Planning Matings
Choosing a buck to breed to your doe can be a complicated process. If you are serious about breeding to improve the breed you have chosen, you must select and plan matings accordingly. I must admit, many times when I choose a buck to breed to a doe it's a total crap shoot. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't. Here are some tips to help you decide on a buck to mate to your doe(s).
1. The first thing to consider when choosing a buck for your doe is to remember that you should breed for what you like. Within every breed there is bound to be different styles and types. If the current trend is to breed long, sleek does, but you happen to like short, squatty does, then by all means, go ahead and breed for it. If you do not like flashy, moonspotted bucks with blue eyes, then go ahead and breed for plain ones, and vice versa. You are the one who has to be happy with what you see when you go to the barn, so serve yourself and your interests first.
2. Evaluate your does and learn their strengths and weaknesses. You can learn more about your does by doing research, participating in goat shows, having them officially evaluated against the breed standard (i.e. Linear Appraisal), participating in production testing programs (DHI), and by asking for the honest opinions of more seasoned breeders.
3. Be patient. Changing a trait or characteristic in your herd TAKES A LONG TIME! To fully evaluate a doe takes approximately 2.3-3 years from her birth, or until she freshens for the second time. Don't get too caught up in making huge changes quickly. In fact, focus on just one or two traits you would like to improve per season.
4. When you find a potential buck to breed to your does, take a look at his dam and his freshened daughters. His female relatives are the biggest indicator of what the buck is likely to produce. Many very successful breeders buy bucks sight unseen, and rely solely on pedigrees and production data from him and his female relatives. You should also consider the information contained in his pedigree and the production and linear data available on him and his relatives from your breed registry. We will talk more about Understanding Pedigrees later.
5. Hope for the best. If a breeding doesn't pan out the way you planned, try, try again.
Choosing a buck to breed to your doe can be a complicated process. If you are serious about breeding to improve the breed you have chosen, you must select and plan matings accordingly. I must admit, many times when I choose a buck to breed to a doe it's a total crap shoot. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't. Here are some tips to help you decide on a buck to mate to your doe(s).
1. The first thing to consider when choosing a buck for your doe is to remember that you should breed for what you like. Within every breed there is bound to be different styles and types. If the current trend is to breed long, sleek does, but you happen to like short, squatty does, then by all means, go ahead and breed for it. If you do not like flashy, moonspotted bucks with blue eyes, then go ahead and breed for plain ones, and vice versa. You are the one who has to be happy with what you see when you go to the barn, so serve yourself and your interests first.
2. Evaluate your does and learn their strengths and weaknesses. You can learn more about your does by doing research, participating in goat shows, having them officially evaluated against the breed standard (i.e. Linear Appraisal), participating in production testing programs (DHI), and by asking for the honest opinions of more seasoned breeders.
3. Be patient. Changing a trait or characteristic in your herd TAKES A LONG TIME! To fully evaluate a doe takes approximately 2.3-3 years from her birth, or until she freshens for the second time. Don't get too caught up in making huge changes quickly. In fact, focus on just one or two traits you would like to improve per season.
4. When you find a potential buck to breed to your does, take a look at his dam and his freshened daughters. His female relatives are the biggest indicator of what the buck is likely to produce. Many very successful breeders buy bucks sight unseen, and rely solely on pedigrees and production data from him and his female relatives. You should also consider the information contained in his pedigree and the production and linear data available on him and his relatives from your breed registry. We will talk more about Understanding Pedigrees later.
5. Hope for the best. If a breeding doesn't pan out the way you planned, try, try again.
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