Am I doing this right

[STGS]

I am curious about the comments suggesting that higher buck:doe ratios result in greater mortality amongst bucks. I would offer that with fewer does, your breeding cycle would be shorter (1-2 cycles) rather than longer (3-4 cycles) and this would reduce the overall stress on your bucks.

Bucks don't have to fight every other buck in order to establish their dominance and the overall pecking order.

Just my thoughts and I am curious to anyone else's real world experience here.

[Ricochet83]

That logic makes since STGS. Would be interesting if someone can attest to this with first hand knowledge about that fact so that we can know for sure.

[Kaicreekranch]

I am curious about the comments suggesting that higher buck:doe ratios result in greater mortality amongst bucks. I would offer that with fewer does, your breeding cycle would be shorter (1-2 cycles) rather than longer (3-4 cycles) and this would reduce the overall stress on your bucks.

Bucks don't have to fight every other buck in order to establish their dominance and the overall pecking order.

Just my thoughts and I am curious to anyone else's real world experience here.

I have only had two years with my buck to die ration better than 2 to 1, so I do not have a large enough sample to determine yet. I have heard when u get 2.5 or greater bucks per doe mortality does go down. Shortened breeding window is likely cause. But wonder if high number of mature bucks with well established dominance/pecking order prior to breeding in small closed herds has an impact with less fighting needed on small properties where all the Bucks know each other. I do see fights into March as some fawns come into heat.

[Karmstrong]

Kai, What type to of numbers are you running? Any info about your management plan would be helpful.