Breeding

Abortion

Goat herds generally have a 2 to 5 percent abortion rate. Any percentage above this is a serious problem because abortions can lead to economic losses. Indeed, infectious abortion in a doe herd can be a public health concern because infectious agents that cause abortions in goats can also infect and cause diseases in humans. Infectious abortions should be taken seriously by the producer and herd manager.

An abortion is a premature expulsion of a fetus before full gestation has elapsed. 

If a doe aborts after 141 days gestation, the fetuses have a pretty good chance of survival.  Before that date, they generally die

http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/U/UNP-0079/

What to do when abortion occurs:

• Never ignore abortions in a goat herd. Conduct a thorough investigation immediately.
• Isolate the animal from the herd and keep it in a quarantine pen for further examination.
• Consider many different causes of abortion.
• Inform your veterinarian if you suspect infectious abortion in a goat herd; the veterinarian will refer you to a nearby diagnostic center.
• Consult the diagnostic laboratory prior to submitting your sample. The diagnostic center should be aware of the infectious agent most likely to be present in the area.
  Note: Diseased tissue requires proper handling.
• To facilitate the diagnosis, keep detailed records and accurately identify each aborting animal and the stage of pregnancy at which the animal aborted.
• Refrigerate (avoid freezing) any fetus and placenta of an aborted kid to send to the diagnostic laboratory.
• Work with the local veterinarian to draw blood and to send serum samples from aborting does to the diagnostic laboratory for immunological tests.
• Consult your local veterinarian when you suspect infectious abortion in your herd. This might constitute a public health issue. Your veterinarian can guide you on the treatment and prevention procedure.
• Ask for performance and health records before purchasing new animals.
• Quarantine any new animals before introducing them into your existing herd.
• Be aware that certain classes of dewormers administered to pregnant does can cause insidious abortion or stillbirths, which can be mistaken as abortions caused by infectious agents.
• Be aware that certain poisonous plants can cause abortions in does. Identify plants in your area that can cause abortion and try to eliminate them from the pasture.
• People who assist does at kidding or collect placental or fetal waste for disposal or diagnostic evaluations should be aware of the danger of infection and are advised to wear plastic gloves. The gloves should be burned to prevent environment contamination.
• Quaternary ammonium compounds are satisfactory disinfectants.

Note: Always check with your veterinarian before giving any medications

Heat (estrus, oestrus)

Duration of standing heat

24 hrs. for doelings, 2-3 days for mature does 

Heat detection with a buck rag

-To make a buck rag, simply take a rag and rub it over the bucks genitals, beard and other areas where he has soaked himself with urine.  Put this rag in an air-tight jar.  It is ready for use whenever you need to detect heat. If you want to breed does singly, you can expose them to a buck rag when they come into the barn for milking.  Put the rag under their nose.  Does in heat will have an immediate reaction to the rag.

Heat stimulation

Using a teaser Buck to stimulate heat

You can put a whether in with the does for a couple weeks before you want to breed them.  This will start the heat process so they are ready when the buck comes in to breed.. (Haskell, Caprine and Cervidae Reproduction)

Using a teaser buck is the best method of detecting heat.  (Haskell, Caprine and Cervidae Reproduction)

  

Using the "Buck Effect"to stimulate heat

Keep the buck out of sight of the does for three weeks, then let the buck in. Lutenizing hormones will surge in 48-72 hours. (Haskell, Caprine and Cervidae Reproduction)

Ovulation

Ovulation is the release of the egg that, if fertilized by the buck, will form a fetus or fetuses.  It occurs 24-48 hours after start of heat.  Therefore, the best chance of conception is near the end of the heat cycle (Smith, 412) 
 
Breed on day two of standing heat for best results. (Harris and Springer)  

Signs of heat

• Doe walks restlessly along fence, looking for a way to get to the buck.
• Vulva is swollen.
• Tail wags vigorously.
• Doe urinates more frequently.
• Appetite decreases.
• Milk yield decreases.
• Doe stands firm when buck mounts.
• Doe exudes a clear, colorless discharge at beginning of heat, progressively becoming more opaque and white in color as heat progresses. 

Signs that heat is ending

You will see a cheesy white to yellow colored mucous in the vagina

Sound of a goat in heat

 Go to http://www.goats4h.com/GoatSounds.html

Synchronizing  heat for group breeding using "the buck effect"

-The buck pasture should be far enough from the breeding doe herd so that scent emitted by glands located behind the base 
of the buck's horns will not induce heat in does. 
 
- 7 to 10 days before you want to breed the goats, bring the buck into the area.  In about a week, the does will come into  
heat. 
 
- Before running the buck with a group of breeding does, it is a good idea to let it breed some cull does to flush its system because the sperm that has accumulated during the off-season is of low quality. (Luginbuhl)  

Time between heat periods

-Heat periods come every 21 days. (Smith) (Haskell, Caprine and Cervidae Reproduction) 
 
-Don't assume the doe is pregnant just because she was bred.  Check the doe 18-24 days after breeding.  If she is showing 
 signs of heat, the breeding didn’t take.  Do it again.  
 
-You have six chances, once every three weeks, to get a doe bred in the natural breeding season, September – December.