mini silky fainting goats- how do I know when they are in heat?

[Whispering Hope Farm]

I have 2 of the most adorable, great personality mini silky fainting goats ever! Ok I am a happy with my expensive goat purchase. They are turning 1 year in April and I want to breed them. I have someone near who has the mini fainting goats and he is going to let me use his ram. The big question is - how do I know they are ready to be bred? I have read on here that some goat breeds breed year round and some don't. I really would like little goat babies.

Thanks

 

[Mamaboid]

Fainters are not seasonal breeders, they can be bred all year. The does heats are just like any other breed, it varies from goat to goat, but in general they could be noisier, irritable, have discharge, pee a lot, be more loving to you or meaner to the other goats...or....the only way you may know it is when your buck reacts to them.

 

[Whispering Hope Farm]

Glad to know that they can be bred anytime. So if they are going to be a year old in April, when do you think I should take them to the other person who has a fainting ram and have them bred? I think some people say 1 year and some say 1 1/2 years. Me - I get impatient. As for the 2 doe goats I have they are always noisy and demand a lot of attention. They are soo sweet and lovable all the time. No one is a stranger to them! I would like to breed them in feb. but wonder if I need to wait.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Whispering Hope Farm]

That is so cool - mamaboid- how you have the webcam hooked up and let people watch your goat. How cool!

Do I have to wait for my 2 goats to be exactly a year old - they are 9 months old now?

 

[Mamaboid]

That is so cool - mamaboid- how you have the webcam hooked up and let people watch your goat. How cool!

Do I have to wait for my 2 goats to be exactly a year old - they are 9 months old now?

Thanks, it sure saves me a bunch of trips to the barn in the middle of the night.

A lot of people say you should also go by weight, and they should be 80 pounds, but I don't think that is a guideline for mini's. If you breed at 9 months, the does will be 14 months when they kid. This shouldn't be a problem, but if you want to be on the safe side, I would wait another month so that they are at least 15 months when they kid. Others may say differently, and if some of the more experienced breeders want to chime in, I would like to hear what they have to say also. Everybody has different ideas and experience to draw from, so I don't think there is a right or wrong way to do things with goats. It also would depend on the individual goat, some mature earlier than others, even within the same breed.