Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
S'mores would not have been bred this fall if her attitude hadn't improved. She was never aggres-
sive, only unused to being handled. Now she leads easily, comes to the fence first of all our goats,
and has a great demeanor. Temperament should be in your mind before breeding.
You also want to have in mind what you are breeding for. Your desire for milk, meat, fiber, or
showing your livestock should impact how you breed. In our herd, our primary concerns are milk
and meat, so we aren't as concerned with pedigree, showability, or fiber quality. As a result, our
herd is diverse with more than one breed, and we aren't concerned with color. We're using a big
Nubian buck that had an excellent milker for a dam (thus passing on great milking genes) and has
excellent size and build for crossing with our Boer doe for potential meat purposes.
Select a buck that will complement your breeding goals. He should compensate for any failings in
your herd and should have a certification of good health from the veterinarian. Our small backyard
farm is too small to keep a buck on site with our girls so we use a buck at a friend's house, taking
our girls there in the fall for breeding. This arrangement works out well, giving us the chance to
introduce new blood into our herd without the expense of keeping a buck that will only be bred
with our two or three females.
You can also use artificial insemination, which means you purchase only the semen. The veterinar-
ian will perform the insemination using what you've purchased without ever having your girls stand
for a buck or ram. This is another viable option for a small-scale homesteader.
Most goats and sheep have periods where breeding can take place. Usually this happens in the fall
and they come into heat every three to four weeks for a few months. With an experienced doe you
will usually be able to tell when she's in heat by the signs she exhibits. Some of them are downright
obnoxious about it!
Over the Garden Fence
Signs that your doe or ewe is in heat include extra vocalizations, decreased appetite, wagging the tail
(called
flagging
), seeking out a buck or standing against the fence near where he is penned, and decreased
milk production. Ewes are less likely to show obvious signs of heat without the presence of a ram.
You can expose the doe to the buck you want her to breed with by introducing them to each other
when the doe seems receptive. We usually move our girls over and allow them to breed at least
two or three times confirmed. This last time we misjudged our Boer's heat cycle, so she ended up
staying at the buck's house for three weeks. It was easier for us to leave her there than to upset her
by transporting her back and forth multiple times.
If a sheep's long fleece gets in the way of breeding, you'll want to trim your ewe before breeding
her. This could be as simple as a clipping around the tail end and udder areas for breeding and
lambing ease. The ovulation rates of both does and ewes will be at their highest peak between the
ages of 3 to 6 years old, which means breedings are more successful and will generally result in a
larger number of babies.
