# Buck Rag question - how to tell when girls are in heat



## nuzmom (Sep 17, 2010)

I'm sorry for the same old question, and I have been searching and reading everything I can, but I'm still very confused. :sigh

I picked up a buck rag Sunday night from the owner of the buck we're planning on using. Showed it to my girls the next day and today. They are "interested" - sniffing, shoving their noises into the jar, but no tail wagging. The buck's owner said that they would be wagging their tails like crazy when they are in heat. But, I've read that that doesn't always happen.

I was expecting "no interest" and then "tail wagging" during heat. Since I haven't had a "no interest", I'm not sure what to compare their reaction to. Are they just curious right now but not in heat? How should they respond to the buck rag when they are in heat?

I have tried to watch for heat signs for the last two months (no buck rag) and haven't had a clue (obviously still don't). I was hoping the buck rag will help.


----------



## buckrun (Mar 7, 2008)

Can you tie the rag somewhere they can interact with it like on a fence post.
If they go hang out by it and flag they are cycling. The rag will not make them cycle it will just help you tell that they are receptive. Yes- they are curious about the smell of a goat that is no where to be found but not in heat. It is very late in the season especially in more northern latitudes so you will have to watch closely. Can you borrow the buck?


----------



## milkmaidranch (Jun 21, 2010)

If no tail wagging, no cycle. They will also jump each other as a buck will when cycling.


----------



## nuzmom (Sep 17, 2010)

I didn't really want to borrow the buck as I don't feel my fencing is good enough (electric rope). I know he "shouldn't" want to go anywhere since the girls are INside the fence, but didn't want to chance it with someone else's goat. I have two goat friends that breed from November through January. I think it's late, but we're not home enough in the spring to have kids before early April, so... November or later breeding it is.

I've had this doe and daughter since September 1st and haven't seen any signs including the jumping. :sigh I guess I'll just wait and see if I can get some tails wagging. :tapfoot


----------



## Dana (Dec 7, 2009)

Marianne, some girls are just silent heat does. I have one that is extremely tricky to tell if she is in heat. She will quietly stand by the buck fence and that's all. She doesn't get gooey, noisy, ride other goats or anything. I think tying the buck rag to the fence is a great idea.


----------



## kmorisett (Oct 17, 2010)

My girls are both very quiet with only subtle signs. When my one doe was in heat she would follow me with the rag when the other doe would get bored and walk away, and she tried to nibble and lick it. My girls' vulva would get a little puffy, and if I were to try to lift their tail to look at it, they would let me, instead of clamping their tail down. If I spread their vulva slightly, I would be able to see it was redder and moister than the usual dry and puckered look. They were both quiet, very little tail flagging, and no mounting each other.


----------

