Reproduction

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Reproduction

Page Sections:
Abortion	Buck Fertility and Stamina
Age At First Service	Heat (estrus)
Artificial Insemination	Infectious Reproductive Diseases
Birthing	Milking Through
Breeding	Pregnancy

Abortion

An abortion is a premature expulsion of a fetus before full gestation has elapsed. (Considine, p. 93)

For a complete summary on abortion, treatment, prevention, how to send samples to the lab, and other information, go to “Seminar notes” and read the notes from Reproduction and Breeding of Dairy Goats by Dr. Scott Haskell.

There is an excellent slide show by John Plant, Veterinary Specialist, on abortions in sheep at http://www.aasrp.org/. It has photographs of what each disease looks like in the placenta, so you can identify the cause of abortion if you don't have access to a veterinary laboratory. The diseases similar in a goat.

If a doe aborts after 141 days gestation, the fetuses have a pretty good chance of survival. Before that date, they generally die. (Considine, p. 93)

If a doe aborts, give antibiotics or plain penicillin SQ in the neck, just ahead of the shoulder. For an average size doe use 10cc. Then give 5 more shots of 5cc. 12 hours apart. Isolate the doe until the discharge stops so she doesn’t contaminate the other does. Clean the pen thoroughly after use. (Harvey Considine, p. 93)

Links

Infectious Reproductive Diseases Of Small Ruminants http://extension.usu.edu/files/agpubs/sheep19.html

(Gives a list of each illness, with causative agent, symptoms, mode of spread of disease, diagnosis , prevention/control, treatment, human effects/prevention.)

Age At First Service

Buck: 5 months (Smith, 440)

Doe: 7-10 months (Coffey, G, 8)

Keep bucks separate from does after 4 mo. to prevent inseminating does that are too young.

(Coffey, G, 9)

At first breeding, doelings should weigh 60% of the average adult weight for their breed. If they are lighter than that, hold them back and increase their nutrition until they are the right weight, but do not go beyond 10 months of age or their reproductive performance will decrease. (Harris and Springer)

Breed	Avg. Adult Weight (lb)	Breeding Weight at 60% of adult weight
Alpine	135	81 lbs.
Am. La Mancha	130	78 lbs.
Nubian	135	81 lbs.
Saanen	135	81 lbs.
Toggenburg	120	72 lbs.

Average breed weights taken from Harris and Springer)

ADGA recommends that goats weigh at least 80 pounds before they are bred. (ADGA).

Breeding does at 7 months, to freshen as yearlings, increases their lifetime milk production. (Coffey, DG, 18)

Only about 80% of doelings (first year fresheners) will conceive. Approximately. 95% of does that kidded the previous year will conceive. (Hart, Goat Management Tips)

Artificial Insemination

Links

Artificial insemination article and overview of costs http://www.uky.edu/Ag/AnimalSciences/goats/newsletter/goatproducersnewsletter1105.pdf

Artificial Insemination instructions http://cahe.nmsu.edu/pubs/_d/d-704.html

Artificial insemination of dairy goats http://cahe.nmsu.edu/pubs/_d/d-704.html

Reproductive Technologies http://www.luresext.edu/goats/training/advrepro.htm

Birthing

Birthing Stages (stages of labor)

Stage 1: Dilation of the uterus

Uterine contractions force placenta, fetus and fluids against the cervix to dilate it. This stage lasts up to 12 hours in first time fresheners. Does who have given birth before will go through this stage more quickly.

Stage 2: Straining and delivery of kids

Contraction of abdominal muscles, lasting two hours or less, and is completed by expulsion of the last kid.

Stage 3: Expulsion of the placenta and involution (decrease in size) of the uterus.

Normally happens within 4 hours of birthing. (Smith, 431)

Normal presentation

Two positions are normal for birthing:

1) Anterior position

Kid is head first, spine up, with both front legs extended forward out of the birth canal. The head lays forward on the legs, with the infant's nose about level with the knees. Over 60% of goats are born in this position.

2) Posterior position

Kid is butt first, spine up, with both rear legs extended out of the birth canal.

When there are twins, the first kid often comes head-first with front legs extended toward you, and the second with the hind legs extended toward you. The following diagram shows normal delivery positions for a) single kids, anterior position. b) single kid, posterior position. c) twins, one anterior position, one posterior position.

Diagram from http://adga.org/kidding.pdf

The birth canal has to be open three finger widths in order to allow delivery of the fetus.

http://www.goats4h.com/pigman.html

Kidding photos (normal births):

http://www.boergoatshome.com/Kidding_Photos.php

http://www.greatgoats.co/articles/kidding.html

http://www.blackmesaranchonline.com/animals/goats_kidding.htm

Difficult births (dystocia)

Rate: 3-5% of goats experience difficulty during birthing (Haskell, Caprine and Cervidae Reproduction)

Signs that there is a problem with the delivery:

1) Labor is not progressing. The goat stands up and lays down repeatedly.

2)The doe seems to be trying to line up the babies inside her, by arching her back or elevating her backside.

3) The discharge becomes "rust" colored.

4) You can see body parts, but the doe can't deliver them.

4) The doe is in hard labor for more than 30-45 minutes, but cannot deliver. (Pigman)

When to assist:

When a doe has been in hard labor for 1/2 - 1 hour with no results, or if the placenta has been showing for that long, then you may need to assist her. (Smith, 431

How to assist:

It is best to have someone with smaller hands assist in delivery. Large hands can damage the birth canal. (Zimmerman) (Smith qt 432)

The vulva should be washed with milk soap before examining the doe. You should wear gloves, use a lot of lubricant. (Smith, 432) (You can buy long, disposable OB gloves for this purpose.)

Pushing the kids back into the mother (called repelling) gives you the room you need to adjust their position so they can birth normally. (Haskell, Caprine and Cervidae Reproduction.)

When you are assisting a birth, and are trying to sort out the newborn’s legs, bend the knee and hoof joints on the leg. If they both bend the same direction, you have a front leg. If they bend opposite directions, you have a back leg. (Dr. Emma Ewing, DVM, Village Veterinary Clinic, Bonduel, WI. Personal interview 11-14-06.)

Identify what parts of the body are in the birth canal, and use the table below to find out what to do.

Abnormal Presentation

What To Do About It

Head first with one foreleg forward, one back

Reach in, gently opening the passage with your fingers if needed. Try to locate the other front leg of this baby by sliding your hands over the head, down the neck, shoulder and leg on the side where the leg is turned back. Once you have the foot, pull it gently toward you until it extends out the birth canal, and lay the head, nose toward you, on the legs. The fetus should deliver on it's own now, but if not, then gently provide traction by pulling slowly and gently on the legs. It helps to remember that the knee and hoof joints bend the same way on front legs. If they bend opposite ways, then you have a back leg.

Head first, no legs showing. The head may be swollen and dry, it has been out for a while.

You don't have the option of pushing the head back in, because of the swelling and dryness, so you have to reach around the head, follow the neck and shoulders down to find the legs. Pull the legs forward, and once you have a hold of them, straighten them by pushing the kid in as far as possible, while pulling on the feet. Once the legs and feet are straight and extending from the opening, you can assist the delivery of the kid. The swelling of the head will go down on it's own over time.

Head first, both legs back

Reach in and push the kid back in the mother so you have enough room to work. Slide your hands over the kid's head and neck, then go down the shoulder and follow it to the leg. Gently bring the feet forward, one at a time. When both are forward, lay the head forward on the legs. The fetus should deliver on it's own now, but if not, then gently provide traction by pulling slowly and gently on the legs.

Butt first, but legs are not extended correctly. The hocks are forward, feet back.

Reach in feel along the sides of the butt, to the hip and down the legs. Free up the feet so they point toward you, and out the birth canal.   The fetus should deliver on it's own now, but if not, then gently provide traction by pulling slowly and gently on the legs.

Butt first, but legs are not showing.

Push the butt in to give you room to work. Slide your hands from the butt to the back legs, and follow the legs down to find the feet. Pull the feet out until they stick out of the vaginal opening.   The fetus should deliver on it's own now, but if not, then gently provide traction by pulling slowly and gently on the legs. Make sure the legs are completely straight out before pulling. Push butt in, while holding the feet, and that will straighten the legs fully.

Front feet are out, but the kid is laying face up instead of face down

The kids needs to face down in order to pass easily through the birth canal. Reach in and turn the kid over so it is lying face down as much as possible. Help pull the kid as needed.

Front feet first, but head is twisted back

Feel along the body until you find the head. Turn the head so that it faces you. If it keeps flopping back when you start to pull, then take a rubber OB puller or make a "noose" with nylon cord. Take the loop or nylon cord into the canal and place it over the kid's head ( not around the neck.) Arrange the head on the front legs and pull the loop taught to hold the head in place. Keeping tension on the noose with one hand, withdraw your other hand and pull on the feet at the same time you pull on the noose.

Two heads show, with one pair of feet

One goat has it's legs turned back. The second goat is in correct position, but the first goat is blocking it's delivery. Push the goats back into the mother to make room to work. Put your hands on the head of the goat closest to you, and slide them over the head, down the neck, over the shoulders and down the legs. Pull the feet toward you, then lay the head on the legs and assist the delivery. After the first one delivers, check the second one and correct the position as needed.

A head is showing, and feet are showing, but when you run your hands from the head, down the neck, shoulders, legs and feet of the first doe, you find that the feet sticking out of the doe are not the feet of the first kid.

Push the second kid back far enough to make room to work on the first goat. Put your hands on the head of the goat closest to you, and slide them down the neck, over the shoulders and down the legs. Gently pull the feet toward you until the legs extend out of the canal. Make sure the head is laying on the legs.   Pull gently to deliver the kid. Check the position of the second kid and correct as needed. If the head keeps flopping back when you start to pull the kid, then take a rubber OB puller or make a "noose" with nylon cord. Take the loop or nylon cord into the canal and place it over the kid's head. Arrange the head on the front legs and pull the loop taught to hold the head in place. Keeping tension on the noose with one hand, withdraw your other hand and pull on the feet at the same time you pull on the noose.

No body parts showing

Check to see whether the birth canal is open. It should be at least three fingers wide in order to allow birthing. If it is not open that far, it may just be too early to deliver. Check frequently to see whether it is opening.. If the birth canal is open, and all you feel is the side of a kid, it may be a dead kid that has been pushed against the opening. Push the kids back into the doe to give yourself room to turn the first kid either head or butt first, with legs extended out the canal, and the head on the legs. Deliver it. Check the next kid and arrange position as needed to deliver it.
Some goats have a tail head that slopes down and blocks the birth. In this case, the vet will have to break the tail head to remove the kid.

This table is adapted from http://www.goats4h.com/pigman.html, as well as from personal interviews with experienced producers.

How to tell if all babies have been delivered and the placenta has been discharged

("Bumping")

1) Stand to the side of the doe.

2) Reach around and under her with your arms, and lock your hands together under her abdomen.

3) Quickly lift her belly right in front of the udder and allow it to fall down into your hands, which are still clasped under her. If it feels like:

a) a thud or a falling rock, that indicates that there is a baby in there.

b) a soft ball of doughy material, that signals that the placenta has not passed

c) soft and flaccid (relaxed muscles) and no kids are felt, then the goat is done birthing and the placenta is out. (Nickel, p.17)

Navel Cord Care

Dip cord in tincture of iodine. This prevents infection and promotes rapid drying and breaking away of the cord

from the navel. If cord is long, cut it to a 3-4" length. If cord bleeds, tie off with surgical suture material. (Dawson)

Numbers of fetuses

Goats generally have 2-4 babies, but there are rare instances of 5 or 6 babies. Twins are average.

Signs that the goat is within 24 and 12 hours of birthing.

Ligaments

Ligament test:

Face the back end of the goat. Place your hand flat on the goat’s back so your fingertips

touch the tail. Spread your index and middle fingers apart in a “v” shape. Rub back and forth and feel

the “cords” under the skin. (See red line in diagram.) They are about a 1/4” in diameter. If you know

what that feels like normally, you will be able to tell when the doe is close to kidding.

When the cords loosen and begin to sag, the doe will normally deliver within 24 hours.

When you don’t feel the ligaments any more at all, and the area feels like a big wad of bubblegum, then the doe is within 12 hours of birth. (Smith, 432)

Links:

See http://www.jackmauldin.com/management/detecting_labor.htm for photographs of the signs that take place one week prior to birthing. When you see these signs, get the doe to the birthing area. There are also pictures of the signs the she is very close to delivering.

Signs of Labor

Early labor:

1) Goat seems restlessness

2) She lays down and gets up often

3) She makes a "nest" in the bedding, often off in a corner or in a dark, private place.

4) Looks back at her tail to see what is happening.

5) White discharge appears

Late labor:

1) Discharge increases

2) Hard labor pains about 2 minutes apart

3) Lips curl and ears stand out from straining

4) Bubble full of fluid appears and breaks.

5) Larger bubble appears

6) Both feet appear, followed by head and body, or both feet appear, followed by butt, body and head. If something else appears, see the "Abnormal Presentation" section.

Summarized from www.goats4h.com/Pigman.html, Haskell, Herd Health Program, and interviews with experienced producers.

Supplies needed for birthing

Bucket for warm water
Long, OB gloves (Fleet Farm) , or if you are not using gloves, then you need a nail clipper and nail brush to clip and clean your fingernails and hands, and Betadine (povidone) scrub to disinfect your hands after you wash them, and before assisting a difficult birth..
Surgilube or KY Jelly or Walmart brand Equate Lubricating Jelly (lots of it.) Keep it where it won't freeze.
7% iodine and small cup or empty prescription bottle for dipping navel. Keep it where it won't freeze. Available from Fleet Farm, Hoegger and Caprine Supply catalogs and Walmart.
OB Loop (rubber is best) (Fleet Farm sheep section, or Hoegger and Caprine Supply Catalog)
Newspaper separated into single sheets for wiping off babies. You'll need lots of it.
Scissors
Dental Floss for tying off umbilical cord if it bleeds
Molasses or dark Karo syrup. Keep it where it won't freeze.
Paper towels
Udder wash (Fleet Farm, goat/cow supply catalogs)
Clean old towels (You can buy these at Goodwill, rummage sales etc. You'll need a dozen or more of them.)
White board, markers and eraser (to record births)
Blank neck tags and nylon cord to assign numbers to baby girls, and marker to write with. (NASCO Farm and Ranch Catalog)
Birthing record sheets (see Forms section of this site)
Index card box and tabbed index cards. (Office Depot) Write the kids number on the tab and keep their
records on that card. (See Producer tips section for details.)

Summarized from www.goats4h.com/Pigman.html, and personal interviews with experienced producers.

Time of birthing

Goats generally birth after midday, less commonly at night. (Haskell, Caprine and Cercida3e Reproduction)

Uterine Inertia

Older goats sometimes can't expel their kids due to weak uterine muscles. A helper can hold up a doe's belly, maneuvering it to get kids closer to the vaginal opening so that another person can reach in and grab them if the mother can't deliver. (Nickel, P.19)

What to expect after birthing is over

A discharge (lochia) will be seen for up to three weeks post-birthing, but it should not smell. If it continues longer, or smells, then the uterus is infected and you should call the vet and have the goat treated. The uterus should return to pre-pregnancy size within 4 weeks of birthing. (Smith, 431)

Milking the goat after delivery

The goat should be milked out into a separate container and the colostrum should be heat treated and bottle fed to the newborn as soon as possible after birthing. You can milk her on the pipeline, but do not put colostrum into the pipeline and bulk tank. Use a mini-milker to milk the newly delivered goat after all of the well goats have been milked, but before the sick or mastitis goats are milked. If the goat is very weak, you may need to milk her by hand. See the nutrition section for instructions on heat treating and feeding of colostrum and milk to kids.

You may want to give the mother some warm water with Karo syrup or molasses in it after she births. Watch her carefully for several weeks after birthing. If she stops eating or seems ill, call the vet.

Links:

Kidding photos:

http://www.boergoatshome.com/Kidding_Photos.php

http://www.greatgoats.co/articles/kidding.html

http://www.blackmesaranchonline.com/animals/goats_kidding.htm

Difficult Births (dystocia)

Dealing with Difficult Births http://sheepandgoat.com/news/dec2005.html#dystocia

Herd Health Program .(has birthing information) www.adga.org/kidding.pdf accessed 8-04-06

See the diagrams in Harvey Considine’s book Dairy Goats for Pleasure and Profit at p. 108. Shows different ways the fetus can be arranged in the uterus and what to do to help the doe deliver.

Pre/Post Kidding Preparations For Dairy Goat Does and Kids http://www.goats4h.com/pigman.html

This article contains complete instructions for delivering kids where the presentation is abnormal.

Breeding

Body Condition Score during breeding season

Body Condition Score should be 2.5-4.0 at the beginning of breeding season, and should be maintained throughout pregnancy. If a goat has a body score of 4.5 or more, or under 2, the goat very likely will get pregnancy toxemia. Make sure you have propylene glycol available. (Langston, training, Nutrition section)

Breeding cycle

3 parts of cycle: non-breeding, transition period at beginning and end of cycle, and main breeding period. .(Haskell, Caprine and Cervidae Reproduction)

When to breed for best success? 6-28 hours after the onset of heat *
Heat Period	Before heat	Standing heat **						After standing heat				After heat
Hours after onset of heat		0	3	6	9	12	15	18	21	24	27
When to breed for best success	Too early to breed			Good time	Excellent Time To Breed					Good time		Too late to breed

(Table adapted from Damerow)

* Heat: the female reproductive cycle

**Standing heat: that point in a doe's heat cycle when she is receptive to the buck

General Breeding Patterns

Tropical climates: goats potentially can breed year round.

Temperate climates: heat cycles begin in response to decreasing light. The amount of light outdoors diminishes as summer gives way to fall, and this stimulates heat in the does. (Smith, 412)

Breeding “in season” in Wisconsin (Breeding September through December, birthing February –May)

In temperate climates, goats can potentially breed August through March. (Smith, 412)

The doe is usually bred 45 to 60 days into her lactation and should be bred every year. (Harris and Springer)

Breeding “out of season" (light manipulation)

Since heat starts in response to diminishing light, you can stimulate “out of season” heat cycling by putting a timer on your barn lights. Set it for 20 hours a day starting January first. Leave it at 20 hours for 2 months. Do this for both the does and the bucks. Then reset the timer to 15 hours a day on March first and slowly decrease the # of hours of light until you are at the same daylight hours as the outside light.

Does will come into heat in May.

You may need to pen them with the buck instead of breeding individually, as the heat period may be shorter than normal, increasing the chance you will miss the heat period. (Kapture)

When you use lights to stimulate heat you need to get the does bred just as soon as they first come into heat. Don’t wait. If you happen to have a period of intense early spring heat outdoors 2 weeks before the does are bred (mid-April), it shuts off their heat period, and this can result in half of the pregnancies not developing. It destroys all your work with the lights.

Check does at 18-24 days post breeding. If in heat, the first breeding didn’t take. Rebreed. (Considine, 92)

To get adequate light for out of season breeding, you will need one foot of fluorescent light fixture (hanging 9 or 10 feet off the floor) for every 10-11 square feet of floor space. The man who invented this program used fixtures with two four-foot long fluorescent bulbs. You can use other fixtures as long as you get the same amount of light. (Kapture) Some extension offices have light meters that can be loaned out to test the lights levels in your barn to make sure you have enough light.. Also, don’t forget to wash your barn light bulbs after fly season.

Does bred out of season have a heightened risk of hydrometria (cloudburst) pregnancy. The doe looks and acts pregnant, but isn’t. (Smith)

Breeding out of season (Progesterone, Progestins with gonadotropins, Prostaglandin)

See Scott Haskell, DVM, MPVM. Caprine and Cervidae Reproduction, from Small Ruminant Clinical

Diagnosis and Therapy http://www.rmncsba.org/smallruminant.pdf..

Breeding older does

There are two management options to decrease risk to older does.

1) If you need milk production, just milk her through and don't breed her every year.

2) Of you need kids more than milk, you can extend the length of her kidding years by drying her up after kidding. Then let her rest until the next breeding. (Nickel, P. 19)

Buck harnesses for recording breedings

You can buy "ram" harnesses that can be used on bucks. When the harness is put on the buck, and the buck mounts the doe, chalk rubs on her backend, letting you know that she has been bred. When she comes in for milking you can see the chalk and write down the breeding date. This really helps when you are pen breeding.

The harness which is sold at Fleet Farm will not stay on the buck and causes sores on the buck's chest. You must sew the straps so they don't loosen and slide around and pad the chest piece with sheepskin. For an alternative, see http://www.premier1supplies.com/img/instruction/24.pdf . There are also good instructions there for using a buck
harness.

Flushing

"Flushing", or adding supplement to increase nutrition prior to and just after breeding to increase kidding rate, , is not necessary if does have a good body condition score (BCS 3-4) If body condition score is low (2 or below) then flush with 0.5-1.0 lb. of whole shelled corn/head/day. (Hart, Goat Management Tips)

Forms

Breeding plan (PDF) Excel Chart that allows you to coordinate breeding of different groups of goats

Breeding Plan (Word) Excel Chart that allows you to coordinate breeding of different groups of goats

Breeding and Birthing Chart Excel chart that allows you to record breedings and births

Birthing Schedule Excel chart that allows you to keeps track of which does are due on which dates.

Good for planning the rest of your life around your birthing schedule!

Links

Percentage heritage calculator http://www.greatgoats.com/articles/percentcalc.html

Calendar with earliest and latest possible birthing dates http://www.greatgoats.com/articles/goat_gestation.xls

Breeding and Kidding Management In The Goat Herd http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/an_sci/extension/animal/meatgoat/MGBrdKidd.htm

Breeding Record Calculator http://www.fauna-art.net/cgi-bin/htmlos.cgi/00339.4.035643651660072593

This is an online calculator that allows you to enter the breeding date and then tells you when the next heat is due, the dry-off date and the expected kidding date. You can enter values for multiple animals or groups of animals, and

then print the record.

Buck fertility and stamina

Buck preparation for breeding season

The buck should be weighed or weight-taped, FAMACHA scored and Body Condition Scored 3 months prior to

breeding. This will give you time to build up it's weight and body condition before breeding season if it is not adequate.

The body condition score should be 3-3.5. If it is higher or lower than that, adjust feed to achieve correct score before entering breeding season.

The FAMACHA score should be 1 or 2 (pink inner eyelid). If 3 or higher, treat with anthelmintics.

(See drug database in Medical section.)

Just prior to breeding season:

-Clip excessively long hair from underside.

-Trim feet

-Check ease of movement. Does the buck have trouble walking? Hip or leg pain? If so, he will not be able to mount the does. Find another buck.

If you buy a herd right before breeding season and the buck is too fat, do not put him on a diet at that time. Keep feed steady, and make sure you don’t feed any extra feed. Move food and water apart so he gets exercise. He will also run off excess weight chasing does. (this section summarized from Mangelsdorf, p. 23)

The scrotum

Scrotal circumference should be at least 25-28 cm. at 100 lb (45 kg.) of body weight. (Coffey, G, 9)

Scrotal circumference predicts the fertility of daughters, so you want a buck with a large scrotum. (Smith)

Make sure both sides of the scrotum are the same size, are smooth and lump-free and are well attached. (Mangelsdorf, p.23)

The scrotum should not have two separate oblong chambers, but instead, one chamber with a indentation

between the two areas. (Smith)

No Yes

Number of does serviced per buck

1 full grown buck can service 50 does. He should not service his own daughters. (Smith)

A mature buck is capable of breeding over a hundred does per year, but often is asked to do less. (Belanger, 152)

Semen concentration

Normal semen concentration: 2 billion sperm per cubic centimeter of semen, with at least 70% of them moving forward. (Smith)

The following stressors may affect conception rate: moving the buck right before breeding time, sore legs, feet or back, illness, poor nutrition, obesity, too thin. (Mangelsdorf, p. 23)

Extreme heat due to the environment or due to fever from illness can kill sperm cells. (Mangelsdorf, p. 23)

Sperm cells ready to ejaculate today were processed in the testes up to 60 days ago, with the average being 6 weeks. Therefore, the first ejaculations may contain poor quality sperm. (Mangelsdorf, p. 23)

Signs that the buck ready for breeding

A buck will coat his front legs and beard with urine. He will do anything in his power to get to the does in heat, including breaking down fences. He can be dangerous during this period, so don’t ever turn your back on him, especially if you are trying to remove does from his pen. It is best to put does on a long leash before putting them in his pen. That way you can pull them back out of the pen without having to go into the pen to get them.

Testicular or penile problems

Symptom	Cause
Smaller or softer than normal testes	May indicate atrophy (shrinking of tissues), decreased sperm count, or hermaphrodictic (inter-sex) infertile buck
Swollen, hard, painful testes	May indicate inflammation from infection or injury
Hardened, shrunken testes	May be due to chronic infection or old injury
Scalded areas, scabs or discharge on penile sheath	genital disease or infection

(Summarized from Mangelsdorf, p.23)

Selecting economically important genetic traits with the highest heritability

Body system	Trait	Importance of Trait	Heritability	Economic Impact
Skeleton (conformation)	correct feet and legs	Ensures buck’s ability to feed, exercise, and breed does. Affects daughter’s ability to feed, exercise, enter and leave stand for milking	High heritability Readily affected by breeding choices	High
	a level topline and strong back	Buck and daughters: support of reproductive and digestive tracts
	long body length	Buck and daughters: increased capacity to carry food (which increases daughters milk daughter’s production) and to carry multiple fetuses.
	wide rump, level side to side and front to rear	Enables strong udder support and greater area of udder attachment
	adequate width thru chest floor	Gives room for large, healthy lungs
Reproductive soundness	lack of urinary calculi	Better health for buck. (Genetics affect it, but if have tendency, it can be exacerbated by poor management)	High heritability Readily affected by breeding choices	High
	willingness to breed	Increase pregnancy rate. (Genetics affect it, but if they are reluctant to breed, may be exacerbated by pressure from bolder bucks, illness, penile infection, sore legs/back, too much excess weight or too thin and weak.)
	correct genital anatomy	Allows buck to breed
	semen quality, number and motility	Increases conception rate
	Lack of disease	Decreases incidences of sterility or reduced sperm count.
Soft tissue	skin	Not important for commercial production, only for show	Less heritability	Low
	ear type
	hair color
	markings

(Complied from information from Bowen, also Mangelsdorf, p. 21,22,23)

Links:

Anatomy of the buck reproductive organs http://kinne.net/fertbuck.htm

Buck Care Should be a Priority Year-round, But Especially During Breeding Season. Dairy Goat Journal, Vol. 84 No.6, November/December 2006, p. 22.

Choosing the Right Buck. Dairy Goat Journal , Vol. 84 No.6, November/December 2006, p. 21.

Fertility and Sterility in the Buck http://kinne.net/fertbuck.htm

Heat, Oestrus, Estrus

Duration of Standing Heat

24 hrs. for doelings, 2-3 days for mature does (Smith, 412)

Heat Detection

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

Heat Detection using 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. Does in heat will have an immediate reaction to the rag.

Heat induction using a whether (teaser buck)

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)

Heat Induction Using The Buck Effect

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. (Smith, 412)

Signs that heat is ending

Discharge mucous becomes cheesy white to yellow.

Sound of a goat in heat http://www.geocities.com/~butt79/goatmania.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.

Infectious Reproductive Diseases

See http://extension.usu.edu/files/agpubs/sheep19.html (Gives a list of each illness, with causative agent, symptoms, mode of spread of disease, diagnosis , prevention/control, treatment, human effects/prevention.)

Milking through

Some goats will “milk through.” That is, they will continue to milk for long periods, even years, without being bred back. If your herd is well established, and you have all the does you can handle so you don’t need new babies, consider not breeding the ones that milk the longest. Let them milk through and keep the milk production up while the others are dry. (Considine)

Pregnancy

Average length of pregnancy

Average length of pregnancy is 150 days or about 5 months (145-156 normal range) Goats bearing triplets often kid slightly earlier, at about 149 days. Goats with single kids kid at approximately 151 days. Doe kids tend to be carried one day longer than buck kids. Birth weights of twins are approximately 0.91 of the weight of a single dairy goat kid. Birth weights of triplets are approximately 0.82 of the weight of a single dairy goat kid. (Smith, 431)

Dry Period

-Goats should be allowed to rest 2 months before birthing. Since there is a 5 month gestation, the goat can milk

3 months after being bred, and then rests month 4 and 5. The rest period allows the goat’s mammary system to repair. (Haskell, Mastitis)

- Many producers put an antibiotic treatment such as “Tomorrow” into the udder at dry off to prevent mastitis.

Others merely seal off the udder to prevent bacteria from entering the canal. (Example product: SureSeal.)

Both are very effective at preventing mastitis. (Haskell, Mastitis).

- Very high producing does need a longer dry period. If you do not allow your does to rest, they will produce only

65-75% as much milk in the next lactation. (Harris and Springer, 1996). (Haskell, Mastitis)

Fetal Development (drawings of the fetus at different ages) http://www.bouncinghoofs.com/fetusdev.html

Hydrometria (false pregnancy, cloudburst pregnancy)

Hydrometra definition:

The goat is bred, appears to be pregnant (does not cycle again, abdomen enlarges) , yet at birthing the goat will discharge a large volume of fluid, but no placenta or fetus. (Smith 416)

Chance of hydrometra increases in:

Pregnancies during the transition periods (very early, or very late part of the heat cycle)
Pregnancies from off-season breeding
Pregnancies from artificial insemination
Pregnancies from chemical manipulation of heat (estrus) (Haskell, Caprine and Cervidae Reproduction)

Diagnosis of Hydrometra

When scanned from either flank, late in pregnancy, you will see large fluid-filled compartments, which undulate when the goat moves. You will not see a fetus. White flecks may be seen in the fluid when the abdomen is moved, and the flecks settle like snow after movement stops. .See a real-time ultrasound image of hydrometra in (Smith, 417)

Correction of the condition is achieved by treatment with prostaglandins. Directions for veterinarians are found at

(Smith ,418).

Pregnancy testing

Hormonal assays

-Estrogen sulfate is used after the 50th day. This is a very specific test. Positive is a live fetus. Negative is less exact, as it will show either an open animal or one that has aborted.

-Progesterone 21-24 days post breeding. Levels greater than 1.0 mg/ml are pregnant, less than 1.0 are not pregnant.   Elevated progesterone will also be seen in false pregnancies (hydrometra), a collection of pus in the uterus (Pyometra), mummified fetuses and still births.

-Farm-side Elisa tests for cows also work well for goats.

-PSPB (pregnancy-specific protein B) can be used after day 24 post breeding. Greater than 1.0 mg. indicates pregnancy, less than 1.0 not pregnant. Hydrometria will show no level. Can be elevated for a substantial time, so it should be used in conjunction with an ultrasound if you suspect an abortion. (Haskell, Caprine and Cervidae Reproduction) See also Smith at page 414 for a table summarizing pregnancy diagnosis techniques for goats.

BioPryn pregnancy testing (BioTracking LLC)
26 days (or more) after breeding

Requires 2-4 cc whole blood in a red-topped vacuum tube, using a new needle and tube per sample.

Mail without ice

Report can be mailed, faxed, E-mailed

Over 95% accurate

$7.50 per sample (2007 price) plus the cost of the sample tube, needle and shipping costs..

Bio-Tracking LLC, 1150 Altura Drive, Suite #105, Moscow, Idaho 83843

Toll free: (866) 876-9736

Phone: (208) 882-9736

Cell Phone: (208) 596-9220

Website: www.biotracking.com

E-mail: Biotracking@turbonet.com

(Nickel, Breeding Older Does...p.18)

Ultrasound

Amplitude depth ultrasound: this method is unsatisfactory for goats (Haskell, Reproduction...)

Doppler: You can detect fetal heart beat on rectal exam 35 days post breeding. Fetal heartbeat can be detected through the abdomen after 45 days. (Haskell, Reproduction...)

Real time ultrasound: If you use an equine linear array unit with 5 mHz transducer, embryo can be detected rectally 25 days post breeding, or abdominally later in the pregnancy. (Haskell, Reproduction...)

Also see “ultrasounds” in this section of the website for more detailed instructions.)

X-rays

X-rays can be used after day 65 of the pregnancy, but the best picture can be seen at days 90 post breeding. This method is not recommended as it is very expensive, and field x-ray units are not able to penetrate the abdomen sufficiently to get a good picture, so false negative results are common.   (Haskell, Caprine and Cervidae Reproduction)

Signs of pregnancy

-Absence of heat: After you have bred a doe, check her again after 18-24 days. If she is showing signs of heat then she is not pregnant and needs to be bred again. If she shows no signs of heat, then you can assume she may be bred. (Belanger, 92)

-Increased elasticity of the skin around the vulva and pin bones is an indication of pregnancy.

-An enlarging abdomen can be a sign of pregnancy. (Smith, 414-415, 432)

-A slight enlargement and smoothing of the wrinkles that normally are around the vulva is a sign of pregnancy

(Smith, 414-415, 432)

-Development of an udder is not proof of pregnancy, even in young yearlings. (Smith, 414-415, 432)

Links:

Development of the Fetus (with drawings) http://www.bouncinghoofs.com/fetusdev.html

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