I have three May kids in my barn right now, and several does due in May or later. Usually I like to breed the doelings the first year, when given adeqate feed, they grow well and mature into great big does. These May kids are way too small though, even if I wai til the very end of breeding season, they are going to be too little (They are Alpines, so can't breed year round). It doesn't help that they got coccidiosis this summer.

What do you all do with your late kids? Do you just hold them over until they are a year and a half? It would seem that if they were kept that long and then freshened with a horrible udder, it'd be quite a letdown- not to mention the financial loss. Do you avoid breeding for such late kids? Will kids like mine catch up eventually?

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), December 19, 2001

Answers

I would hold off on breeding them till early next breeding season if they were mine. That way they will be big enough and then you won't have the problem of late babies out of them.

I usually don't keep a doe if there is any problems with her udder or production so that way I don't have to worry so much about how the kids will freshen. I don't mind late kids because I can show them as dry yearlings for a year and I can take them hiking with me for their exercise (and mine) Exercise for dry yearlings is very important since they will get fat easily.

-- shari (smillers@snowcrest.net), December 19, 2001.

I sell them. A kid who is stunted from cocci, simply will never turn out to be something I am proud of. I strictly stick :) to a 10 pound a month gain in my Nubians, 2 months 20 pounds plus their birth wieght, 3 months 38 pounds, 4 months 48 pounds etc. and if they aren't I cull. Just like I cull for width, length, extra teats, and mouth faults. All of these things decrease the udder size, structure, milkability, amounts of kids, and if she will show or not. The idea of keeping does who are already showing problems for another 9 months, and here that would be 140$ in just grain and hay, to see if they may grow, is not happening. I do cut quad kids from older does, or triplets out of first fresheners some slack. We routinely breed to kid at 2 though. These does would be perfectly fine in another herd situation, the genetics are still there. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), December 19, 2001.

Vicki, I used your formula for growing kid weights and I was suprised to see that it was very accurate for my girls! Neat. I weigh my girls once a month or so for my records and I never put it all together that way. I did notice that once they are bred their gain slowed down to about 3 lbs. in the first month of pregnancy. Do yours do this? Any more fun formulas you want to share? : )

-- shari - learning something new every day (smillers@snowcrest.net), December 19, 2001.

Vicki, I went out and weigh-taped them. They were born May 5, 11, and 26. Their weights are 63, 64, and 63. The oldest one is the only one that has the pot bellied look, she also has long pasterns so I think she is the one I'll send on her way. The other two are longer and look growthier somehow.

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), December 19, 2001.

I don't know it off the top of my head but does anybody HES with Harvey Considine? I had his book, one of those borrowed books that someone didn't return, but in there is the formula for length of cannon bone at a certain age to tell you if the doe is going to be tall enough.

Rebekah, that sounds like a good idea, I like my pasterns strong and short also. The others sound like they are a good weight. Perhaps you are just being barn blind with them? I know other folks who think their goats are good and then go to shows and loose, perhaps we are opposite :) think our goats are small and they are big? LOL!

Shari, glad it is working for you. I don't breed until their next season, this years January, March and July kids will be bred next October. Our problems are keeping the yearlings from gaining to much weight, its a hard balancing act, you want them to grow, just not out! Was much eaiser when I bred all yearlings in July, but by myself now, I simply can't do winter babies and milking my whole life! Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), December 20, 2001.