What Is a Doeling Goat?

A baby platypus is called a juggle, a baby turkey is called a poult, and a baby fish is called a fry. Baby goats are called kids, or billies. It becomes even more complex when young animals become categorized by both age and gender. The doeling goat is an example of this.

  1. Definition

    • A doeling goat is simply a female goat under 1 year of age. It categorizes the state of reproductive development of the goat.

    The Goat Family

    • While a doeling refers to a female goat less than 1 year, a doe (or nanny) is a mature female goat. A buckling refers to a male goat less than 1 year old, and a buck (or billy) is an adult male. A yearling is a male or female goat of approximately 1 year of age. A kid is an umbrella word for a baby goat or young goat.

    Weaning

    • Doelings should stay with their mothers for at least eight weeks. A mother goat naturally weans her young, so unless you need to separate the mother and her kids, you don't need to engage in the stressful procedure of weaning by methodically separating mother and kid.

    Breeding

    • According to Goat Wisdom, it's fine to start breeding a doeling goat, as long as she weighs 90 lbs., is healthy, and has successfully had two or three heats. As soon as a doeling begins to have heats, approximately six months after birth, she can reproduce.