Can a Junior Buck mate and spray urine and still have low sperm count? Low enough not to get a doe pregnant? I have a junior buck who bred two does and one was due today but nothing. The other went in with him as a test. They mated. So I put the other doe (the one due today) in and THEY mated. So this means that neither one of the does is pregnant right? Junior is now a month older and the weather has been cooler. But the matings were the same as they had been a month ago. So I am confused. Any help appreciated. Lily PS He has fully formed testies. And doe #1 is in heat as she was last time. Doe #2 is young and not too sure about all the attention. But she was calmer then she was last time.

-- Lily Weaver (tracer108@yahoo.com), September 09, 2001

Answers

Response to Junior Buck-no sperm

If the does were just in a month ago, neither would be due as the gestation period for dairy goats is 150 days. Depending on how old the buck is he may not have bred the does. Even older bucks can have a low sperm count. If the does were just put with him and taken out after mating the timing could have been off. Some does will also appear to be in heat even after they have successfully been bred. How old is the younger doe? Hopefully, at least 7 months so she will be at least a year of age at kidding. If she is calmer this time she may not have been in standing heat last time she was put in. I would keep track of the first time they were put in with the buck so you would know the earliest possible due date. You can put them back in with the buck again if it appears they didn't take the first time.

-- Leslie in Western WA (sundaycreek@gnrac.net), September 09, 2001.

Response to Junior Buck-no sperm

Leslie mad esome good points about the situation. In my experiences using a younger buck we have not had any problems, however, i do know some of my friends who ahve had jr herdsires who had lower sperm counts and they didn't settle any does their first yr.

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), September 09, 2001.

Lily if she was due right now she was bred by him in April, unless of a meat breed, dairy goats rarely are in heat in that month. And if bred would more than likely not kid. July kids are even rare for us though with two new bucks brought onto the property one year we were able to get a large group of LaMancha's to kid in September. As a rule of thumb if a buck kid can extend his penis from the sheath to spray, then he is fully able to breed, though most older does won't have anything to do with them. To breed older does we will put their heads thorough the fence to an older buck, letting the young buck breed while they are otherwise occupied :) Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), September 09, 2001.

O.K. so are we talking goats or rabbits? :) Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), September 09, 2001.

Well, if I had read the whole subject line it does say rabbits! Sorry, I was into breeding my goats today. Gestation period would definitly be different.

-- Skip in Western WA (sundaycreek@gnrac.net), September 09, 2001.

Lily how old is the buck and what size rabbits. I raise mixed breed they are medium to large size. The bucks that I have raised for breeding will appear to be breeding at around five to six months, but are usually eight or even nine months old before it actually takes and the does get pregnant. I wouldn't give up on him if he is young just keep putting the does in with him maybe every couple of weeks until one has babies. I know its hard to wait, Could you find a older buck to use now? Good luck! You can email me privately if you would like more information, I have been raising rabbits for about 7 years.

-- Dian (rhoffman@nctc.com), September 09, 2001.

Hi Lily,

First, how old is the buck? Second, how hot has it been? It over 85 degrees for 5 days straight he could be sterile, and it could be up to 3 months before he becomes un-sterile. Something that I do to check without waiting the whole 30 days is ~ put the doe back in with the buck maybe about a week or so after you have bred her. If she is extremely receptive, she is not pregnant. If she growls and runs and fights him, she is. I also try to breed them twice on the same day, once early in the morning and once about 6 hours later.....just increases your chances of pregnancy and increases your number of kits. Hope this helps some.

-- Tracey (trjlanier@cs.com), September 09, 2001.

Uh-Oh.... didn't see the rabbit after the thread post. LOL:):)

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), September 10, 2001.

Bernice and Skip :) The rabbit part had to have been added afterwards!! And just how many of us have buck rabbit's that spray themselves? I know mine didn't. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), September 10, 2001.