[maddy]

I can't believe it but one by one my 6 girls are coming back into season.  This is their 3rd year of kidding and I have been very smug about my new boy with his super duper new bloodlines covering them all within a week and now they are all starting off again.  He is in with them all the time.  This time around he doesn't seem as interested in them and even head butts them and half heartedly covers them.  Admittedly he is only 8 months old but my first buckling was the same age and they all produced triplets and quads.

Is there any comeback from the breeder?  Should I get him tested at the vets or what do others do?

[jaykay]

Oh dear. If they're all coming back, I'd assume he isn't fertile.

If I was in this situation:

1. I'd get the use of another billy this year
2. I'd keep the little guy and get a wether to keep him company (cos he'll need separating from the girls and the new billy)
3. I'd try him again next year, when he's grown up

As for come-back, it depends. In our breed society tup sale, the mart guarantees that a tup is fertile and if he proves not to be, they compensate you. Some larger breeders of whatever animals, have insurance. If not, you'd think it would be good relations to at least give you back your purchase price but probably nothing more.

[Anke]

If you bought him as a kid there is no way that he can be proven, and you would not have any come-back from the seller, as obviously s/he cannot sell the boy with any guarantees. If you buy in a kid than that's one of the risks you take, for probably a lower price than if you bought a proven older guy.
The only possibility would have been if you bought the result of a polled to polled mating, as he could then possibly be a hermaphrodite (look like a boy but be infertile). However you would know about that from studying the pedigree.
However I would not despair just yet and do what Jaykay says, after all if he is mating adult girls he may simply just be too small and not get to the right place. Did you observe him mating the girls - did he do the final thrust motion (sorry it is not meant to be pornographic...), but if he didn't than most likely he is not doing it properly.
But for this year it may be best to get in another boy and let the wee man grow on a bit and then get his sperm tested next autumn. (if he was vaccinated with anything, possibly Schmallenberg he may have been temporarily infertile, same thing could happen with toxoplasmosis infection. ). Do you haven any kittens around the goathouse/hay storage?
I personally would not let a male kid run with females all the time, as these wee boys are VERY keen to get going - he could be working himself out/exhaust himself quite quickly.

[Northlands]

I am having the same problem with my new buckling.  He is only 7 months but I was told that he would be up to the job. However he has different ideas.  He is interested in the girls but that's as far as it goes.  The girls are even trying to mount him when they are in season!!  He shows all the signs but I have never seen him mate anything yet.  I thought he might be a bit small but even lifted him onto one of the does and as far as I could work out he would have no problem reaching! They keep coming back in season  so I just guess that he is not mature enough yet. Do Boer's mature later?
So have decided that my girls can have a year off, and hopefully next year he will be more successful.  I won't give up on him yet!!

[sokel]

William was covering the Girls last year at 7 months old, Although he was trying He did have to use a step to actually hit the spot so to speak 
I wouldnt run a young billy with the girls but then again I personally prefer to mate them all in hand anyway then at least you know when the deed was done and if it did actually happen rather than just that he was trying

[wytsend]

iT IS A MISTAKE TO LEAVE A YOUNG MALE UNDER A YEAR OLD IN WITH THE GIRLS   ..............     yes he is old enough to work but only on an occasional basis during the first year.

He should be hand mated with a female when she comes into season,   girl held so the boy feels in control of the situation.

What you don't know and possibly don't see.........he may have been bullied by the others at ther point of when he was going to do the deed,  so now feels rather overpowered/deflated !
Take him out of the group,   give him time to get himself together and then try him again but with the female held.

[ScotsGirl]

Well I obviously have a herd or tarts! All 6 flirted like mad and even though only 8 months old he covered them all in the week with no-one back in season. I did try keeping I. The next paddock initially but the wethers I put him in with had other ideas and got through the fence (god knows how!) so I just let him through.


He is a definite follower but is very well grown and very well mannered. Strangely doesn't smell any more and only slightly when I got him.  I think my OH must have spooked him one day as he stood up on his back legs.


I was a bit reluctant about getting one so young but Nicola Knott has bred some nice bucks.

[tattycat]

Any truth to the rumor that a young billy gives more billys?

[ScotsGirl]

I'll let you know in the spring! I had 80% girls this year from old billy. However I was told the girls I bought always had more girls hence why she was selling as wanted boys for meat.

[sokel]

We had 18 kids from our 7-8 month old Billy 13 of them where female 5 male so that theory was wrong for us 

[jaykay]

I don't think there's any scientific evidence that males produce different ratios of sperm at different ages?

It's easy to think so though - if you'd had 8 male kids in a row, you'd think it meant something but apparently it has to be way more than that before it's 'statistically significant'.