Goat hunting, also called estrus, depends on the sexual cycle and is an important factor for mating. A goat farmer needs to have an idea of ​​how to learn about the onset of this period, what to do if he does not come, and how to stimulate him.

How to determine

Find out also

Goat lamb: what to do Determine the onset of estrus in an animal is not difficult, because its behavior changes and differs significantly from everyday.

Signs of goat hunting are as follows:

• excited behavior, excessive activity;
• frequent bleating;
• refusal of food (does not always happen);
• seeking out the scent of a male, constant sniffing as a method of finding a goat;
• unusually frequent or constant tail movements;
• redness and enlargement of the labia;
• discharge from the vulva has a thick consistency and acquire a color that differs from the usual.

Did you know? Fertility of a goat depends on the breed. For example, Russian whites have a birth rate of 220–240%, and the Orenburg ones are prone to multiple births.

Frequency and duration of hunting

To determine how long and how often the hunt occurs, it is necessary to take into account the individual characteristics of the goat. The sexual cycle is important, which for each individual female has a different duration. It is believed that 18-24 days should normally pass between estruses.

It is also impossible to determine exactly how many days the hunt will last. Average values ​​range from 48 to 76 hours, but in some cases they can be reduced to 15-24 hours.

Important! The main indicators of estrus onset are the symptoms described above. If available, you can mate, even if the animal has the shortest hunting period.

When a goat goes hunting after lambing

After the birth of the kids, the mother is in a weakened state and needs to rest. The recovery period lasts up to 2 weeks. About 15 days after giving birth, the birth canal and genitals of the female are restored, and she again comes to the hunt.

If you do not mate at this moment, the animal’s reproductive cycle will recover for several more months. For the best indicators of both the goat and its offspring, mating is best done 2.5-3 months after birth.

Important! Insemination of the female in the short term after lambing can lead to the birth of unhealthy offspring and a violation of the viability of the mother goat.

Case

Insemination must be started immediately after determining the estrus in the female. Goat farmers resort to several methods of mating goats, which differ in the degree of intervention of the breeder and are divided into 4 main types:

1. Artificial. This method is characterized by introducing the male seed manually into the vagina.
2. Freestyle. Goats and goats mate in free conditions and choose each other themselves.
3. Harem. One farm contains a large number of females and one seedling that can cover several dozen females.
4. Manual The owner of the animals brings them together, fixing the goat with a special device.

In all cases, except artificial, where the participation of the insemination is not necessary, the process is the same. Smelling estrus, the goat approaches the goat from behind and jumps on it, after which their genitals come into copulation. After several movements, insemination occurs.

When preparing animals for mating, pay attention to the following recommendations:

• call a veterinarian for a physical examination of the female and male;
• Do not overload the goat, as the process may deplete it;
• do not make the goat succumb to insemination if it runs away from the male and behaves aggressively;
• avoid family ties;
• use your animals, and in case of contact with foreign breeders, conduct a thorough check;
• after mating, let the goat rest and re-let the female to mate.

Did you know? There is a variant of artificial coating of females using donor material. So, in Turkey, in order to preserve the appearance of Angora goats, a sperm bank was created.

What to do if there is no hunting

There are times when a breeder does not see signs of hunting for a long period. There are a number of reasons that may explain the lack of estrus.

These include the following:

1. Pregnancy. It is possible if the goat grower has missed the moment of hunting. After determining the succosis, it is necessary to change the care and tracking of the female. Read also
   
   Goat does not come to the hunt: treatment
2. Excess weight. If there is suspicion of overweight, you need to change the approach to feeding.
3. Hidden Hunt. To determine the latent form, you need to try to reduce the female and male. If the goat does not oppose insemination, you can try mating.
4. Short daylight hours. To solve the problem, the farmer can install artificial lighting in the room where the goat is kept, and extend its daylight hours to 12 hours a day. If the absence of estrus is not explained by any of the above reasons, the breeder needs to stimulate its onset.

   How to stimulate

   For stimulation, hormonal preparations containing progesterone are used.] Due to the effect of female hormone on the body, the eggs begin to develop and enter the phase necessary for fertilization. A drug-soaked swab is injected into the vulva. Important! Hormone therapy is contraindicated in pregnant goats, as it can lead to interruption of succosis.

   Goat hunting is determined by a simple way of analyzing the behavior of the animal. With the breeder’s correct approach to mating and observing sucrose, the female will conceive successfully and give birth to healthy offspring.