TinysMom
Well-Known Member
I shared this note on facebook earlier tonight and tagged of my friends who are breeders or former breeders that I respect.
I decided to share it here and I'd like to hear comments from breeders (and even non-breeders) - but specifically - if you have been in a position where you were trying to decide whether or not to do a breeding with a doe that is like a pet to you....what did you do?
[line]
I am going to be doing some breeding on Friday and I'm trying to make a decision about breeding a doe.
I bought this doe last year from a top flemish giant breeder in New England and I had her shipped here. She was going to be one of the major lines of my herd along with three other does (one of which came with her). I spent $100 each for the does plus $200 each to ship them here....so it was a major investment.
The other doe who came with her - passed away before I could get a litter from her. It looked like perhaps it was heart problems due to the suddenness, etc.
One other doe passed away (after giving me a litter) but she had some health issues and it was not unexpected.
That left me with this doe - Harmony - and Athena - my last doe.
Athena had two litters but she had problems with her last litter. Last month, I decided to have her spayed and keep her as a pet because she is very dear to me. I just couldn't risk breeding her again where she'd had a hard time with her last litter.
This leaves me with Harmony (the doe I'm writing about), her three daughters, the daughter of the doe that passed away after her first litter, another doe named Nyx and Nyx's daughters for my breeding program. Nyx is a self-steel that looks black and her daughters are steel. I mainly work with light gray (chinchilla).
My problem is this....Harmony is like a pet to me. I don't want to lose her.
BUT...she is an EXCELLENT mom and she is still young (not yet 2 years old).
Since flemish tend to have shorter lifespans, I like to retire my does anyway around 2- 2 1/2 years old and enjoy them as pets or let others enjoy them as pets.
SHOULD I BREED HARMONY ONE LAST TIME THIS WEEKEND - or SHOULD I NOT?
She was originally planned to be a major component of my breeding program and I do have the three daughters and a son from her.
But I would like to take her back to a different buck this time and get one last litter.
I'd like to hear your comments because you are breeders or former breeders that I respect.
Thanks in advance - for reading this - and hopefully for sharing your thoughts.
Peg
P.S. The offspring I do have from her are outstanding but the buck I want to take her to also gives outstanding offspring in the one buck I have out of him. He produces better than his father did (and his father is who I bred her to in the beginning).
I decided to share it here and I'd like to hear comments from breeders (and even non-breeders) - but specifically - if you have been in a position where you were trying to decide whether or not to do a breeding with a doe that is like a pet to you....what did you do?
[line]
I am going to be doing some breeding on Friday and I'm trying to make a decision about breeding a doe.
I bought this doe last year from a top flemish giant breeder in New England and I had her shipped here. She was going to be one of the major lines of my herd along with three other does (one of which came with her). I spent $100 each for the does plus $200 each to ship them here....so it was a major investment.
The other doe who came with her - passed away before I could get a litter from her. It looked like perhaps it was heart problems due to the suddenness, etc.
One other doe passed away (after giving me a litter) but she had some health issues and it was not unexpected.
That left me with this doe - Harmony - and Athena - my last doe.
Athena had two litters but she had problems with her last litter. Last month, I decided to have her spayed and keep her as a pet because she is very dear to me. I just couldn't risk breeding her again where she'd had a hard time with her last litter.
This leaves me with Harmony (the doe I'm writing about), her three daughters, the daughter of the doe that passed away after her first litter, another doe named Nyx and Nyx's daughters for my breeding program. Nyx is a self-steel that looks black and her daughters are steel. I mainly work with light gray (chinchilla).
My problem is this....Harmony is like a pet to me. I don't want to lose her.
BUT...she is an EXCELLENT mom and she is still young (not yet 2 years old).
Since flemish tend to have shorter lifespans, I like to retire my does anyway around 2- 2 1/2 years old and enjoy them as pets or let others enjoy them as pets.
SHOULD I BREED HARMONY ONE LAST TIME THIS WEEKEND - or SHOULD I NOT?
She was originally planned to be a major component of my breeding program and I do have the three daughters and a son from her.
But I would like to take her back to a different buck this time and get one last litter.
I'd like to hear your comments because you are breeders or former breeders that I respect.
Thanks in advance - for reading this - and hopefully for sharing your thoughts.
Peg
P.S. The offspring I do have from her are outstanding but the buck I want to take her to also gives outstanding offspring in the one buck I have out of him. He produces better than his father did (and his father is who I bred her to in the beginning).