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HOW BUCKS BREED

As a species, goats are seasonal breeders. Myotonic goats tend to breed year around, but extremes of daylight and darkness as well as other circumstances can impact their aseasonal breeding abilities.

Bucks come into rut long before does come into heat to establish their dominance over other bucks and therefore opportunity to breed. Bucks start their annual rut in late July in central Texas, and while does may occasionally exhibit early or false heats, estrus usually occurs when cold weather arrives.

Breeding habits of bucks are significantly different from that of other ruminant species. Cattle breeders, for example, incorrectly assume that bucks breed like bulls. Cows come into heat year around. Does typically cycle in 21-day intervals that correlate with shortened hours of daylight and colder weather.

A female goat's heat can last up to 36 hours, and a buck will repeatedly breed her so long as she exhibits signs of heat. Other does also in heat may get missed on this 21-day cycle. This is not how bulls breed cows.

This is confusing to cattle folks who are transitioning to raising goats. Goats are NOT "little cattle." Goats are DEER in how they live and mate. They are a small prey-prone species for whom reproduction is vital to survival, hence the intense emphasis by the bucks to make sure the does they are breeding become pregnant. Multiple births add to the chance of survival, as stronger kids will live and the weaker will die. Survival of the Fittest keeps a predator-prone species strong. As a large species, cattle don't have these challenges.

A mature buck in good health can usually breed 40-to-50 does, but much depends upon his health, the size and nutritional composition of the pasture in which he is breeding, the age and health of the does put with him for breeding, the length of time they are together, feed & shelter & weather conditions, and other variables. He is likely to miss some of the does when they come into heat concurrent with the heat of the doe he is currently servicing.

It is possible to leave the buck with the does for too long. To counter buck fatigue and missed breedings, many commercial producers run multiple bucks with their does. Remember you are raising a small ruminant species subject to predation with limitations that don't apply to much larger cattle. Cattle and goats are very different in how they approach reproduction.

Since Onion Creek Ranch's first breeding season in the fall of 1990, I've not been concerned if as many as 10% of the does don't settle. I understand how bucks breed, and I am interested in quality over quantity. Quality always brings better money, even at terminal auctions. Cattle people, on the other hand, seem to believe that every single female should be bred. Goats don't breed like cattle do. If you are going to raise goats, this is vital information to help you better understand and manage them. Learn to THINK LIKE A GOAT ™.

Suzanne W. Gasparotto, ONION CREEK RANCH, Texas 9.1.25

FEEDING BUCKS

When people have questioned me about how I feed bucks vis a vis feeding does, I was initially puzzled, because I feed my bucks exactly like I feed my does. Then I realized that people are fearful of causing Urinary Calculi in their bucks and have read incorrect information about its cause.

There is a whole lot of bad information available about goats and Urinary Calculi. The problem is misnamed. Too much phosphorus in relation to the amount of calcium causes Urinary Calculi. There must be 2:1 calcium to phosphorus in feed and 2-1/2:1 is better.

Feeding alfalfa to bucks is not a problem so long as you don't get the overall protein level of their nutrition too high ("too hot"). At worst, feed that is too high in protein can cause laminitis-founder, bloat, or ruminal acidosis. The best thing that can come of high-protein feed is wasted money, but is also puts too much fat on the goat. Fat layered around internal organs causes lots of problems.

Getting nutrition right is the hardest thing for goat raisers to do. See my articles on this topic on the Articles page at www.tennesseemeatgoats.com.

Suzanne W. Gasparotto, ONION CREEK RANCH, Texas 9.1.25