If you are just keeping your goat as a pet, then most likely you will not be worrying about breeding. However, if you are depending on your goats to provide you with milk and/or meat, then you will need to consistently breed your goats.
Whether or not you want to keep your own buck is primarily up to you. They can be a handful and are known for their “buck” odor, which is a turnoff for some goat owners.
Your goats will produce enough milk to fulfill your needs and those of their kids.
If you are keeping a breed of goat that is rare or endangered, then most likely you will want to keep a buck on hand. You might also consider keeping a buck if there are no bucks in the area available to service your does. Additionally, if you have (or want) a closed herd (meaning you do not bring others animals into your herd), then you would keep a buck (or two). Don’t be afraid to seek help in selecting your bucks, as you will need good stock to produce good offspring. A reputable breeder will help you choose the right buck for your breeding program.
But what if, for whatever reason, you cannot or do not want to keep a buck? There are basically two options available: either find someone with a good-quality, healthy buck who can service your does or use artificial insemination (AI). Should you choose either of these two options, it is important that you do your homework and ask questions. Visit the farms of potential sires, and don’t be afraid to sit down and talk with the artificial-insemination companies as well.
Once you have your breeders in place, the next questions are when does the breeding take place, and how young is too young for goats to breed.
Full-size dairy goats may breed as ea rly as eight to nine months old, provided they have reached the proper weight, which is about 80 pounds. Some owners may want to wait a little bit longer. Just like dogs, cats, and all other mammals, does will come into heat, meaning that they are ready to be bred. Some goats, like the Boers, Pygmies, and Spanish (basically, any breeds originating in tropical climates), can breed at any time throughout the year. However, most of the dairy breeds, also known as the Alpine types (those originating in colder climates), will have more specific breeding seasons. This breeding season usually goes from August to January, with the does in heat every twenty-one days. The gestation periods of most goats are between 145 and 155 days, which is approximately five months.
Once you are ready to breed your does (or have already bred them), there are gestation tables and apps online to help you to quickly figure out approximate due dates for your does (you can find a few examples in the “Resources” section of this book). Keep in mind that if you are not going to keep the kids for yourself, regardless of whether they are milk or meat goats, you need to have a plan for the kids. It would help to put the word out that you will have kids available for sale. However, I would not advise guaranteed presales of kids, due to the fact that even the best-managed farm will have losses, and you don’t want to be in a position of having to refund money that you have already spent.
As the does get close to their due dates, if you have the stalls available, you may want to begin bringing the girls in. There are a few reasons for this. First, if the does are kidding in late winter or early spring in an area with harsh weather, a thickly padded stall will help keep the newborn kids warmer than if they had been born outdoors. Also, the newborn kids will be quite vulnerable to attack. Remember that goats are prey animals, and that the littlest and weakest are usually taken first. Finally, it will help you to keep track of the doe and kid, making sure that both are healthy, are eating well, and are having no problems that need attention.
Now, when do you put the does and kids out with the rest of the herd? This is totally up to you, but when making your decision, look at weather conditions, how the does and kids are doing, and whether or not you’re having predator problems. In the case of problems in any of these areas, does and kids should be locked up at night (as should the rest of the herd until the threat is over). When you finally do let the does and kids out with the herd, don’t be afraid to bring a few back in if you see problems. Better to be safe than sorry.
Although many goats can and will kid on their own with no problems, every once in a while, problems will arise before, during, or after the birth. These problems can affect the doe, kid, or both (and, as luck would have it, these problems will usually be during the hours when your veterinarian is closed). Many owners like to try to be around during kidding time in case of problems, but this is not always possible. During kidding time, or at any time really, it doesn’t hurt to keep an emergency first-aid kit available for use with the goats, as they have a knack for getting into trouble “after hours.”
The following is a list of items that are helpful to have in a first-aid kit for your goats. This list comes compliments of “The Goat Lady” at goatlady@goat-link.com.
Must-Haves:
• Thermometer (a digital one intended for humans is just fine)
• Box of baking soda (for rumen pH)
• Cayenne pepper (for stopping bleeding from injuries)
• Molasses or Karo syrup (for kid-saver formula)
• Peroxide (for cleansing wounds)
• Alcohol (for cleaning injection sites, needles, and the tops of injectable bottle stoppers)
• Milk of magnesia (for constipated goats or goats that have eaten something you need to get rid of)
• Pepto-Bismol (in small amounts for coating the stomach lining; too much will stop them up)
Nice-to-Haves:
• Antibiotic ointment, like Neosporin (for injuries)
• Baby aspirin (do not use ibuprofen, Tylenol, or Advil; only real, 100 percent aspirin, regular strength if you can’t find baby)
• Gauze for wounds (if you can find cast supplies, get them; if not, gauze and plaster of Paris will work for broken legs)
• Benadryl (for allergic reactions to bee stings, bites, and hay-allergy breathing problems; “Children’s” is fine, either as capsules or liquid)
• Coffee (for kid-saver formula)
• Surgical gloves (can be found in pharmacy departments; larger packages can be purchased at online supply houses)
• Yogurt with live bacteria in it (for rumen flora; to use in case you do not have probiotic paste)
• Olive or corn oil (for treatment of enema cases that do not respond to warm, soapy water)
• Tide Powder Detergent (for treating frothy bloat; add one teaspoon to one half-gallon of water, and give orally)
• Vaseline
• Diaper ointment or hemorrhoid cream (for topical skin abrasions; the hemorrhoid cream reduces topical swelling from a difficult kidding, and the diaper ointment is great for pizzle rot)
• Hair-color or hair-perm bottle (for administering enemas)
Must-Haves:
• Bottle of penicillin g procaine for injury and infection (dosage is one cc per 25 pounds, administered subcutaneously; always draw back on the plunger before injecting penicillin)
• Bottle of vitamin B complex (fortified if you can get it, because it has more thiamine in it; for stress and getting well, with the dosage is one cc per 25 pounds, administered subcutaneously)
• Bottle of Tylan 200 (not LA-200; for pneumonia and pink eye, with the generic being called tylosin 1 percent (not Tylan 50, either), and the dosage being one cc per 25 pounds, administered subcutaneously, or, for pink eye, being with the needle taken off and dripped into the eye—a couple of drops per eye)
• Tetanus antitoxin, equine origin (for injury, disbudding, castration, and puncture wounds, and as a preventative for tetanus; comes 1,500 units per vial and has approx 3.5 cces in it
• CD antitoxin (which is not the same as CDT; used for enterotoxemia symptoms in babies and adults, and can be a life saver to a potentially fatal situation, with the dosage being one cc per five pounds, administered subcutaneously)
• Ivomec Plus Dewormer (used at the rate of one cc per 40 pounds, administered subcutaneously)
There are problems that you can run into with breeding. Some can be serious; others may be nothing more than the doe just not, for whatever reason, liking or wanting the buck. If you’re using AI, maybe it hasn’t taken, which can, sometimes, be an indication of a deeper problem, but other times, it is no different than a natural breeding that just hasn’t taken. Some basic reasons a breeding may not take are:
Body condition: If the doe is too thin, it may not reproduce and may have problems with weaning (when kids stop nursing and go onto regular food). If the doe is too heavy, then toxemia in pregnancy may be a problem.
Missing the heat cycle: This is usually not a problem with the goat breeds that have no set breeding season, unless you are trying to specifically time a breeding. But for those breeds that do have a set season, missing the signs will also mean missing the breeding opportunities.
As does will go into heat every eighteen to twenty-one days when in season, there are signs to watch that will clue you in as to when your girls are in heat.
• Continual tail wagging
• Lots of vocalization
• Slightly swollen vulva
• Discharge around the tail leaving the area wet
• Pacing if she knows a buck is near (that “buck smell”)
If you need to stimulate your doe, use a buck rag. This is simply a cloth rubdown of the buck’s scent gland, used to detect or induce heat in a doe. Store the rag in a jar when not in use.
These are just a few signs that you should be looking for. You can read more in-depth information about your does and their heat cycles online, through extension office information, and in the “Resources” section of this book.
Sometimes it is the buck that has the problem. One of the problems you may experience with your bucks is his sperm count. However, this can be corrected the more the buck tries to breed. A low sperm count in a buck is usually a result of the buck not having been used in a while. Conception rate will be low while the buck makes his comeback and his sperm count rises.
Another problem could be that the buck just doesn’t want to breed. This can be remedied by simply not keeping your buck(s) and does together.
Of course, these are not the only breeding problems you may face; these are just some of the basics. Again, experienced breeders, extension offices, and veterinarians are excellent sources of more in-depth information on breeding problems.
Even with successful breeding, problems can still arise before, during, and after the birth of the kid. (Only problems, not solutions, will be listed here. Before your first kidding, it is strongly advised that you read up in depth about the possible problems the doe may face.)
• Kid has large head and shoulders
• The kid’s head is out, but one or more of the legs are not
• The kid’s hips are stuck
• Breech birth
• Afterbirth does not pass
• Infection of the uterus
These are only a few examples of birthing and afterbirth problems and complications. If your goat has been having problems for thirty minutes, and nothing you do is helping, the veterinarian needs to be called. Having said this, when your doe does begin to kid, don’t be afraid, and don’t assume the worst is inevitable. In most scenarios, the doe and kid will do just fine. But you do need to be prepared.
Another problem you may face is a doe aborting her kid. A few reasons for this are:
Brucella: Considered to be nonexistent in the United States, brucella can happen through consumption of contaminated food, including through pasture and/or water.
Toxoplasmosis: Caused by cats leaving feces in the hay or feces getting into water or feed.
Listeria: Caused by bacteria found in contaminated water, spoiled feed, or even from the soil, where it can survive for quite some time.
Although there are many other reasons for an abortion to occur, these are some of the most common. Solutions to these problems have not been included here, as any of these conditions will require veterinary attention.
If your goat does abort, you need to look into the reason why. If you are suspicious of a serious problem with the goat or herd, contact your veterinarian immediately. They may ask you to refrigerate the fetus and placenta; if so, handle each with care, using disposable surgical gloves.
One more reason for abortion is poisonous plants. Check the pasture for something the animal may have gotten into. Should you discover that a poisonous plant is, indeed, the problem, take a plant sample and call your veterinarian in case further action needs to be taken with your doe.
Although up to a 5 percent abortion rate is not uncommon in a herd, it is still a serious situation. A higher rate can mean devastation to you and the herd, and is most likely the result of an infectious problem. Should you, as a first-time owner, experience your doe or does aborting, call your veterinarian; at the very least, contact a very experienced breeder to guide you through the possible problems, as well as their solutions.
Breeding Cycles and Older Goats
One final problem in kidding is one that is totally in your control: acting when a goat is too old to breed any longer. A doe, no matter how healthy she is, should be retired from breeding at around 10 years of age. This is simply due to the fact that the older the doe gets, the harder it can be for her to kid. Some have had does up to age fourteen still kid, but do notice that it gets more difficult for them. And despite these older does kidding, the average “retirement age” seems to be around the 10 year mark. Also, when an owner sees that a good doe is nearing or at her retirement age, he/she may keep his/her final kids (especially any females) to keep his/her line going (new jobs for retired goats will be discussed in Chapter 12).
Your does will have special needs during their pregnancy and after they kid. Early on, during the first three months, does should be fed to maintain their body condition (if it is good); otherwise, you should take this time to improve their body condition. A little extra grain will help an adult who needs some weight on it, but do not overfeed, as that can cause such problems as ketosis. Extra hay can also be offered.
In the last two months, your doe’s nutritional requirements will dramatically increase, due to fetus growth. At this point, grains or milking rations may be increased, but slowly and in small amounts until the does are eating up to a pound and a half per day (depending on breed/size) by kidding. Dairy does should be fed at least half that number, up to two thirds their other milking rations. However, if does are given too much grain, it could result in the fetuses growing too big, causing problems at birth, so monitor accordingly. Continue to feed them hay; however, alfalfa can also be fed at this time and can even gradually replace the hay.
Throughout your doe’s pregnancy, continue to monitor her. If something looks wrong with her body condition, adjust her diet as necessary. During this entire time, her water intake will also greatly increase. Be sure she always has plenty of clean drinking water available.
After the doe has kidded, her grain rations should slowly be increased, reaching three pounds of grain per day by the fourth week after her kidding. When her lactation peaks, feed her according to her milk production (in the case of dairy): a half pound of grain per pound of milk (over three pounds). Also, feed her good forage as well; a goat should never have more than four pounds of grain per day (this applies mostly to dairy breeds).
Breeding and kidding time are very busy times in a goat owner’s year. And although things can go wrong, when it goes right, the benefits are considerable. The kids are some of the cutest little things that you will ever see, while a good buck and doe are worth their weight in gold. The first few births may seem scary to a new goat owner, but you will become more comfortable with the process with each additional birth. And while the first complication that occurs will be another scary time, don’t panic; if you freeze, you could lose both doe and kid. If you feel you can’t handle the situation, call your veterinarian. But just as with the births, with each “emergency” that passes, you’ll find that you handle it better and better. Bottom line: don’t let breeding time overwhelm you. Enjoy it and the resulting kids.