I'm sure it's already been answered on here but I was wondering how long after a baby goat is born before the mother is ready to breed again. I'm looking for the soonest possible date because I have a billy that must be sold as soon as he breeds a doe I have. She had a little one last Friday(2-1-02).

-- Red Neck (sesech@csa.com), February 08, 2002

Answers

I've rebred a doe about 6 weeks after kidding, but the doe was in very good condition after having just a single. I was also bottle feeding her kid. I would recommend waiting at least 3 months so that they have at least 8 months in between kidding, similar to meat breeders or sheep that will kid 3 times in 2 years. Are you just trying to get more kids? Seems like you would use the milk since she just freshened. I don't really see the point in rebreeding right after they kid unless you are looking at raising kids for meat production.

-- Leslie in Western WA (sundaycreek@gnrac.net), February 08, 2002.

I have had does come in as early as 3 weeks, but we always called it a "foal heat" which was infertile. We had some elderly does who weren't being shown or milked and we would kid them out every 8 months, which because Nubians are seasonal breeders forces you the 3rd kidding to give them a long rest. The would come back in easily at 3 months, but like Leslie said they were in excellent shape, did not have any responsibility to nurse their little ones and weren't on the milk string. Also if you are talking dairy goats, unlikely that she will even come into heat until July on. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), February 08, 2002.

Hmmmm flashbacks to the 2000 kidding season. to make a long story short we were at nationsl in June of 2000, the buck came into rut, the girls into heat thanks to my hubby's pride in wiring the new barn. Well with the3 lights on 24/7 there were 5 older does ranging form 4 to 8 that got preggers. They ahd 2 kiddings that yr, in Feb and in Nov, yep, Thanksgiving Day.

From my experiences the does don't milk enough to sustain the 2nd kidding in a yr. Too stressful.. And, heres a thought, Q/thought about the low milk production in the meat goats, could it be also from breeding them more frequently of just genetic?

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), February 09, 2002.