Mating goats: signs of heat in a goat

Reproductive function plays an important role in the life of any animal. The key to healthy offspring is successful mating. Usually, but not always, this process occurs at the level of instincts. As a result, the population increases. For goat mating to be successful, owners need to understand the intricacies of this process in order to prevent failure in a timely manner.

The goat is ready to mate

Goats grow quickly. Already at the age of 7-9 months, puberty begins, but it is not recommended to send such an animal for mating. The female is still growing, pregnancy and childbirth will be an unbearable burden on the young body. The body will spend nutrients not only on its development, but also on the growth of the fetus. In this case, the goat itself will be underdeveloped, and the kid will be born frail and sick. Such offspring are often stunted. If the female belongs to a dairy breed, then she will not give the productivity that the breeders intended in her.

The optimal age for mating in a goat is considered to be 1.5 years. By this time, she should gain 32-40 kg of weight. The body will be formed and strong enough to bear healthy offspring. Typically, hunting for goats begins in late autumn, when the length of daylight hours decreases. To be more precise, 10 weeks after the longest day of the year.

The bulk of females go into heat from September to March. This is determined by evolution because the offspring will be produced in the spring. At this time, with an abundance of feed, the kids will be easier to feed. But about 5% of goats are ready to mate 2 months earlier or later than most animals. This depends on plenty of feeding. If the owners want to receive goat milk in winter, then spring and summer mating is necessary.

Important! The sexual cycle lasts 3 weeks. On average, it lasts from 8 to 24 days, although the timing is individual for each animal. Estrus can last several hours or several days.

First signs and duration of the hunt

An owner who cares for his pets must be able to understand the issue of sexual hunting. To do this, first of all, he needs to study the signs that help him understand that the animal is in heat.

So, let's look at the first signs:

The female's genitals are visible to the naked eye; they swell slightly, changing shade from pink to rich red;
The goat's behavior also changes: it becomes somewhat aggressive and restless. She may also become susceptible to various diseases;
The female begins to smell a lot, so she looks for a male;
The goat bleats and wags its tail non-stop;
Her appetite disappears or worsens;
When you put your hand on the female’s back, she crouches;
Various substances are released from the reproductive system (at first liquid, later they become thicker). This sign often indicates that the hunt has begun.

Important! The sexual cycle lasts approximately 21 days (deviations from 17 to 23 days are acceptable). The hunt takes approximately 36 hours.

When the mating season begins, the cycle is shorter, especially in young animals. Sometimes the interval between estrus is only 5-6 days, but the period may be extended - up to 6 weeks.

The regularity of the cycle is influenced by proper nutrition with the right amount of vitamins and minerals.

Signs of heat in goats

The reproductive period of these animals lasts from 3 to 9 years. The duration depends on the health, characteristics of the body, and conditions of detention. Sometimes estrus occurs at a later age, but it makes no sense to mate such animals.

Old goats will not be able to cope with bearing offspring, nor will they be able to give birth to strong kids. The offspring of goats are not very healthy, and from old goats they will be even worse. Goats do not have maternal instincts; they only feed their kids. All care for the newborns is taken over by the owner of the animals; this will complicate the care of weak offspring.

The main signs of hunting in females:

the external genitalia swell and turn red;
loss of interest in food;
restless behavior;
showing interest in the goat;
tail flickering;
bleats loudly;
transparent discharge appears on the genitals.

If you stroke the goat on the back at this time, it will arch its back and sit down. At such times, the manufacturer can be allowed for mating. The goat will not resist, the mating will be effective.

Usually the male covers several goats at the same time. To ensure that they come into heat synchronously, medications are used. The hormonal agents Progesterone, Estrofan, Enzaprost and others stimulate the process. After examining the animals, the veterinarian prescribes and administers medications. Animal owners can stimulate goats with the scent of a male. To do this, rub a rag near the base of the horns. Scent glands are located in this place. The aroma will enhance signs of desire.

How to tell if a goat wants a goat

Puberty of goats occurs in the seventh or eighth month of life. But with early mating there is a high risk of fetal loss. Therefore, the optimal age for reproduction is considered to be 1.5 years. Dairy goats that gave birth to their first offspring at 2 years of age produce less milk than those that gave birth at an early age. Therefore, when breeding with milk, it is better not to delay the first mating.

Timing and signs of heat in young animals

Females come into heat for the first time in the fall. Pregnancy lasts 5 months, so the kids are born in March or April. In nature, green grass is supposed to appear at this time. Therefore, the beginning of hunting in October or November is genetically determined.

Whether a young goat is allowed near a male goat is determined by her body composition. Pregnancy and childbirth will be successful if the female weighs more than thirty kilograms. If there is a lack of weight, it is better to postpone mating. Underweight may also mean that the female is not sexually mature.

External and behavioral signs of a goat’s readiness for mating:

redness and swelling of the loop;
discharge from the genitals;
active tail flapping;
refusal of food.

The fact that the goat is in heat can be understood by its restless behavior, loud bleating, and squatting on its hind legs. The animal becomes aggressive and breaks the doors of pens and sheds.

The female also sniffs, trying to smell the odor of the goat. At the base of the males' horns are glands that secrete attractive pheromones. During the heat period, goats need to be monitored while walking so that they do not jump over the fence and run away in pursuit of an attractive scent.

Features of the manifestation of estrus

Sometimes the female does not show obvious signs of hunting. To determine the mood, they stroke her back with a palm. If the goat wags its tail in response, it means it is ready for mating. More often, goat breeders note the violent behavior of their pets during the hunting period and easily recognize it. Symptoms disappear immediately after mating, and a noticeable contrast in the behavior of the animals. They become calm, don't vomit and eat again.

It is important not to miss the short hunting period. Sometimes breeders introduce a goat too late. If the moment is missed, the female sniffs the goat, but does not allow it to approach her. Experienced goat breeders also note the change in mood of goats at different times of the day. In the morning the female may not give in, but in the evening it turns out that she is in heat.

Choosing a male to mate with

A young and strong male must be chosen for a high-quality and effective mating. If the goat will participate in the process for the first time, then you need to choose a calm goat for her who has experience in fertilization.

Indicators of the quality characteristics of a male are the following:

good physical health;
age from 1.5 to 5 years;
the head is small but strong;
good content;
the beard is thick and short;
the back of the body has good muscles;
wide back and chest;
the wool is thick;
origin from healthy parents.

Manufacturers with a pronounced pungent odor are not suitable.

Preparing the male for mating

The male is ready to mate at the age of 6 months. But it is impossible at such an early age with the number of goats, since the offspring may be born weak. In the first year it can cover no more than 40 goats. In the second year, a goat can cover 80 females, and in the 5th-6th year - no more than 50. At the age of 7-8 years, the male is already culled. But it can be left if it has high quality seed material.

To obtain a positive result, the male must be prepared for mating. The animal must be shown to a veterinarian to identify hereditary and infectious diseases. If pathologies are detected, appropriate treatment is carried out. To strengthen the animal's immunity, vitamins are prescribed in the form of injections or solutions. For 2-3 months before mating, you need to carefully monitor the sire's diet. The animal should receive a balanced diet, enhanced with vitamins, minerals, and nutrients.

Usually the goat is well-fed, well-groomed, with good quality wool. But by the breeding period (late autumn), the goat begins to show anxiety, loses appetite, and loses weight significantly. To control unwanted insemination, bucks are separated from female goats in late summer. To do this, the males should be protected with a strong fence, because an excited animal easily breaks barriers.

If the animal is too fat, this can negatively affect fertilization. His diet is changed and he is switched to a diet menu with an increased content of roughage. When a breeder is too thin, this may indicate worms in the body. It is necessary to collect excrement and send it to the veterinarian for tests. It is necessary to examine the animal for the presence of external parasites. Feel the skin in the foreskin area. A healthy goat cannot be in pain. The testes should be hard and painless.

The male must live in a clean room. Cleaning should be done once a week. Change the litter every 3-5 days. The breeding male must also be clean. All dirt from the fur must be combed out with a special brush. Every month you should wipe your back and sides with a damp cloth. If it’s cold outside, then this procedure must be done in a dry, warm barn.

Important! When choosing a partner for a goat, you need to take into account his positive results in previous matings.

During preparation for mating, goats are checked for sperm quality. Sometimes young breeders who are allowed to see females for the first time are inactive. In such cases, they are separated into a separate herd and trained to be mounted on an artificial vagina.

Preparing goats for mating

Males enter sexual maturity at 6 months. However, they are allowed to mate no earlier than 1 year. If mating is too early, there is a risk of deterioration in the development and health of the goats. The cubs in this case will be weak. For covering it is permissible to use males up to 6 years old. Sometimes eight-year-old animals are also used. It is recommended to prepare breeders for mating 1.5 months in advance. To do this, it is important to introduce high-quality feed into the diet. The animal must eat intensively. Its menu should contain a sufficient amount of proteins, vitamins and microelements.

Types of mating

There are three different types of animal mating:

manual mating;
free;
harem

Manual mating is carried out under the supervision of the owner. The goat is placed in a special pen and tied. A male is allowed to approach her. For high-quality insemination, 1-2 cages are enough. If the goat comes into heat again, mating occurs after 5-6 hours. This is a convenient option if there are only 1-2 goats on the farm, there is no need to keep a goat for them.

During free mating, goats and the sire are kept together throughout the entire breeding period, that is, 2-3 months. Mating occurs naturally. The goat independently chooses females and during this time covers everyone. This is a simple and low-cost method. The owner does not need to calculate when the goat's hunting season begins. But at the same time, the male is used ineffectively, and difficulties arise in recording.

Harem mating involves keeping one sire with a group of 25-30 females. After the end of the breeding period, the male is separated from the females. If this is not done, the quality of goat milk will greatly deteriorate. As a result of frequent mating, the number of sperm in the seminal fluid decreases. For this reason, some goats may not be fertilized. To prevent early exhaustion of the breeding goat, it is necessary to give it rest.

It is possible to fertilize a female artificially. In this case, the seed material obtained from the breeding goat is injected using a special syringe into the goat’s cervix. The procedure is performed by a veterinarian at home. This type of insemination is carried out in the presence of physiological characteristics that make other mating options impossible. The goat may be intolerant to natural mating or during the hunt it was not possible to find a sire.

This is an ideal insemination option because you can select the best breeding bucks with excellent qualities and characteristics. There are several goat seed banks in Russia, for example, at the Institute of Gene Biology of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow.

When, after several inseminations, the goat does not become pregnant in full health, then it is necessary to change the method of fertilization. Some goat breeds fertilize well with natural insemination, while others are suitable for artificial insemination.

Choosing a partner

If the farm does not have the task of obtaining breeding young animals, then the breed of the goats does not matter. The animal must be healthy - this is the main criterion. Males are ready to breed effectively at the age of 6 months, but it is advisable to allow them to mate no earlier than 8 months.

To obtain purebred kids, a male is selected that meets the following requirements:

be unrelated to the female (inbreeding is allowed in goat breeding, but only on the recommendation of a specialist);
have ancestors with high milk qualities;
be verified by offspring (have adult daughters with good milk yield).

In dairy goat breeding, it is for the amount of milk in the offspring. Therefore, the goat must exceed or be no lower than the female goat in terms of milk production from the mother and grandmothers.

Dutch mating method

In the Netherlands, technology is spreading widely to ensure a consistent supply of goat's milk to consumers. This is a method of intensive exploitation of dairy goats without artificial insemination. Every year, females are selected from the entire herd and planned for fertilization. This is 30% of the total livestock. The percentage is calculated based on the internal need for offspring and external requests. Young females are added to this group and will have their first coat. Everyone is released for harem mating, which is carried out once a year, in rare cases 2 times, from September to the end of the year.

This method allows for sustainable development of the production of goat milk and products made from it. In our country, seasonal, that is, natural mating is common. As a result, milk production occurs unevenly throughout the year. For this reason, it is difficult for farmers to establish long-term cooperation with retail chains.

Signs and how to identify

It is believed that a goat that has reached a weight of about 32 kg is already ready for fertilization and is capable of bearing offspring. This occurs at approximately 7–9 months of age.

There are a number of signs by which you can unmistakably understand that the time has come for an animal to mate:

deterioration or loss of appetite;

manifestations of anxiety, attacks of aggression;

the animal bleats and wags its tail;
the genitals become swollen and red;
discharge appears, initially liquid, and later thicker;
If you put your hand on the back of a goat, it will crouch.

Waiting for offspring

If mating is successful, the female will bear offspring in five months. If mating is unsuccessful, you can repeat it after 3 weeks when the female enters heat again. Pregnancy in a goat can be determined by the following signs:

increased appetite in the goat;
absence of estrus 21 days after mating;
udder swelling;
restrained behavior of the animal, lack of jumping, frisky games;
instinctive protection of the fetus (when the stomach is touched, it presses it in and tries to move away).

To determine the condition of the goat, monitor pregnancy, prescribe vitamin supplements, and maintain the health of the animal and fetus, you must contact a veterinarian.

A goat may experience a false pregnancy. This condition is difficult to distinguish independently from a real pregnancy. False pregnancy is not considered a disease. Characteristic signs are an enlarged abdomen and udder. Even the birth process begins, but the result will not be the appearance of a fetus, but the splashing out of water. The condition can be determined using laboratory methods, using ultrasound examination of the animal.

It is convenient to control the reproductive processes in the herd to record all actions in this direction, to keep a kind of diary. Be sure to note the frequency of estrus, their regularity, mating, the frequency of hunting, and the timing of pregnancy. It is impossible to remember all this, especially if there are many animals on the farm. With the right approach, the health of any goat will be in good condition.

Disadvantages of early mating

Experts do not recommend covering a goat until it is 12–14 months old. Until this time, the animal’s body is not yet fully formed; the phase of active growth continues. The onset of lactation not only slows down growth, but also negatively affects health.

Early mating leads not only to a weakened immune system, but also to the fact that the animals do not reach the height corresponding to the breed standard. In addition, slower udder formation was noted, which cannot but affect milk production.

However, every rule has its exceptions. In some cases, the coating previously did not have a serious impact on the health and growth of the animal in the future, however, no one can predict what will happen and how.

Experts note that it is possible to cover goats even one year old, if the female is of good height and weighs at least 35 kg. Most often, the animal reaches the necessary parameters closer to spring, when females are not hunting, and therefore have to wait for the onset of autumn.

Early mating of goats can harm the animal

Lack of hunting

The absence of hunting in a goat indicates a disruption in the functioning of its reproductive system. There are several reasons for this:

Reproduction of parasites on the genitals. The veterinarian can prescribe a specific treatment that will quickly relieve the animal of the problem.
Poor nutrition. Deficiency of copper, phosphorus, magnesium leads to absence of estrus. Excessive vitamin A content in feed leads to delayed egg release. This is why the animal must have a balanced diet.
Exhaustion. The body is unable to bear healthy offspring.
Obesity. This condition leads to a deficiency of sex hormones, which makes ovulation impossible.
Genetic anomaly. Such an animal is culled.
Various diseases. If the body is weakened, hunting may be absent for several months until strength is restored.

Goats that have recently given birth should be closely monitored. They come into heat 3 weeks after birth. Usually the owners do not allow producers to come to them so quickly. Females quickly calm down. Other times the desire comes after 5-7 months. By this time, their body will have recovered.

To identify the reason for the lack of hunting, you need to seek help from a veterinarian. It is necessary to undergo tests to prescribe treatment. At the age of 9 years and older, females are no longer ready to go into heat.

Goat Covering

There are several methods for covering goats. Each of them has certain characteristics.

Free method

This method involves placing a goat with females for the entire season. In this case, natural mating is observed. The male independently finds a female in a state of hunting in order to cover her. When using the freestyle method, there are no unfertilized goats left. The goat chooses females one by one until he has covered everyone.

Free mating has many advantages. The only disadvantage is the risk of severe exhaustion of the goat. Therefore, it is recommended to periodically transfer him to another room for rest. The manufacturer usually needs 8-10 hours to recuperate.

Harem

With this method, the stud buck must be placed in a herd of 20-30 females that are in heat. Thanks to this, it will gradually cover them. However, this method is not particularly popular among farmers. This is due to the fact that the goat quickly loses its sexual potential.

Manual

It is best when animals mate under the control of the farmer. The owner will be able to notice if something goes wrong and help the animal. For the first time, it is advisable to seek help from a veterinarian.

To perform manual pairing, it is recommended to do the following:

Wash the animal, paying attention to the genitals. They can additionally be disinfected. This helps to avoid the risk of infection of the fetus.
Move animals to a separate room. In this case, it is recommended to fix the female in the pen. The male should be brought up to her from behind and ensure that he covers the goat. It is important that the goat gives a few good kicks. Finally, the female should hunch over. If this does not happen, a second coating should be carried out after half an hour.
After mating, separate the animals into different rooms. At the same time, the goat must be closely monitored to determine the onset of pregnancy.

Animal mating has a number of features. For the procedure to be successful, it is necessary to choose the method of its implementation wisely. Preparing pets for mating is of no small importance.