For productive insemination of goats, it is important not to miss the hunting stage and bring the insemination on time. But the lack of hunting for a long time can be a sign of improper keeping of animals or a symptom of possible diseases that need to be diagnosed.

When does hunting usually start?

The first signs of hunting in a goat appear with the onset of puberty. On average, this age is 5–8 months. The female’s readiness for fertilization depends on several factors:

• breed of animal;
• type of feeding;
• conditions of detention;
• climatic features;
• the presence or absence of a goat in the herd.

Despite the fact that the female can be covered at six months of age, it is not recommended to allow this to happen until the individual has matured physiologically - that is, until it has gained 80% of the weight laid on an adult animal. The desired age for the first mating is 12-14 months.

The development and growth of the egg cells in the female takes place all her life. Often, hunting occurs between September and December, which is very convenient for the birth of young animals. However, in general, goats are polycyclic animals, which means that hunting can occur regardless of the time of year.

Important! The period of hunting lasts for goats for 3 days. The behavior of the animal changes, the female bleats all the time, is anxious, eats poorly, and her genitals look swollen. If you touch the back of the goat during this period - it pushes the tail and squats.

Causes of the problem

If the goat does not show any signs of hunting, behaves aggressively towards the male and does not allow him to beat, then there may be several reasons for this. The female may not like the given male - these animals have a great sensitivity to pheromones. In this case, try to bring another goat and observe the behavior. It is desirable that young goats are covered by an older inseminator, and vice versa, young goats are brought to older females.

Improper diet is another likely cause. If the menu is not balanced, the goat does not receive the necessary trace elements, vitamins, this can lead to temporary infertility, the milk will become tasteless and watery. Particularly negatively affects the lack of magnesium. Review the diet of the animal and improve its quality, introduce mineral and vitamin supplements into the feed.

The next nuance is the microclimate. If the conditions of detention are unfavorable, climatic infertility occurs in the individual. And vice versa, if you create conditions for the animal with a stable microclimate, which will be the same all year round, the female will be ready for insemination at any time of the year.

Did you know? The specific smell of milk is inherent only to native goats. Dairy breeds do not give such a smell, their milk is very tasty, and when cooled, it has a smack of fresh hazelnut.

The most unpleasant reason why a goat does not have a hunt is disease:

• pathology of the ovaries, cyst;
• inflammation of the uterus, ovaries;
• hormonal disorders and metabolic disturbances;
• slow return of the uterus to a normal state after childbirth.

In the case of the last paragraph, it is recommended to skip 2 cycles of childbirth and allow the animal's body to grow stronger.

What to do if the goat does not come to the hunt

Having noticed a prolonged lack of readiness for mating, invite a veterinarian for a clinical examination of the animal. Ideally, it should be regular regardless of the condition of the goat - twice a year, a month and a half before mating and in the postpartum period.

A competent diagnosis will help to rule out or establish diseases and take the necessary measures in time. The doctor examines not only the external condition of the female, but also her reproductive organs with the help of a special vaginal mirror, conducts a blood test to detect hormonal failure, and takes smears for microscopic examinations.

Important! It is forbidden to have goats 2 times a year - pregnancy and childbirth greatly deplete the body. If this rule is neglected, the health of the female and young will be poor, there will be little milk, and as a result, the female can become infertile.

Medication method

In the event that the reason for the lack of hunting is an animal disease, the doctor should prescribe treatment. If the disease is cured or not confirmed, then there are 2 options for what needs to be done to make the goat ready for mating. One option is medications to increase potency.

Popular veterinary products today:

1. Solution "Estrofan", which is administered intramuscularly. Injection is done 1 time in 10 days. If you use the drug often, this will lead to the opposite effect, and it will be impossible to return the potency.
   

2. Homeopathy "Ovariovit", which does not have a side effect. Intramuscularly administered.
   

Step-by-step instructions for treatment with Ovariovit for an individual weighing 30 kg or more:

• 1st week - every day 2.5 ml of the drug;
• 2nd week - 1 time in 2 days, 2.5 ml each;
• 3rd week - 1 time in 3 days, 2.5 ml each;
• 4th week - 2 times a week, 2.5 ml.

Simultaneously with the medication method of increasing potency, balance the diet of the goat and monitor the temperature of the animal.

Did you know? During the Trypillian culture, people considered the Black Goat to be sacred, decorated the dishes with ornaments with these animals and depicted the circulation of the sun in the form of four goats.

Without the use of medication

In the absence of signs of estrus, if it is not associated with the disease according to the conclusion of the veterinarian, there are ways to awaken the hunt in a natural way without injections:

• put in a pen to the female goat for several days - usually signs of hunting appear after a couple of days;
• wipe the crushed hay from the sides of the goat skin and feed it to the female.

It is better not to use the free mating without the supervision of the owners, since you will not be able to control the number of females who have not walked. Accordingly, you will not be able to find out who and when has not had a hunt and when to wait. Uncontrolled mating also negatively affects the health of the inseminator.

You can resort to artificial insemination - the probability of successful insemination is high, and this does not affect the health of animals, including the fetus. If fertilization did not occur after artificial insemination, signs of hunting should appear after 25-30 days in the winter and 18 days in the fall.

Learn how to properly feed a goat in winter.

Follow the rules for feeding goats, provide them with good care and conditions, use vitamin complexes before starting the alleged mating. You can stimulate hunting with veterinary drugs, but abuse of them can not only negatively affect the female, but also overexcite the seedling, which in this state is useless.