Bringing in the big balls

This week I noticed Shizu being in heat AGAIN.
Breeding season is getting to an end soon and so far my choice of buck did not work out the way it’s supposed to.
He is perfectly in the mood, all the signs are there and he was properly prepared as far as vitamins go.

What I’ve noticed is that he is not aggressive enough and I think that is where the problem lies. My does, especially the lady in charge, are large and make it very clear what they want or don’t want. When Shizu is in heat she rubs herself against the buck and paws him but the thing is that she is so strong she nealy pushes the buck over.
Truthfully our buck Jiro is just too kind and gentle. I was hoping he would man up more now that the hormones are raging but unfortunately he didn’t and our time is running out.

Shizu really is a big girl even for a toggenburger

There is no other option than to bring in a larger and more experienced buck. In my area not many people keep goats so finding a suitable man for the job is a bit of a hassle.
I settled for a two year old boergoat. Ideally I would like a big black toggenburg but this time of year they are just not available. Next year around springtime there will be enough choice to pick a good one. For now the focus lies on milk production so with the new buck being a different breed means my goat babies will be crossbreeds. It’s either that or no milk.

That being said I’ve seen a couple toggenburg boer crosses and their are the most adorable little things plus they have a little more meat on them. The buck I’m going for has bred before and his offspring are also on the farm he is coming from so we can see them.

As far as Ayumi our Dutch Landrace Goat goes I have no clue how her kids would turn out. My research on them is progressing slowly. I know their udder has a tendency to grow too large but as far as the contents of the milk go I still haven’t found any info.
Ayumi has not been in heat as far as I could see so I think she was bred before she got here, we will see. She is behaving well.

We’ve been blessed with rather mild weather so the goats can still enjoy the pasture. There is plenty forage left to graze and browse. I want to have some length to the grass so it preserves some energy for early spring growth, it also protects the ground from icy wind. Last year I started grazing in february already, other farmers had to wait several more weeks. It really does make a difference.

Next weekend we are going to pick up the new buck.
We’ll keep you up to date!