Hi, A family I know has Nubians, Alpines, and Lamachias. They are ranged on grass and oak covered hills. July they all came in heat. In Dec. they all kidded out. One week after kidding, they are all in heat agin. What could be causeing them to do this???

-- Linda Hess (hesscat@cot.net), January 13, 2000

Answers

It does happen and there is nothing wrong with the goats. Some cycle year around but their heat cycling phase is primarily late summer through late winter. The does were bred at the beginning of their heat phase, kidded, then cycled again toward the end of the heat cycle phase.

-- Marci (ajourend@libby.org), January 13, 2000.

Ours would do this sometimes, and a much more experienced goat person told me that it was not a "real" heat, that only rarely would a doe get pregnant when she cycled so close to kidding. The "heat" was actually the result of the hormonal "soup" that is floating around in the doe's body right after giving birth. You wouldn't want to bred her then, anyway--quite aside from being hard on her body, having babies so close, there was the danger of infection from the buck. Her cervix and other reproductive parts would still be too open (or perhaps a bit raw), and more suseptable to germs. Keep the buck out of the doe pen for awhile--

-- Leann Banta (thelionandlamb@hotmail.com), January 15, 2000.

Thankyou for the information I think part of it all is the weather we have been having. We had 10 degrees in july. No wonder the goats thought it was fall! Well La Nina.

-- Linda Hess (hesscat@cot.net), January 16, 2000.

Linda, We routinly rebreed our brood does (does kept to produce kids and milk only, no showing) so that they kid at 8 month intervals. It does cut down on their milk production, just make sure and dry up the does when they are 100 days bred. Giving them 50 days in which to grow healthy colostrum for the next set. Does that kid in December here in Texas eaisly will cycle 4 to 6 weeks later to have a second kidding. We raise Nubians and LaManchas, feel free to E-mail me if I can help you with anything. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), January 17, 2000.

linda, hi! i agree that the weather is causing the does to cycle at odd times of the year. i raise nubians who are notorious for breeding out of cycle. but this year i had three kid in october!! prior to this year i have only had one doe who was determined to kid twice a year. now i have to be extra careful to keep the bucks away from the does. but my big buck climbed over the cattle panel-lined buck pen to breed the does. he has never done that before either!! so i have dried off the does,and will have april kids. i guess i should not complain about too many kids when some folks have trouble getting their goats to breed. have fun and hope you have lots of does karen

-- KAREN MAUK (DAIRYGOATMAMA@AOL.COM), January 26, 2000.