They dont have goats listed as a catagory, I am a new gaot owner and was wandering how often do they kid I thought it would be once a year. if so my gaot is due to come in heat in july however she is still in milk. ( has milk comeing out here ears ha ha ) will she need to be dried off before she will come in heat? Thanks Lisa

-- Lisa Hopple (hopplehomestead@safezone.net), May 22, 2000

Answers

Does will come into heat while still milking. The usual method is to dry them off (as their production has been tapering down) when they are two months from kidding. Considering the 5 month pregnancy period (gestation), this would mean that a breeder usually dries them off 3 months after conception.

They do kid once a year unless you force their heat cycles by artificial lighting during the short-light winter months. If you live in a cold weather area, it is best to breed them so that they kid during warmer weather. Late spring kids (in the far north) have a hard time getting large enough before their heat cycles end, to breed them in a manner that would adhere to the yearly schedule. So, here in MN, we bred for Feb thru May, but March and April were the best compromise.

If you end up getting late kids that are not large enough to breed, you'll just have to keep them as dry yearlings and breed them the next fall.

-- Mike O (olsonmr@yahoo.com), May 22, 2000.

Are you sure your goat will come in heat in July? Mine never did until September, though I think they can come in anytime. But most are definitely seasonal breeders.

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), May 22, 2000.

Goats have a similar cycle as the white tailed deer. They usually come in season beginning in September as their first heat, and continuing into January maybe. This is at least the case in my area(New Jersey). Usually if they are kept in with or near the buck, they will be bred the first or second heat, meaning early spring kidding. I have never heard of a goat coming in heat in the middle of the summer, unless they were placed in artificial lighting which I suppose would do the trick. Cara Lewis cnllewis@email.com

-- cara lewis (cnllewis@email.com), May 22, 2000.

My Pygmy goats will breed at anytime of the year. I had February & March kids & should have late August & September kids again. I normally don't breed them twice a year though. They need the rest between kids just as any animal does. This was just one of those times that I thought I'd go ahead. I would reccommend waiting a month at least after kidding before re-breeding. I'm not sure on the dairy goats. I haven't had any luck getting them to breed anytime other than in the fall.

-- Wendy (weiskids@nalu.net), May 22, 2000.

Another one of those regional answers. Here in East Texas my Nubains will cycle from July till Feburary, rarely March. Though the LaMancha's rarely cycle in July and have reliable heats late August and will continue to cycle through April. When we were milking on a contract we routinely bred LaMancha's to kid for September and winter milk, without lights. If you can get a doe bred in July, she will kid in December, and then will cycle again in late Feb. kidding again in late July. Some of the swiss breeds are more reliable fall breeders, and also can milk for several seasons, never being bred again. The meat breeds, Boer, Pygmy, Angora and their crosses are year round breeders. For us it is more important to have winter babies, because they just grow out healthier. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), May 23, 2000.