Because of their small size and stature, diary and meat goats are becoming quite popular. You can raise quite a few goats even if you only have a few acres. They also don’t eat as much as some other livestock.
For this reason, more and more farmers are starting a breeding program. However, you have to do it correctly, in order to make money. Here are some more tips to have a successful goat breeding program.
- Age is not as important as a doe’s weight when it comes to breeding. Though in most breeding programs, you have to wait until the female animal is a certain age, this does not apply to goats. Instead, you want them to weigh at least eighty pounds at the time of breeding. This can occur as early as eight months of age.
- If your goats only breed seasonally, you are going to have to watch their weight at the beginning of the breeding season. You may want to adjust their feed so that they are ready to be bred!
- Does come into heat every eighteen to twenty-one days, starting in August. Some does will only be in heat for a few hours, though others can last a few days. You need to monitor your does closely to ensure that you breed them at the right time. You may notice that she is interested in your buck, though you may also see some discharge or wet hair at her back end. You may also notice her tail flagging or even yelling more than normal.
- Some people prefer to stagger their breeding. If they only have one or two does due at a time, you will know who to monitor and when. You also don’t have to worry about everyone being in labor at the same time, which could get messy if they all need help.
- While others prefer them close together. If you have all of your kids at once, you will spend a few days (or weeks) helping with birthing. If they are spread out, you may lose sleep for several months. Another perk is that there are plenty of kids to play together.
Many farmers start working with goats as they venture into livestock. However, you need to know a few things before you get started. Age doesn’t matter when it comes to breeding does. However, it is important to make sure that they are at least eighty pounds. Then, you need to decide if you want to breed all your does at once or if you want to stagger them out!
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