The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: lizzypeg on June 22, 2014, 09:16:33 pm
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do pygmy goats have a breeding season or will they come into season all year round.
I thought they were like other goats and sheep and seasoned between sept to feb? but I keep reading that they can get preg all year round if they live with the billy 24/7.
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can't answer your question, but it's not a stupid one.
The only stupid question is the one you don't ask. :)
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yes to both - they'll be in season in the autumn ...
but if they are "in with" billies, then whenever they have finished lactation from one set of kids then they can get pregnant as soon as... within reason!
just like "big" goats :)
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I had a (dairy) goat in season last week..... :o
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My young Pygmy was in season a couple of days ago.....
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Okay another stupid question. If in with the billy will there be signs of them in season before he gets to them? When I first put him in last year it was hilarious watching them flirt with him but I haven't taken him out and he hasn't been chasing them or pushing them around.
People who have come to collect kids cannot believe he doesn't smell. I can smell him faintly but only when making a fuss of him for several minutes.
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I am of the opinion that pygmy goats come ino season monthly, might even be 21 day cycle
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just like "big" goats :)
will normal goats also get pregnant during summer if given the chance?
my 2 billies are feeling rather ..ahem. ::) ...well atm as they were bonking each other yesterday :o :o :o
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I'm sure Little Blue's goat Geraldine has got pregnant in the summer. She is in with the male all the time.
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My pygmy's seem to be the same as Little Blue - once the kids have been weaned they come into season again, I'm sure that's because we keep 2 billies. The billies are in a separate paddock next to the girls and 1 is on her second season today, clearly flirting at the fence but she'll have to wait a while though :-J
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just like "big" goats :)
will normal goats also get pregnant during summer if given the chance?
Yes.
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(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y190/jinglejoys/Goats/April6th05yyy.jpg) (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/jinglejoys/media/Goats/April6th05yyy.jpg.html)
This was Sweetroses' Autumn kid (she'd already had one in early Spring)
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also when do young females first come into season? 6 months or younger.i have older girls and younger girls living together , wanted to run the young billy with them but want to take the younger girl out if theres a chance she will get pregnant at 6 months.
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Right again, this year's kids can come into season this autumn, in fact I'm pretty sure all of mine have - naughty little so and so's :innocent:
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The billy will know they are in season before you do :thinking:
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If you want to be in control of your breeding you will need to keep the billy (and his castrated friend) away from the girls at all times, and only introduce the females when they come into season AND it suits your breeding programme (meaning letting female kids grow as much as possible before their first mating for example).
It adds to the cost of keeping goats but will reduce your vet bills as it means you know who kids when and you can prepare yourself and your females for it, and no unwanted kids from unsuitable matings for example.
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If you are stuck for space let the boys run out at night and the girls during the day
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If you are stuck for space let the boys run out at night and the girls during the day
That's what I do and it works fine.
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I have a pygmy male and female who have lived together all their lives. If the male is separated from her, he wrecks everything in his path until he gets to her. The only time they are separate is when she kids, and they are in adjoining pens for a few days - and then he uses his large horns to batter the gate down.
The female usually kids Christmas week (twins). For the last few years she has only kidded once, but we did have Christmas kids, and then more in late Summer!!
Once my larger females have kidded, I let the AN male run with them for a few weeks,but once he starts showing an interest in them (which is now) he is removed, and he goes out at night. He has now taken an interest in his fat castrated pygmy x friend instead!!
I have a small female pygmy and she is already in season through the summer.
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so am I right in thinking that its better to wait until the doe is at least a year and a bit old to breed? as I go on a facebook site for pygmies and a lot of the American breeders seem to let there does mate in their first autumn but I thought this was frowned upon.
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I don't know about pygmies, but dairy goats are not fully grown in their first autumn so it isn't a good idea to get them in kid then. Their second autumn is far fairer to them.
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I certainly wouldn't breed a pygmy in it's first autumn - they are way too small a 100 x's better to wait till they are 18 months.
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Pygmies have enough problems getting their kids out without being underdeveloped at the same time (you'd need an even smaller shoe horn :innocent: )