Author Topic: How old can you breed with (Read 3385 times)

ScotsGirl · « **on:** April 14, 2014, 09:55:03 pm »

I was just wondering how long people continue to breed from their does? Is there a limit? My oldest is 8 this year. What do you do with your old girls, just keep them as pets until they die?

Trying to work out when I need to start building a replacement herd.

Lesley Silvester · « **Reply #1 on:** April 14, 2014, 10:17:14 pm »

I was told that one who had kidded every other year should be able to continue until aged 10. I kept my one until she died at 11. I still have her daughter.

roddycm · « **Reply #2 on:** April 14, 2014, 10:22:58 pm »

As with all livestock... It depends on the individual animal, I've had sheep lamb until 14 and a mare foal at 27/28... Others stop much younger! If she's in good nic then she should be fine to keep on, when her teeth go and she stops doing well then it will become apparent to you that's she's ready for her pipe and slippers! Haha

Anke · « **Reply #3 on:** April 14, 2014, 11:07:28 pm »

Depends on the individual and on the level of TLC that you can give her. My 7 year old GG has just kidded, but this may have been her last as she has gone off her hind pasterns quite badly (due to the excess weight and may have had a weakness for a while). I do know some people who have bred nannies at age 10 - but you have to have a really good look at her and estimate (based on how easily she did it all previously) if she is capable again?

I now have all ages - from 7 to 0....

Mine will stay in the herd as long as they milk enough to justfy the feed input, if dry and not able to breed from them anymore I am afraid they will have to go. I would not sell to anyone at this stage anymore, as I can never be sure if she is not sold on/bred from again etc etc... IMO it is kindest at that stage to have them PTS by the vet.

wytsend · « **Reply #4 on:** April 15, 2014, 09:37:15 am »

My oldest was 19 !!! Didn't intend to breed her after 12...........but she had her own ideas and would slip away for an assignation.

Roxy · « **Reply #5 on:** April 15, 2014, 12:52:04 pm »

I have had two goats live to 16, but did not breed from them in their teens - although they both came into season, and would have been happy to visit the male.

One of our smaller goats has bred every year, and she is 6 now. I did notice this year she did not get in kid as early as usual, but that may be down to her male, as he is 7 now. I would definitely carry on breeding from a female until her early teens if she looked well enough to do so.

As I said I have kept goats into their mid teens - they had given me kids for years, and therefore owed me nothing, so happy for them to live out their lives here.

ScotsGirl · « **Reply #6 on:** April 15, 2014, 01:20:30 pm »

Thanks all, good to hear. All mine are in very good condition so will just see how they go as love them to bits.

ballingall · « **Reply #7 on:** April 19, 2014, 10:05:30 am »

It does depend on how they are, when they last kidded etc.

To be honest, I am not a good person to answer this as we keep a very young herd as we want them to still be productive, so we have a policy that we try and sell on adults by the time they are 6. There are exceptions obviously, the occasional "special" one gets kept forever, but generally we have a young herd.

Beth

Trixie · « **Reply #8 on:** April 19, 2014, 07:21:24 pm »

I don't know myself but I went on a cheesemaking course 2 to 3 months ago and the lady there had a 13 year old Golden Guernsey in kid, she said the goat was healthy and it would be her last time she thought but would see as it was her best milker so wanted a female kid off her. It did look happy and healthy to me.