Breeding, Pregancy and Care of the Goat Doe
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Although it may seem obvious to some, it's not to all. To get milk the does must be bred and produce kids. It takes about 5 months from breeding to kidding and you will be adjusting the goat's feed and care at various times throughout this cycle. Don't forget to write the dates that you bred your does on your calendar and write down the anticipated delivery date. You'll think you can remember at the time, but it's easy to forget what happened when over the course of 5 months.
If you are milking your does while pregnant, don't forget to dry her off at least 2 months before the kids are due. Milk production makes great demands on her body as do the growing fetuses, so be sure to give her a break.
If you are milking your does while pregnant, don't forget to dry her off at least 2 months before the kids are due. Milk production makes great demands on her body as do the growing fetuses, so be sure to give her a break.
Breeding
How old should a doeling be when bred the first time?
Does are sexually mature as young as 3 or 4 months of age, but it is recommended to wait until they are at least 7 or 8 months old. The technical rule is to breed a doeling when she is at 70% of her adult weight. Breeding too early will not only adversely affect their growth and milk production, but it is not uncommon to have stillborn babies as the does simply aren't large enough yet to allow the baby to successfully make it thought the birthing process.
If you are unsure as the to the exact age of your doe, you can determine adequate size by weight, which is recommended to be 80 pounds or more. However, don't let a doe sit a year before having a baby. At 8 months she's plenty old enough it's reported that does that kid at one year of age will produce more milk over her lifetime than does that do not.
If you are unsure as the to the exact age of your doe, you can determine adequate size by weight, which is recommended to be 80 pounds or more. However, don't let a doe sit a year before having a baby. At 8 months she's plenty old enough it's reported that does that kid at one year of age will produce more milk over her lifetime than does that do not.
Heat cycles
Similar to deer, does come into heat in the fall and winter, generally from about September to January, but these are guidelines, not a rule. If you are looking to plot out when you want to have babies in milk in the spring and early summer, it's best not to push your opportunity to breed much past December. Within this cycle period she will only accept a buck and successfully breed when she is standing in heat. This occurs approximately every 21 days and she'll staying heat for anywhere from 12 to 36 hours. When she starts showing signs of being interested in breeding, get her as quickly as possible to your selected buck. If the doe is not successfully bred, she will come into heat again in the aforementioned 21 days. The breeding itself takes only a few seconds. If you want to be sure, you can let the buck mount the doe a few times - especially recommended with a young buck in his first year of breeding.
If you are looking to breed a doe and she doesn't show signs of coming into heat you have a couple of options to jump-start the process:
1. Use a buck rag. A buck rag is simply a rag that is rubbed on the buck's head and neck, around his glands. The rag should be placed in an area very close to the doe and the scent will typically cause her to go into heat within approximately 2 days. Attaching it to the fence in her pen typically works well.
2. Put the doe next to the buck pen. Again, the scent of the buck should do the trick.
If you are looking to breed a doe and she doesn't show signs of coming into heat you have a couple of options to jump-start the process:
1. Use a buck rag. A buck rag is simply a rag that is rubbed on the buck's head and neck, around his glands. The rag should be placed in an area very close to the doe and the scent will typically cause her to go into heat within approximately 2 days. Attaching it to the fence in her pen typically works well.
2. Put the doe next to the buck pen. Again, the scent of the buck should do the trick.
Goat signs of being in heatWatching for a doe's interest in breeding can sometimes be an exasperating activity. As the first cooler weather arrives with fall, nature will kick-in and your doe will start her estrous cycles again.
The most obvious signs of heat are:
However, unless you are staring at your goats everyday their physical and behavioral changes can be more difficult to discern. Therefore, the bleating/screaming and tail-wagging will likely be your best clues. If you aren't sure if your doe is in heat and going to a buck is inconvenient, use the buck rag as a test. If she is in heat and you present her with the buck rag you should see increased tail wagging. |
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Getting the doe to a buck
If you don't have your own buck, then this effort will require more than a simple walk with the doe to the buck pen.
This means you'll have to take your doe for a ride. If you have a truck, don't simply put the goat in the back without side rails - and even then this can be hazardous for the goat. Ideally the answer is a small stock trailer, but not many urban farmers have those - or even easy access to them.
If you do have a truck you may want to consider buying or building a goat cage that can be carried in the bed. The problem there, especially for women, can be getting ta 70+ pound unenthusiastic doe up into the cage.
A good alternative is most goats can go just fine in the backseat of a car. It's even easier if you have a pick-up with a second seat. Simply raise the second seat and put her in. They'll also fit fine in the hatch-back area of a cars and SUVs.
This means you'll have to take your doe for a ride. If you have a truck, don't simply put the goat in the back without side rails - and even then this can be hazardous for the goat. Ideally the answer is a small stock trailer, but not many urban farmers have those - or even easy access to them.
If you do have a truck you may want to consider buying or building a goat cage that can be carried in the bed. The problem there, especially for women, can be getting ta 70+ pound unenthusiastic doe up into the cage.
A good alternative is most goats can go just fine in the backseat of a car. It's even easier if you have a pick-up with a second seat. Simply raise the second seat and put her in. They'll also fit fine in the hatch-back area of a cars and SUVs.
Feeding and care for the pregnant doe
The first 3 months
A watchful eye on the animal's condition is the best way to feed. Until you have had your animals a few year's this may seem a bit esoteric. The point being you don't want to see ribs or have thin animals because the doe needs as much "condition" as possible to help her produce the highest yields. On the other hand, you don't want fat animals because that's just excess weight that causes them to expend energy needlessly.
Be especially cautious of feeding too much protein to the pregnant doe. Too much feed produces kids that can be too large at birth to be easily delivered which in the worst scenarios can cause the death of the kid as well as the doe. Excess minerals will produce kids with too solid bones. It's best to stay with a high fibrous diet comprised largely of quality roughage is ideal for the first 3 months of pregnancy when the kids are developing slowly.
Provide beet pulp for the expectant does. Beet pulp adds, fiber, protein, calcium and phosphorous and energy to a goat's diet. You can typically find it in large bags at feed stores and is the same beet pulp given to horses.
Be especially cautious of feeding too much protein to the pregnant doe. Too much feed produces kids that can be too large at birth to be easily delivered which in the worst scenarios can cause the death of the kid as well as the doe. Excess minerals will produce kids with too solid bones. It's best to stay with a high fibrous diet comprised largely of quality roughage is ideal for the first 3 months of pregnancy when the kids are developing slowly.
Provide beet pulp for the expectant does. Beet pulp adds, fiber, protein, calcium and phosphorous and energy to a goat's diet. You can typically find it in large bags at feed stores and is the same beet pulp given to horses.
In the last 2 months of pregnancy
- The ration should be gradually changed because the doe needs to build up her reserves for her next lactation and most of the kids' growth occurs in this time frame. Protein should be about 12% of the diet.
- Different feed requirements can be challenging if you have does that are on very different pregnancy and milking schedules, so separation at feeding time may be helpful.
- You'll want to supplement iodine, calcium, vitamins and D, molasses and sugar. You can provide minerals free choice. Be sure to use minerals formulated for goats.
- Continue with the beet pulp. Extra bulk provided as moistened beet pulp or bran keeps the digestive track in order and mixing in the iron-supplying molasses and sugar to help prevent ketosis makes a wonderful treat.
- Trim the doe's hooves and keep them in good condition. The extra weight of pregnancy can sometimes put additional strain on them.
- About one month before birth, if you vaccinate your animals, give them a tetanus shot and Enterotoxemia. The tetanus shots will remain effective in the kids through disbudding and then you can vaccinate them at 8 weeks.
- Trim the doe's belly and udder for cleaner birthing and easier milking afterwards. More details are available on the milking page here.
- If you have a special kidding stall, scrub it down, disinfect it with bleach water and put in clean bedding. As you get within a few days of birth, begin closing her up at night with a companion. Penning her up with help avoid making easy targets of the doe and her kids if she births at night. Do not leave a water bucket on the ground in the stall - make sure it is hung as high as possible, but allows the doe to still reach it.
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