Advice on doe and wethers

[CntryBoy777]

First off let me say that this is my first experience with goats....have had them since July of '15...the wethers were born the end of April '15 and the doe is 9 yrs old now....the problem that I'm having is the 'Boys' are becoming very 'Controling' towards her...with food and attention...keeping her at a distance from us when we get them out for their 'Walk About'....this becomes even worse when she is in estrus...since the 3 are all we have I can't think of a way to split them up....so, the question is will this pass with time and the aging of the 'Boys' or will it just get worse?....is there any way to disrupt the estrus cycle so she can quit being the 'Focus of Attention'?....any Advice is most Welcomed!!

 

[NH homesteader]

Um I have no idea, sorry. Mine have never done that. Do you mean they aren't sharing food with her? I do have a wether that thinks he's a buck. He's driving me insane now that he isn't with the girls. He's quite convinced he needs to get through the fence and he has a "job" to do.

What breed of goat is your doe? Perhaps if she is a seasonal breeder then they will get better in the spring?

 

[CntryBoy777]

She is a full blood pygmy....and Lightning... ..is worse than Comet...here in this pic you can see how he is positioned between me and her....they work together to knock her from the feed bucket...and either dump her pellets or eat them...I have to stand there while they eat...sometimes with a riding crop to keep them at bay while she eats....as long as food isn't around they are fine...but if I am around they stay between me and her...unless I get involved....estrus makes it that much worse...cause they take turns hopping on top...just don't have any experience to rely on and wonder if this is just a stage they will get thru...or if this is actions of a buck or not....at my Wits end trying to understand how to deal with it.

 

[NH homesteader]

You may have to separate them for feeding time. Wethers shouldn't eat very much grain. So if they're taking hers, she isn't getting what she needs and they may be getting too much!

I don't think they'll grow out of it. My wether mounts the girls when they're in heat. He's 5 years old (or so, I don't know for sure). But he's never tried to separate us. Not sure about that one.

 

[CntryBoy777]

Thanks for you taking time to help me out ....as far as the feed is concerned, I will continue to be a Force and Obsticle....there isn't much grain in what I am giving them it is mainly alfalfa....but in the process of decreasing even that, down to an Alfalfa and Oat pellet...the amount is <1% of body weight....they don't eat much hay because they get plenty of Browse...

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Pygmies are year round breeders so you'll probably see this behavior pretty consistently.

 

[CntryBoy777]

Well I may have to breakdown and get a couple of doelings this Spring and separate the does from the 'Boys'...here goes the 'Goat Math'!!

 

[NH homesteader]

So are Nigerians but my wether only does it to the Nigie girls during the "season" for other breeds. Not sure if it's because he's not a pure Nigie or if the girls are just having stronger heats then.

If you're mostly feeding alfalfa should be OK then if they get extra. My wether is a food hog too. It's the only time he pushes anyone around!

 

[CntryBoy777]

Well ya can tell by the pics that none of them are Starving...though they act like they are 'Skin and Bones'