding goats, I've never had a 'young' doe kid w/ a worse problem than a big single. I've had very bad presentations / resulting complications from well-seasoned does who've kidded multiple times.
And they DO grow out fine....otherwise I wouldn't continue to breed yearlings / doelings. Last year Ellie hit the right weight and Blue (3 mos. younger) did not. Ellie got bred, kidded 2 nice 8# boer x bucklings, and peaked at just under 1 g of milk a day, kidding at 13 mos. old. We waited the extra year w/ Blue (born in June -she was bought, not born here) and they are the same weight now. Ellie didn't suffer one bit by being bred.
I'm not advocating breeding a doe at 71#, necessarily, I'm just saying experience has shown me that it's OK to breed a doe before 1 yr of age if she's physically fit.
I breed our Nubian does by the 8 mos / 80# rule...I try to let them get bigger if possible, but that's not always an option.....and I usually cull any does who DON'T make 80# by 8 mos. We try to be 'done' kidding my March, which means I *should* be able to breed the doelings by November if they were born in March or before.
I've found the 'slow grower' lines tend to not be very impressive as adults, anyway....in my experience.
I don't want kids born in Sept / October, our kiddings run from late Nov - March. I need the rest of the year for gardening / putting food up for winter / getting ready for the holidays.
I cannot afford to feed goats for 1+ years and NOT get kids from them...again, while I ADORE my animals and take good care of them....I have to also be practical as this isn't 'just' a hobby or a couple of backyard milkers / pets I'm talking about here. I have to feed that animal for a year, it has to give back.
IMHO, the 1.5 yr old rule makes breeders 'feel' better, but if the goats were in the wild and cycling, they'd get bred and the strong, good breeders would survive, the weak would not....we coddle our animals too much and that's how we end up w/ weak animals.
I can honestly say that in almost 15 yrs of kidding goats, I've never had a 'young' doe kid w/ a worse problem than a big single. I've had very bad presentations / resulting complications from well-seasoned does who've kidded multiple times.
And they DO grow out fine....otherwise I wouldn't continue to breed yearlings / doelings. Last year Ellie hit the right weight and Blue (3 mos. younger) did not. Ellie got bred, kidded 2 nice 8# boer x bucklings, and peaked at just under 1 g of milk a day, kidding at 13 mos. old. We waited the extra year w/ Blue (born in June -she was bought, not born here) and they are the same weight now. Ellie didn't suffer one bit by being bred.
I'm not advocating breeding a doe at 71#, necessarily, I'm just saying experience has shown me that it's OK to breed a doe before 1 yr of age if she's physically fit.
