[Little-Bits-N-Pieces]

Soooo, I have a doeling that JUST turned 5 months old 4 days ago, she might have been bred last night. She was in heat and one of the bucks got out.
She's 90+lbs, and about 26.5" at the withers right now. I'm debating on whether or not I should lute her. Some say yes, some say no.

If you personally have had a doe kid before 1 year old, how did it turn out? This doeling would be kidding at 10 months old, barely.

 

[ThreeHavens]

Busy Bee's first kidding was a little bit before her first birthday ... big kids and we had to help pull a little (didn't have to reposition) but other than that she did great. Our biggest problem was we didn't know we were supposed to be feeding her a calcium source- we were newbies.

But she's a natural mom and everything. If she's a good size I'd just give her some extra TLC and watch her.

 

[nicolemackenzie]

She's over the weight minimum, and I'm sure many would breed her on purpose.

But...

My 5.5 month old was exposed and not 80 lbs yet I don't think. I luted her. She's still just a baby.

 

[Little-Bits-N-Pieces]

Hmm, that's what my main concern was, my girls usually have big kids. This doelings grand-dam was just a little over 90lbs as a mature doe and she routinely had 11-13lb single kids that always need pulled. I often have to pull kids whether or not I grained the does at all, even the biggest does need help sometimes.
She is bred to my smallest buck though, stature wise, but he and his sister were some of the thickest boned kids this year...

 

[J.O.Y. Farm]

I know a breeder that sometimes has does kid shortly before the age of one...

 

[margaret]

I had an doeling freshen at 11 months. She was TINY. I don't know how much she weighed but she certainly shouldn't have been delivering a kid. And the sire was mostly Boer.
She had a little trouble getting him out but she and the kid were both fine. I didn't even know there was such a thing as lute back then:lol:

 

[Cedar Point Kikos]

I've had a doe freshen at 11-12 months. She needed a bit of help pulling, but her kid was also the biggest of the year.
She was 60-70lbs when bred (if my memory is correct ) and is around 100lbs as a 2.5yr old. Her dam is a smaller doe too, most she's been is 115lbs.

 

[goatblessings]

In the september/october issue of Dairy Goat Journal - Kat's caprine corner has a great breeding article. It addresses this under "How do I know if my doelings are ready to breed?". Along with weight and age recommendations, she would like to see a heavy to medium boned doe that is healthy and sound. Light boned animals may not have enough frame to store enough minerals to support a pregnancy.
They can demineralize late into gestation or early into milking causing under turned pasterns and stunted growth.

Only you know your girl well enough to make this decision - i'm sure all will be fine no matter what you decide! Best wishes.

Found - this is on page 51.

 

[lottsagoats1]

I got a doeling this summer that was an oops breeding they didn't even realize until her test came back +. They diod nto have the time to deal with it so i got her and her buddy.

She was tiny, about the size of my 3 month olds, but she had been taken care of so her nutrition was fine. She was also in a run in barn, so she got plenty of exercise at her original home and then at mine.

She kidded at 11 months with a single doeling. Because she was CAE+, I took the kid at birth, but this doe was a great producer, came thru the entire thing like a pro and continued to grow nicely. She is where she should be for her age right now. I am going to breed her late fall for 2016 to my ND buck.

Personally, I think proper nutrition and exercise is the key to a good kidding anyway, but especially with the young ones.

 

[rebelINny]

Rule of thumb is 80lbs for a dairy. So I'd say your safe. I have had a 7 month old bred and she kidded a single (big kid) fine with just a little assistance to get her vulva over the crown of the head. I'd hope for multiples...just cause they'd be smaller but if she's 90 lbs...I'd let her go.

 

[Little-Bits-N-Pieces]

Thank you for the input everyone. I think I will go ahead and lute her, my original plan was to kid her as a 2yr old in the first place, instead of as a yearling. So I think I'll lute her and grow her out before I breed her, and strangle that buck! He was out again this morning and bred a doe I had just bred to another buck :wallbang: :hair: And she's getting hard to settle in her old age, so the last thing I want to do is lute her, I'll be DNA typing her kids in the spring... :GAAH:

 

[janeen128]

I had 2 this past year. One Oberhasli had a single at 9 months, and the other not quite 12 months. Both were good moms, and both are excellent milk producers.... They had a growth spurt like a month before they kidded, so it went fine.

 

[NyGoatMom]

Clarabelle kidded at a year...she was 80 lbs...she had twin bucks, did fine on her own birthing...but has stayed small. She is still only 80 lbs and the kids were born in April. She is not a high producer either. I personally will never breed a yearling again. I think it significantly slows growth.

 

[luvmyherd]

Oh those tricky bucks. I had a young doe who I knew exactly when she was bred (or so I thought!). When she went into labor 3weeks early I expected dead babies. She was Togg and out popped two earless cuties, full term and perfect. To this day I have no idea how Tommy (the LaMancha) got to her but it was pretty obvious he did. She was under a year and both she and babies did just fine.
Last year 11 mo Petunia delivered a 9.8 kid with minimal difficulty.