The Birds & the Bees about Goats

 

 

As we gain more experience with selling our goats, we are asked many questions about a goat's reproductive system.  Here are some that come up often.  A good rule of thumb is that goats are mammals and the answers are relatively the same as it would be for other mammals, including humans.

 

What do you call a baby goat?

A baby goat is a "kid".

 

What do you call a kid boy and a kid girl?

A kid boy is called a buckling and a girl kid is a doeling.  

 

What is a "wether"?

A wether is a buckling that has been castrated.

 

Can a wether get pregnant and give milk?

No, a wether is a male so he cannot get pregnant and consequently, cannot produce milk.

 

At what age can you start milking a goat?

You can start milking a goat at any age however they must get pregnant and give birth to produce milk.  We usually breed our does after 1 year of age.  We begin milking them once a day when the kids are past 2 weeks old and twice a day when they go to their new families at 8 weeks old and are no longer with their moms.