How long does it take for a goat to walk after lambing and signs of hunting
The willingness to mate in goats is called estrus or, in the language of goat breeders, hunting. Goats are ready to breed all year round. The hunting period begins once a month and lasts from one to three days. Farmers are planning to breed livestock to increase the amount of meat and preserve milk yield. In this they are helped by knowing the signs of estrus, at what age the goat comes into the hunt for the first time and how long after lambing.
How long after lambing a goat comes to hunt
Hunting frequency is every 18-21 days. After childbirth, a new cycle begins on the 15th day. In goat breeding, it is customary to stand for 3 months before mating again. The goat's body needs to recover after giving birth. If pregnancies follow one after another, the kids are born weaker each time. Also, with early pregnancy, the likelihood of premature fetal release and problems with reproductive organs is higher.
Frequent mating is practiced in meat goat breeding, when an increase in the number of individuals depends on an increase in production and profits. When raising dairy cattle, there is no need to rapidly increase the number of livestock. It is more important to keep milk yield.
Since succumbing females are left without milk for two months, frequent pregnancies are not economically viable. Farmers do not start goats until they are sure they are fertile. Hunting is one of the signs of not being pregnant.
How to know if a goat wants a goat
Goat puberty occurs in the seventh to eighth month of life. But with early mating, the risk of fetal loss is high. Therefore, 1.5 years is considered the optimal age for reproduction. Dairy goats, which brought their first offspring at 2 years old, give less milk yield than those that gave birth at an early age. Therefore, with dairy breeding, it is better not to delay with the first mating.
Timing and signs of hunting in young animals
Females come to hunt for the first time in the fall. Pregnancy lasts 5 months, so the kids will be 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 laid.
Whether to admit a young goat to the goat is determined by the complexion of its body. Pregnancy and childbirth will be successful if the female's weight is over thirty kilograms. With a lack of mass, it is better to postpone mating. Lack of weight can 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 flapping of the tail;
- refusal of food.
The fact that the goat has come to hunt can be understood by restless behavior, loud bleating, squatting on its hind legs. The animal becomes aggressive, breaks the doors of corrals and sheds.
Also, the female sniffs, trying to smell the goat's smell. At the base of the horns of males are glands that secrete attracting pheromones. During estrus, goats should be monitored while walking so that they do not jump over the fence and run away in pursuit of an attractive smell.
Features of the manifestation of estrus
Sometimes the female does not show obvious signs of hunting. To determine her mood, she is stroked with the palm of her back. If the goat waves its tail in response, then it is ready for mating. Most often, goat breeders note the violent behavior of pets during the hunt and easily recognize it. Symptoms disappear immediately after mating, and a contrast in behavior is noticeable. They become calm, don't bleat and eat again.
It is important not to miss the short hunting period. Sometimes breeders let goat to goat too late. If the moment is missed, the female sniffs the goat, but does not let it approach her. Also, experienced goat breeders note a change in the mood of goats at different times of the day. In the morning, the female may not be given, but in the evening it turns out that she has come to hunt.
How many days does it walk
The stream lasts at least 12-24 hours. Average duration is 48 hours. The hunt can also take up to 76 hours. The duration depends on the individual characteristics of the goat's organism. The cycle can be calculated according to the calendar. But goat breeders are more likely to rely on behavioral traits.
The most pronounced hunting periods are from September to February. Since April, animal instinct subsides. There can be a lull in the summertime, and from September the time is right for coverage again. The most favorable months are October, November and December.
On goat farms, 15 percent of females can simultaneously show desire for mating every day. Periods of mass excitement give way to lulls. In large farms with large livestock, they regulate and stimulate the onset of heat so that the goats come to hunt at different times.
Stimulating hunting in goats
The desire for mating is aroused in females by artificial and natural means.
Artificial
The flow is stimulated by the introduction of drugs with progesterone into the vagina. The hormone accelerates the maturation and release of eggs.
Progesterone accelerates sexual maturity in animals with a delay in the development of the reproductive system. The drug is impregnated with a cotton swab, which is placed in the vagina.
Before the procedure, it is important to make sure that the goat is not succulent. High levels of the hormone in the body will lead to fetal loss.
The following drugs are also used to stimulate hunting:
| Name | Description | Features: |
| "Estrofan" | A synthetic analogue of the prostaglandin cloprostenol, accelerates the resorption of the yellow bodies of the ovaries. | During the day after the introduction of the drug, animals cannot be slaughtered, the quality of milk does not change. |
| Enzaprost | The drug also belongs to synthetic prostaglandins, contains the substance dinaprost, stimulates ovulation, and is indicated for latent estrus. | Before the introduction, you need to check the animal for pregnancy, since the active substance contributes to the abortion of the fetus. |
| "Clatraprostin" | Domestic hormonal prostaglandin drug, which is effective along with imported drugs. | Allows you to reduce the financial costs of processing animals. |
To heat goats at the same time, a complex of hormones is used:
- progesterone and follimag;
- progestogen and serum gonadotropin (PMSG).
On dairy farms, hormones are used to regulate estrus so that goats do not come into heat at the same time. Otherwise, farmers will be left without milk for two months, and a lot of space for newborn kids will also be required. The dosage is calculated by the veterinarian individually according to the body weight and age of the animal.
In addition to hormones, the homeopathic remedy "Ovariovit" is used. Solution for injection is indicated for dysfunction of the ovaries, and also reduces the frequency of false pregnancies.
Also, animals are injected with vitamin preparations. The solution "Tetravit" contains vitamins A, E, D3 and F. The drug is indicated for stress, after pregnancy, slow growth and weight gain, as well as in violation of reproductive function.
Natural
A young seven-month-old goat that does not come to hunt is taken for a walk with a goat. Animals walk under the supervision of the owner. During the walk, the female will smell pheromones. The effect will not come instantly, but after a while. A popular way to call and check readiness for hunting is to rub a rag or hay on the base of the goat's horns and let the goat smell. The hunt is called by means of food. The diet is adjusted a month before the expected estrus, more cereals are added - wheat, barley, oats.
Why does not heat come
Goats do not show the desire to mate under the influence of physiological and external factors.
Physiological causes
Hunting does not come due to deviations in the sexual cycle. As a result, the period does not pass completely.
For violations, three incomplete cycles are distinguished:
- anestral - mucus is not secreted;
- alibid - there is no desire;
- anovulatory - the egg is not formed.
In the anestral cycle, the female has no vaginal discharge, but behavioral signs are present. The alibid cycle begins without showing hunting, although the female is ready to cover. The anovulatory cycle is the most difficult to recognize, since in the presence of all the signs of heat, after covering, there is no fatality. There are also mixed forms of incomplete cycles. Other physiological reasons for not being in heat include:
- Succulence - the female does not come to hunt because she is already pregnant. Before puberty, kids of different sexes are kept together. Someone has it sooner or later. Coating is often due to the farmer's oversight;
- diseases and postpartum complications - entry into the hunt is postponed due to delayed placenta, endometritis, parasite infestation;
- high weight - obesity reduces the ability to conceive and bear kids. In the diet of a goat, you should reduce the proportion of carbohydrates and fats, give more foods with fiber - hay and branches. Also, animals need to drink more water and move.
Obesity is the reason for the lack of hunting in non-giving birth goats and those that have not been covered for a long time.
External factors
The goat does not come hunting on time for the following reasons:
- lack of lighting - if animals live in a semi-dark barn, they lose their hunt. You need to hang additional lamps indoors;
- climate - the onset of the hunt is prevented by prolonged cloudy weather and constant heat;
- improper diet - phosphorus affects the sexual function of goats. With a lack of a trace element, their reproductive ability decreases.
The goat also does not show heat due to delayed puberty. To determine maturity, an experiment is performed with a goat. The male is brought to the female. If he does not respond, then the goat is not yet ready for mating. The goat instinct cannot be fooled, which is why goat breeders find this test method reliable.
