Heat Cycle
A doe's heat cycle is approximately every 18-21 days .
It can last 6 hours up to 3 days depending on the doe.
This is a video of one of our goats giving birth
Signs of Heat
(A doe may exhibit any, all, or none of these signs)
"Flagging" (wagging) her tail.
Mounting other does.
Letting other does mount her.
Fighting
Letting herself get beat up without defending herself.
Having a "crush" on another doe.
No interest in feed.
Swollen and/or pink rear end.
Mucous discharge from her vagina
Her side tail hair is wet and/or clumped together.
Yelling for no reason.
To Bred or not to Bred
Do not bred your doe or buck for that matter if they are un-healthy or underweight. Make sure their feet are in good condition and can hold up for the job:-)
Gestation Time
145-155 days
Count 150 days from when the doe was bred and prepare for kids at least week before.
"Be prepared for kids at least a week before due date"
Be Prepared!
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Rubber gloves = both long and short
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Blow dryer for winter kidding
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Plastic bottle and Nipple
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Small syringe = For feeding if needed
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Glass Jar = Incase you need to milk the mother
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Wormer = To be used on the mother within 24 hours after kidding. The Sooner the Better!
Don't forget
to have your stalls ready. They should be CLEAN and safe for new borns. If your goats will be kidding in the winter months make sure you have heat lamps to keep the kids warm. DO NOT put a heat lamp in a large area and expect the mother to go close to it with her kid. You need to remember the mother is NOT cold, But your kid will be.
You can make a little heat hut out of a 55 gal. plastic drum by cutting a opening for the kid to get in and drill a hole in the top to put the wiring of your heat lamp through.
I will post pictures of one as soon as I get mine done.
You have Kids, Now what do I do?
* If your kid was born out doors in cold weather quickly move them in a clean stall with fresh food and water.
* After mom is done cleaning, be sure to Iodine the navel to prevent infection. It can also be trimmed to 1 inch.
* I would also suggest you give them some Nutra-Drench or Kid Kare for temporary energy.
* Be sure to check the mothers teats for milk. They may be plugged !
* Make sure your new kids nurse ! If they have not nursed after the first hour try to help them out. You do not want to take on the role of a new mommy if you don't have to.
* If you can not get the kid to nurse after trying your hardest. You will then need to milk the mother to get her colostrum.
* You can feed the colostrum with a bottle or drench with a syringe.
What do I tattoo in my goats ears?
Left & right is determined by standing behind the animal; in the right ear, you tattoo your herd prefix. In the left ear you tattoo the birth year letter code followed by a herd number assigned by you (Mine is C72). (for example: the animal was born in 2007 tattoos would be: right ear = C72 left ear = W01)
The year that the animal was born has a letter assigned to it. They are =
1995-G 1996-H 1997-J 1998-K 1999-L 2000-M 2001-N 2002-P 2003-R 2004-S
2005-T 2006-V 2007-W 2008-X 2009-Y 2010-Z
(The letters I, O, Q, and U are not to be used.)
