Tis the season to be, um, happy, yes happy is the word...

So breeding season is well under way. The boys are um, very happy......the does, well, they have to put up with with smelly, snorty, and yellow bucks. They seem to like it when they are in the mood, not so much when they are not! The bucks are in a "breed through proof" pen, and the does go over by them when they are in heat. Then I separate that doe, and the buck I want her bred to into a pen together. This way I know for sure when the breeding took place and the due date. I write the date down in my phone and on a calender, and can figure out usually if it took if the doe does not come back into heat 18-21 days later.

I put lead ropes or a string on the bucks while they are doing the deed, that way, when they are done, I can handle them without getting *too* smelly in the process. I don't leave collars, ropes, or strings on them at any other time as they can get caught or tangled up with.

Asche, Dante, and Schneider are my "main men" this year, and should be interesting to see what they produce for kids. I am also using a JR buck, but not sure yet if he has been successful in his endeavors.

When bucks successfully breed a doe in heat, they will "hop" forwards and throw back their head and the doe will usually hunch up. This is a very good sign the breeding was a good one. Both bucks and does can faint afterwards as well, like Asche and Blake below. You can see the doe hunching up when Dante is successful. 

                                          Asche and Blake, they both fainted after happy time.

                                         Dante's first time, he finally knows what it's all about, look at that happy face...LOL

                                         Schneider had to do a bit of a hop to reach, but he got er done ;-)