How to Know if Your Goat is Ready to Breed

How do you know if your goat is mature enough to breed? Bucks (male goats) are fairly easy - they can breed as early as 3 months.  If they are ready to breed they will and if they're not they won't. Some are not ready until their 2nd fall. But what about the does (female goat)? How do you know if she is mature enough to breed? Does can cycle as early as 3 months old, but usually are not ready to support a baby that young. This article will help you tell when your doe is ready to breed.

What you will need:

• Doe's date of birth
• Weight tape or scale
• Buck

	Determine your does age. I like to wait to breed my young does until they are at least 9 months old.
	Determine your doe's weight. For the full size goats, you can breed them when they are above 80#’s, or about 2/5th’s of their mature weight. For MiniNubians and other Mini-Dairy breeds 2/5th’s of their mature weight is about 40-50 lbs.
	If your doe is over 9 months and more than the minimum weight, you can put her with the buck. If her body is not ready, she will not come into heat. If she is ready, she'll breed and you will have kids in about 150 days!