When do I need to stop keeping my doeling and buckling together?

[Our7Wonders]

I have a 2 month old buckling and a 5 week old doeling. I'm bottle raising him to breed my two adult does and hopefully the little doeling if/when she's big enough. Right now the doeling is put in with him at night so I can milk her mama in the a.m.

I've read at about 2 months they are capable of breeding - but doesn't the buck have to be in rut AND the doeling in heat in order for them to even want to breed? My buckling mounts everything in sight - but all the bucklings started that pretty earlier - I figured it was a dominance thing. And is it very likely at all that anything would happen this time of year? I kinda thought nubians were fall/early winter breeders.

I don't mind creating a different area for her - I just hate the thought of having either of them alone. My buckling has a bottle fed lamb for company currently, but my doeling would be all alone overnight - can't imagine that's going to go over well. Anyone had success creating a separate little pen INSIDE the mamas goat area? It would have to be small as I don't have a large area to work with, but if it's just overnight for her to sleep in, perhaps that would be ok?

I welcome any thoughts? I'm not completely opposed to getting another doeling to keep with her - but my does are not friendly to other kids, so then I'd be stuck with a doeling alone during the day - can't win for losing. It's a bummer that besides her I had all bucklings this year!

 

[Wannabefree]

My buckling hung out with his sister to 3 months of age. He was trying, but she pretty much kicked his butt a couple times and that ended it as far as I know. I wouldn't worry too much I have heard the same thing as well though. It does make me nervous about keeping them together too, but I had no choice, and all is well.

 

[freemotion]

I put a Buff Orpington hen in with little Plummy when she was tiny and alone. To this day, she will leave the herd and go out with the hens if she feels like it.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Eh, this is just my opinion but I really have a hard time believing bucklings will breed something at 8 or even 12 weeks of age, and I have a harder time believeing a doeling would be in heat at 8 or even 12 weeks of age. Yes, bucklings will mount at young ages, but they're playing, not actually trying to breed. Just like ram lambs will mount each other and head butt each other, they're playing and practicing, not really trying to breed.

Last summer I had my buckling and ram lamb in with the ewes (and doe) until mid-July. The ram was born in Feb, so he was about 5 months old, and the buck was born in March so he was about 4 months old. Neither of them bred any of the girls they were with.

Now I'm not saying that they'll definitely not breed, but in my experience it hasn't been an issue for animals younger than 4-5 months.

 

[glenolam]

Do you have any other goat kids that you've wethered? Could you stick her in with them?

I'm with both free and katie, though, you could give her a different kind of friend to be with at night or just take the assumption that she'll be OK for a few more weeks.