I have a doe and buck i'm trying to breed! help?

[cowgirl9768]

Okay so I have a 6 and a half month old doe and a buck that is two years old. I am attempting to breed them. The buck attempted to mount her twice and she ran away. Then she turned around and mounted him. She continued to mount him multiple times and then he just gave up on breeding her and started eating hay :shock: . So I took the doe away for the day and put her back with the buck today. They just cuddled he wouldn't even try to mount her :wall: . It was in the 90s three days ago but it’s been cool since then. I’ve been putting them together early morning and later in the evening. He is a proven buck used by the lady who sold him to me. I also bred him to one of my does. He was so determined to breed her I was scared she was going to get hurt, chasing her for almost an hour.... I am just so confusewhy he won’t breed this one.... I think I’ve seen the doe lift for him and he just looks at her. Is he scarred of her because she mounted him? Is there something I can do or feed him to make him more willing to breed her?

 

[MamaSheepdog]

:welcome: to Rabbittalk, Cowgirl!

You should check the color of the doe's vulva. If it is white or pale pink, she is not ready. If it is dark pink to purple and engorged by extra blood flow, she is ready. The mounting behavior is typical with some does when they are very ready- it is like they are showing the buck his job!

You should also check your buck's weight. Run your hand over his spine- you should feel gently rounded bumps. If you can't feel his spine, he is too heavy. If it feels spiky he is too thin. An overweight buck will be lazy about breeding.

You can also offer him foods high in vitamin A, such as beet or turnip greens, Romaine lettuce, spinach, mustard greens, or dandelion greens. If he is not accustomed to fresh foods, start with a small amount so he doesn't develop diarrhea.

 

[cowgirl9768]

He is at a good weight I just double checked. Her vent is a medium pink defiantly not purple though. I'll try feeding some spinach I just got some! Is there anything I can feed the doe to help? Foods high in vitamin A as well?

Thanks for the help!

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Her vent is a medium pink defiantly not purple though.

She may have been purple yesterday which is why she mounted him, so might be coming out- but check her again tomorrow to be sure.

Is there anything I can feed the doe to help? Foods high in vitamin A as well?

Exactly!

Some members have found that Celestial Seasoning's Raspberry Zinger Tea will bring a doe into season as well, but we have no idea why it works. Others have found that taking them for a ride in the car works too.

 

[MaggieJ]

BOSS (black oil sunflower seeds, the kind you feed the birds) will boost the Vitamin E and dark leafy greens like parsley and dandelion will boost the Vitamin A. The doe, particularly, will benefit from these, but I would give some to both doe and buck. Some ACV (apple cider vinegar) added to their drinking water at a rate of 1-2 Tablespoons per gallon may also help.

The raspberry zinger is also worth a try. A lot of people have reported great success using it the day before breeding.