Breeding
Pre-Breeding
Before you begin breeding, it is important that you evaluate each doe's health and readiness. Below is a checklist that you should go through for each doe before breeding her.
Signs of Estrus (Heat)
Some does show all signs of heat, others show almost none. Try to pay attention to when your doe comes into heat so that you can recognize the signs that she shows. A doe is in estrus for up to 72 hours. During the first part of a doe's estrus, a buck will be interested and she may act interested, but she will not stand to let him breed her. Don't get discouraged if they do not mate on the first try. You must wait for a doe to come into standing heat, usually on the second day, and she will then allow the buck to breed her. As her standing heat wanes, the doe will not let a buck breed her again, and so you must wait for her next cycle if the mating is unsuccessful.
Methods of Breeding
Hand Breeding- The doe and the chosen buck are put together in a private area when standing heat is observed. The handler watches the pair breed several times and then the doe and buck are returned to their normal areas.
Advantages: You will know the exact due date of the doe.
Disadvantages: Requires diligent observance of the does heat cycle.
Pen Breeding- The doe or does are put in a pen or enclosed area with one buck for approximately two months (2-3 heat cycles)
Advantages: You do not have to track does heat cycles.
Disadvantages: You will not likely know the does exact due date, only the range.
Pasture Breeding- The doe or does are put out to pasture with several bucks for approximately two months (2-3 heat cycles). A breeding harness with a unique chalk color for each buck can be provided. Breeding harnesses make a chalk mark on the back of the doe when she is bred.
Advantages: More bucks = better chances that the doe will settle.
Disadvantages: You will not likely know the does exact due date, only the range. Even with the breeding harness, it would be nearly impossible to know who bred each doe with 100% certainty without a DNA test. If you are not breeding registered animals, this may be a good option for you. Should you need to do a DNA test to determine parentage, they run about $30 each animal you have DNA typed.
Artificial Insemination (AI)- Artificial insemination is a tricky process that takes a skilled operator. Even if everything goes as planned, a doe may not settle (become pregnant) via AI for a multitude of reasons.
Advantages: You don't really need to keep a buck. You can breed your does to deceased bucks.
Disadvantages: AI is expensive, and requires alot of specialized equipment as well as a stockpile of frozen semen. Semen tanks require regular filling to keep the semen frozen. AI has a low success rate. ADGA requires that DNA be on file for all bucks collected (semen).
Doing the Deed
Goat sex lasts only a few seconds. I hand breed my does, so I usually observe all matings on my farm. When a doe is in standing heat, she will allow the buck to mount and breed her. The buck will usually attempt to woo her before he breeds her. This will be loud and messy. The buck will likely pee all over his face, in his mouth, on his beard and all over the barn, and your feet if you stand too close. He will likely sniff her vulva and often will display the Flehmen response as he inhales her scent deeply. He will stomp his feet and make all sorts of unGodly noises as he blubbers and snorts after her to woo her. Eventually, he will position himself beside her and make the leap onto her back. If she stands still for him, the mating happens quickly as he thrust himself forward sharply when he ejaculates. She, in turn, will drastically arch her back causing her spine to hump up towards the sky and her pelvis to turn sharply downwards toward the floor. This is a successful mating. She often urinates shortly after mating, expelling some of the semen so you can be sure the semen was correctly placed. I let them breed at least three times before I put them back in their normal areas.
Even if the mating is successful, that does not necessarily mean that the doe settled, or became pregnant. You should watch the doe closely for the next several days. Sometimes, a doe "short cycles" and comes back into standing heat in 5-7 days. If this happens, she should be bred again and you should write down both dates on your calendar, although the second date is most likely the "real" due date. Count ahead 21 days from the last breeding date and if she does not come back into estrus, she has likely settled.
Ways to Confirm Pregnancy
Blood Test- At thirty days bred, you can draw your doe's blood and send it off for pregnancy testing. There are several labs that do the test including SageAgLab and BioTracking. The labs will even perform CAE, CL and Johnes testing on the sample you pull, making it a great time to get it all done.
Urine Test- There is a new test on the market that is made to test the urine of cows for pregnancy. Emlab Genetics has developed the affordable P-Test. Results on goats have been mixed. I have used it before and it was accurate, but I have heard from other breeders that they do not trust the results. If you would like to give it a try, you should first decide how you will collect urine from your doe. That's the trickiest part of the test.
Ultrasound- You can ultrasound your doe to see if she has settled. The procedure should be done between 30-45 days after breeding. Waiting much longer than that will result in the inability to clearly see the amniotic sacs of the babies. I just had my herd ultrasounded for the first time this year and it is WONDERFUL!
Fetal Doppler- I have a fetal doppler, but I have never been able to use it to hear the heartbeats of kids inside their dam. It is very difficult to hear heartbeats over the rumen sounds of the dam. They are inexpensive so it might be worth the effort to give it a try, and at least it's fun!
PregTone- The PregTone is similar to the doppler, but instead of heartbeats, it measures the presence of amniotic fluid via ultrasonic waves when held to the belly of the doe. The PregTone unit is quite expensive, though not as expensive as an ultrasound machine.
Palpating the Uterus- When the doe hits 90 days bred, you should be able to feel babies kicking in her belly. This is the method of pregnancy confirmation that I use because it does not cost anything and its very reliable. The downside is that I have to wait until the doe is 2 months from kidding, and if she is not bred I have lost valuable time to get her rebred. To use this method, put your doe in a stanchion and feed her to keep her occupied. Stand behind the doe and reach around her belly with both hands. Lay your palms flat against her belly right in front of her foreudder and pull up just slightly towards her spine. If you stay quiet and still, you should soon feel babies kicking your hands.
Just wait- You can always just wait to see if she kids on her due date. That doesn't sound like much fun, now does it?
Visual Signs of Pregnancy
Growing Belly- You may see signs of the doe "showing" her pregnancy in the last two months of pregnancy, but just like humans, does carry their babies in different ways. I've had some does who get really big very quickly, and others who you can barely tell are pregnant.
Growing Udder- This is highly variable as well. Some does show a little pouch of udder tissue early on and it continues to grow throughout the pregnancy. Others do not show much of an udder until the last few days of their gestation. Do not be alarmed if your pregnant doe is not showing an udder. The milk will come.
Vulva Changes- As the doe's pregnancy progresses, her vulva will get "puffy" and pink. You may also see some signs of discharge in the last couple of weeks. This is her body preparing for kidding and is completely normal.
Maintenence During Pregnancy
Feed- Pregnant does need extra feed to grow healthy babies, especially in the last two months of pregnancy. Remember to make any changes in feed gradually. For more info on the nutritional requirements of pregnant does, see the Feeding section.
Hooves- Hooves grow very rapidly when a doe is pregnant. Trim her hooves every 3-4 weeks in early pregnancy. Do not trim her hooves in the last 4-6 weeks of pregnancy as the pressure on her belly makes lifting her hooves very uncomfortable.
Parasites- At my farm, I do not deworm pregnant does unless absolutely necessary. Pay attention to her FAMACHA score during her pregnancy. If you do have to deworm her, use a pregnancy safe dewormer like Ivermectin. If her FAMACHA score continues to fall, you may use Cydectin, but be aware that there is a small risk of birth defects if used early in pregnancy when the kids skeletons are still forming. Also be aware that you should be giving your doe a hefty dose of dewormer the day after she kids whether she showing symptoms or not. The hormones generated during kidding may cause any internal parasites to "bloom" and overcome her weakened immune system. ALWAYS deworm a doe right after she kids.
Vitamins and Minerals-Be sure that your doe receives enough Calcium throughout her pregnancy. Daily requirement for an open (unbred) doe is 7.1g just for maintenence. Pregnant does need slightly higher daily values due to the fact they are growing little skeletons inside them. I've been known to feed a TUMS or two throughout pregnancies and especially during labor if things are moving along slowly. See the Diseases and Disorders section to learn more about the signs and symptoms of hypocalcemia. I also give a maintenance dose of BoSe (Selenium) during the final 2-4 weeks of pregnancy in order to ensure that the babies are born strong.
Vaccinations- If you have chosen to vaccinate, your doe should get a full dose of CD&T 2 weeks prior to kidding.
Prepping for Labor- Several days before the does due date, I usually clean up her hind end, tail, and down the backs of her legs with a #10 blade. Kidding is a messy business, and removing the hair makes it much easier to clean her up after she kids.
In the next section, we will talk about how to plan breedings!
Pre-Breeding
Before you begin breeding, it is important that you evaluate each doe's health and readiness. Below is a checklist that you should go through for each doe before breeding her.
- Is she old enough? I like to wait until my does are eleven months old before breeding them for the first time. I also wait until they no longer look like a baby in the face, and look more like a young grown up doe. The optimum time for a doe to kid for the first time, for me, is when they are a year and a half old.
- Does she weigh enough? I raise Nigerian Dwarfs and I wait until the doe is at least 40 lbs before breeding her. Standard breeds should weigh at least 80 lbs before breeding.
- Is her coat soft and shiny and her skin free of flakes? A dull, course coat can be a sign of a mineral deficiency. Most often, it is caused by a copper deficiency. Give a copper bolus prior to breeding. Flaky skin can be a sign of mites or a sign of zinc deficiency. Figure out which one it is and solve the problem prior to breeding.
- Is she in good condition? Evaluate her body condition score prior to breeding. She should have good fleshing and should not be too thin or too fat. Yearlings have a tendency to gain excess flesh. Sometimes that can lead to difficulties conceiving, but I tend to like does to be just slightly overconditioned before I breed them so that they have plenty of fat stores for the babies to grow big and healthy. They always milk off any excess flesh once they kid.
- Is she free of internal parasites? Check her FAMACHA score and deworm if necessary. I do not like to deworm a bred doe unless I absolutely have to, so get all parasites under control before you breed.
- Is it a good time to breed? Some breeds come into estrus all year long, including minis. Other breeds only come into estrus seasonally (August-January). During the breeding season, goats will come into estrus approximately every 21 days. A goats gestation is approximately five months (145 days for minis, 150 days for standard breeds). July and August kiddings are especially rough, in my opinion. It's just too hot and controlling parasites in babies is especially difficult in the summer. Use a gestational calculator to check that the doe's due date does not interfere with important dates and holidays, and that it is a good time for you. Better yet, buy a The Goat Chick Gestational Calendar to keep track of your due dates.
- When will she cycle next? If you will be hand breeding (explained below) then it is a good idea to start tracking your does cycles. Knowing when to expect your does next estrus cycle will make it easier for you to plan when to breed her, and in turn, when she is likely to kid if she settles.
Signs of Estrus (Heat)
Some does show all signs of heat, others show almost none. Try to pay attention to when your doe comes into heat so that you can recognize the signs that she shows. A doe is in estrus for up to 72 hours. During the first part of a doe's estrus, a buck will be interested and she may act interested, but she will not stand to let him breed her. Don't get discouraged if they do not mate on the first try. You must wait for a doe to come into standing heat, usually on the second day, and she will then allow the buck to breed her. As her standing heat wanes, the doe will not let a buck breed her again, and so you must wait for her next cycle if the mating is unsuccessful.
- Wagging tail (flagging)
- Increased vocalizations
- Sticky discharge
- Acts "bucky" (flehmen response, mounts other does, allows does to mount her)
- Change in personality
- Urinates often
Methods of Breeding
Hand Breeding- The doe and the chosen buck are put together in a private area when standing heat is observed. The handler watches the pair breed several times and then the doe and buck are returned to their normal areas.
Advantages: You will know the exact due date of the doe.
Disadvantages: Requires diligent observance of the does heat cycle.
Pen Breeding- The doe or does are put in a pen or enclosed area with one buck for approximately two months (2-3 heat cycles)
Advantages: You do not have to track does heat cycles.
Disadvantages: You will not likely know the does exact due date, only the range.
Pasture Breeding- The doe or does are put out to pasture with several bucks for approximately two months (2-3 heat cycles). A breeding harness with a unique chalk color for each buck can be provided. Breeding harnesses make a chalk mark on the back of the doe when she is bred.
Advantages: More bucks = better chances that the doe will settle.
Disadvantages: You will not likely know the does exact due date, only the range. Even with the breeding harness, it would be nearly impossible to know who bred each doe with 100% certainty without a DNA test. If you are not breeding registered animals, this may be a good option for you. Should you need to do a DNA test to determine parentage, they run about $30 each animal you have DNA typed.
Artificial Insemination (AI)- Artificial insemination is a tricky process that takes a skilled operator. Even if everything goes as planned, a doe may not settle (become pregnant) via AI for a multitude of reasons.
Advantages: You don't really need to keep a buck. You can breed your does to deceased bucks.
Disadvantages: AI is expensive, and requires alot of specialized equipment as well as a stockpile of frozen semen. Semen tanks require regular filling to keep the semen frozen. AI has a low success rate. ADGA requires that DNA be on file for all bucks collected (semen).
Doing the Deed
Goat sex lasts only a few seconds. I hand breed my does, so I usually observe all matings on my farm. When a doe is in standing heat, she will allow the buck to mount and breed her. The buck will usually attempt to woo her before he breeds her. This will be loud and messy. The buck will likely pee all over his face, in his mouth, on his beard and all over the barn, and your feet if you stand too close. He will likely sniff her vulva and often will display the Flehmen response as he inhales her scent deeply. He will stomp his feet and make all sorts of unGodly noises as he blubbers and snorts after her to woo her. Eventually, he will position himself beside her and make the leap onto her back. If she stands still for him, the mating happens quickly as he thrust himself forward sharply when he ejaculates. She, in turn, will drastically arch her back causing her spine to hump up towards the sky and her pelvis to turn sharply downwards toward the floor. This is a successful mating. She often urinates shortly after mating, expelling some of the semen so you can be sure the semen was correctly placed. I let them breed at least three times before I put them back in their normal areas.
Even if the mating is successful, that does not necessarily mean that the doe settled, or became pregnant. You should watch the doe closely for the next several days. Sometimes, a doe "short cycles" and comes back into standing heat in 5-7 days. If this happens, she should be bred again and you should write down both dates on your calendar, although the second date is most likely the "real" due date. Count ahead 21 days from the last breeding date and if she does not come back into estrus, she has likely settled.
Ways to Confirm Pregnancy
Blood Test- At thirty days bred, you can draw your doe's blood and send it off for pregnancy testing. There are several labs that do the test including SageAgLab and BioTracking. The labs will even perform CAE, CL and Johnes testing on the sample you pull, making it a great time to get it all done.
Urine Test- There is a new test on the market that is made to test the urine of cows for pregnancy. Emlab Genetics has developed the affordable P-Test. Results on goats have been mixed. I have used it before and it was accurate, but I have heard from other breeders that they do not trust the results. If you would like to give it a try, you should first decide how you will collect urine from your doe. That's the trickiest part of the test.
Ultrasound- You can ultrasound your doe to see if she has settled. The procedure should be done between 30-45 days after breeding. Waiting much longer than that will result in the inability to clearly see the amniotic sacs of the babies. I just had my herd ultrasounded for the first time this year and it is WONDERFUL!
Fetal Doppler- I have a fetal doppler, but I have never been able to use it to hear the heartbeats of kids inside their dam. It is very difficult to hear heartbeats over the rumen sounds of the dam. They are inexpensive so it might be worth the effort to give it a try, and at least it's fun!
PregTone- The PregTone is similar to the doppler, but instead of heartbeats, it measures the presence of amniotic fluid via ultrasonic waves when held to the belly of the doe. The PregTone unit is quite expensive, though not as expensive as an ultrasound machine.
Palpating the Uterus- When the doe hits 90 days bred, you should be able to feel babies kicking in her belly. This is the method of pregnancy confirmation that I use because it does not cost anything and its very reliable. The downside is that I have to wait until the doe is 2 months from kidding, and if she is not bred I have lost valuable time to get her rebred. To use this method, put your doe in a stanchion and feed her to keep her occupied. Stand behind the doe and reach around her belly with both hands. Lay your palms flat against her belly right in front of her foreudder and pull up just slightly towards her spine. If you stay quiet and still, you should soon feel babies kicking your hands.
Just wait- You can always just wait to see if she kids on her due date. That doesn't sound like much fun, now does it?
Visual Signs of Pregnancy
Growing Belly- You may see signs of the doe "showing" her pregnancy in the last two months of pregnancy, but just like humans, does carry their babies in different ways. I've had some does who get really big very quickly, and others who you can barely tell are pregnant.
Growing Udder- This is highly variable as well. Some does show a little pouch of udder tissue early on and it continues to grow throughout the pregnancy. Others do not show much of an udder until the last few days of their gestation. Do not be alarmed if your pregnant doe is not showing an udder. The milk will come.
Vulva Changes- As the doe's pregnancy progresses, her vulva will get "puffy" and pink. You may also see some signs of discharge in the last couple of weeks. This is her body preparing for kidding and is completely normal.
Maintenence During Pregnancy
Feed- Pregnant does need extra feed to grow healthy babies, especially in the last two months of pregnancy. Remember to make any changes in feed gradually. For more info on the nutritional requirements of pregnant does, see the Feeding section.
Hooves- Hooves grow very rapidly when a doe is pregnant. Trim her hooves every 3-4 weeks in early pregnancy. Do not trim her hooves in the last 4-6 weeks of pregnancy as the pressure on her belly makes lifting her hooves very uncomfortable.
Parasites- At my farm, I do not deworm pregnant does unless absolutely necessary. Pay attention to her FAMACHA score during her pregnancy. If you do have to deworm her, use a pregnancy safe dewormer like Ivermectin. If her FAMACHA score continues to fall, you may use Cydectin, but be aware that there is a small risk of birth defects if used early in pregnancy when the kids skeletons are still forming. Also be aware that you should be giving your doe a hefty dose of dewormer the day after she kids whether she showing symptoms or not. The hormones generated during kidding may cause any internal parasites to "bloom" and overcome her weakened immune system. ALWAYS deworm a doe right after she kids.
Vitamins and Minerals-Be sure that your doe receives enough Calcium throughout her pregnancy. Daily requirement for an open (unbred) doe is 7.1g just for maintenence. Pregnant does need slightly higher daily values due to the fact they are growing little skeletons inside them. I've been known to feed a TUMS or two throughout pregnancies and especially during labor if things are moving along slowly. See the Diseases and Disorders section to learn more about the signs and symptoms of hypocalcemia. I also give a maintenance dose of BoSe (Selenium) during the final 2-4 weeks of pregnancy in order to ensure that the babies are born strong.
Vaccinations- If you have chosen to vaccinate, your doe should get a full dose of CD&T 2 weeks prior to kidding.
Prepping for Labor- Several days before the does due date, I usually clean up her hind end, tail, and down the backs of her legs with a #10 blade. Kidding is a messy business, and removing the hair makes it much easier to clean her up after she kids.
In the next section, we will talk about how to plan breedings!
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