how to choose a buck to keep for breeding

[Rainey]

I don't know why, but choosing a buck to keep for breeding seems harder than choosing does. Maybe because I can keep several young does together for growing out to breeding age and see how they do. And since we only plan to have one buck at a time (once he's proven productive) it is more important to get it right.
I assume that I'd be looking for general good health, good growth, meat type build and decent disposition. Any other advice? My meat mutts are SF NZW cross and the does we've kept were bred at 6 or 7 months. Do the bucks mature at about the same rate? (I'm trying to figure out which litters I should even be looking at for a replacement buck that will be ready to use after we take a winter breeding break.)

 

[EnglishSpot]

I know the NZR bucks can be sexually ready as early as 4 months or as late as 6 months.

 

[Ncrabbit]

That's a good question. I'm holding one buck back and I basically kept home due to size, growth and disposition. Not sure what else to look for.

 

[3mina]

Start by looking at the one who was the biggest first. You want excellent depth, width and easy to handle.
Bucks sometimes mature slower than does. My Rex bucks tend to be two months or so later than my does as far as maturity goes.

 

[ohiogoatgirl]

my experience was if you don't want him breeding until later, he will be raring to go early on. if you need him earlier, he will be a later bloomer and hold things up. just my experience to not *expect* a buck to successfully breed anything until 8 months but make sure to separate the young'n's. murphys law I guess.