Getting healthy offspring from goats largely depends on the timing of mating. The optimal period for mating is 2.5-3 months after lambing. The strongest young are those that the female gives birth to in January-February. But what to do if the pet does not show any desire for covering? Let's look at how you can stimulate a goat to hunt using medications or folk methods.
When does the hunt usually start?
As a rule, 10-15 days after lambing the animal begins to go into heat. Then the cycle becomes longer and lasts 25 days.The first months after giving birth, the female does not mate. She must get stronger and recover, this is the only way to get healthy offspring.
The breeder, knowing his pet, decides when to inseminate the animal and how much time the goat needs to gain strength.
When is stimulation required?
It happens that the owner does not observe signs of hunting for a long time. 4 factors that explain the lack of desire to mate in a pet:
- Daylight hours are too short. In the room where goats are kept, it is necessary to install artificial lighting. Daylight hours should be at least 12 hours.
- Hidden hunt. To find out if the animal is walking around in a hidden form, you should bring them together with a goat. If the female does not run away and sniffs the “groom”, it is necessary to allow the male to cover her.
- Obesity. If the pet's ribs cannot be felt and there is a suspicion that the animal is overweight, it is necessary to reconsider the pet's diet.
- Pregnancy. Perhaps the breeder missed the moment of hunting, and the male covered the goat. If the veterinarian confirms pregnancy, the animal is transferred to the category of “future mother” and requires different feeding and care.
If none of the above factors are confirmed, the owner will have to artificially induce heat.
How to induce heat in a goat
When a pet has no desire to mate for a long time, it can be provoked.
Medication method
To induce heat in goats, hormonal agents containing progesterone are used. The drug acts on the egg, and the goat is forced into heat.Medicines that help induce the desire to mate:
- "Estrophan." It is administered intramuscularly 2 times a day, the average dose is 0.7 ml. As soon as the breeder sees signs of estrus, the animal should be impregnated immediately. If the attempt to induce heat is unsuccessful, the injections must be repeated after 10 days.
- "Progesterone". Placed intramuscularly every 2 days (3-4 injections). Goats that are in heat are covered twice. If estrus has not begun, the procedure is repeated after 16 days. Synthetic progestogens are administered orally or intravaginally.
- "Surfagon". To initiate ovulation, the pet is injected intramuscularly with 1-10 mcg of the drug. The female is covered twice, every 12 hours. The tool can also be used to synchronize hunting.
The dosage of medications is prescribed by a veterinarian, focusing on the age and body weight of the animal. It must be remembered that hormonal drugs cause miscarriage in a pregnant goat.
Without the use of medications
Before resorting to medications, veterinarians recommend trying more natural methods:
- it is necessary to examine the animal to ensure its health. If sexually transmitted infections are detected or parasites are found, treatment should be started immediately;
- you need to reconsider the animal’s diet, diversify it with vitamins, grains (barley, oats, wheat), flax and soy;
- you should rub a piece of hay on the male, and then feed this dried grass to the goat;
- some owners resort to forced mating. Sometimes this method results in the goat awakening to desire.
Quite often, these recommendations lead to the resumption of estrus. Goats conceive and produce healthy offspring.
Synchronization of the reproductive cycle in animals
Sexual activity in goats occurs at a certain time of the year - in the fall. Farms, in order to reduce economic and management costs, inseminate the entire herd at the same time. It is possible to achieve coordination of hunting if the parallel sexual cycle technique is used.
Today, breeders practice 2 methods of synchronization:
- The use of progestogen drugs that help smooth out the sexual cycle. After cessation of therapy, the animals simultaneously come into heat.
- Luteolysis of the corpus luteum in the ovaries occurs as a result of the use of prostaglandins. Which also leads to mass hunting of goats.
Both methods show good results. Females become pregnant at the same time; they kitten en masse, making caring for the young easier.
