Reproduction

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)  (Note: Always check with your veterinarian before giving any medications)

 Links

 Infectious Reproductive Diseases Of Small Ruminants http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/factsheet/AH_Sheep_19.pdf

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. 

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

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

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.

Table Summarized from http://www.goats4h.com/pigman.html, and from personal interviews with experienced producers.

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)

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

1. Face the back end of the goat.
   
2. Place your hand flat on the goat’s back so your fingertips touch the tail.
   
3. Spread your index and middle fingers apart in a “v” shape. 
   
4. Rub back and forth and feel the “cords” under the skin.  (See red line in diagram.)  They are about a 1/4” in diameter. 
   
5. (If you know what that area feels like normally, you will be able to tell when the doe is close to kidding, so feel this area in a goat that is not close to delivery so you know the difference.)
6. When the cords loosen and begin to sag, the doe will normally deliver within 24 hours.  
7. 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.

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.

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

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)

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)

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.

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" (adding supplement to increase nutrition prior to and just after breeding to increase kidding rate) is not necessary if the doe has 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)

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!

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

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

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)

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)

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.  

(Summarized from Mangelsdorf, p.23)

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

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

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)

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)

• 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)

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

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

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.)

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)

• 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)

-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 www.biotracking.com

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)