Is there any way to get more does than buck kids out of a breeding? I heard somewhere that breeding early in a doe's cycle might help. Also, are there certain does who tend to throw more female kids than males? I spoke to one breeder who told me his dairy goat consistently delivered does. Any thoughts on this?

-- Lynn (moonspinner@bluefrognet.net), November 04, 2001

Answers

The sperm decides the sex of the offspring .The only way a female can have anything to do with it is maybe having a more favorable ph level for one of the sperms {sex} Some will say breeding in the am will produce more does , some say the opposite .I do not beleive there is any concrete evidence to support this .

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@slic.com), November 04, 2001.

In my opinion...(humbled of course!!) it is the male of the species that "decides" the sex of the offspring. I learned that in biology class many, many years ago!!! BUT, I do believe that you can change the ph balance in the female reproductive tract that might influence the sex of the kids. That's also just another of my "humbled" opinions :-)!!!

-- Marcia (HrMr@webtv.net), November 04, 2001.

Patty is right. The ph of the mucus in the female repro tract does affect which sperm win the race. X chromosome sperm (female) like the ph of the mucus early in the heat cycle (morning or evening don't matter, it's the animal's heat period that is important). Y chromosome sperm do better later in the heat period.

I don't know about goats, but this has been proven to be true in cattle. I would think it would be true (to some extent, at least) in other animals as well.

-- Jennifer L. (Northern NYS) (jlance@nospammail.com), November 04, 2001.

I have heard that also with the PH affecting which sex of the sperm suceeds. The does I have bred as soon as I see them come into heat are the ones that I get twin does or at least 50/50, the does that I have had to wait to take out to breed I got twin boys from.

-- Leslie in Western WA (sundaycreek@gnrac.net), November 04, 2001.

Yep, agree with the ph comments, however, it is possible. I can't recall which aspect of the moon or phase will influence does, read that someplace. some breeders say apple cider in their water helps. I seem to ahve luck with a Alpine buck i own who has a udder, he is whats called a milking buck. Theexperiences I have heard form other breeders is that they tend to throw daughters and also daughters who produce more milk, might be something to do with it since I have experienced that with him.

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), November 04, 2001.

Breed early in the heat cycle, as soon as the doe will stand for the buck. Let him mount her once or twice ( make sure that actual breeding takes place), and then seperate them and do not rebreed. This will weed out some of the less hardy (but speedy) male spem, while the female sperm which have more stamina but are slower, will make it to the fallopian tubes and still be around when ovualation takes place, after the doe goes out of heat. I tried it last fall and it worked for us. We still got some buck kids, but more does than usual. We got at least one doe kid out of almost every doe.

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), November 04, 2001.

Lynn, I have vinegared my water, bred by a gals husbands moon signs, she visits my list on MSN, and threatened all the does this year with a very cold spring THE FREEZER :) if we have a repeat of last year, 2 doe kids born and 36+ bucklings, we did have 2 more doelings born in July, but big deal! Honestly we have never found anything that worked. AI is done in the end, the very end of the cycle and like clockwork gives me does. Over the lifetime of my old does they are right at 50/50. Then of course there are the few, Amber is a 1994 model and has never given me a doeling! Poptart is 11 will be kidding right after her 12th birthday and has a doeling or two in each kidding. Luck of the draw. Except for young bucks, who seem to always throw lots of buck kids their first year. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), November 04, 2001.

Vicki, I just went to the convention, and at the AI clinic, they said that Nubians are different in that they have a tendency to ovualate over a longer period of time and may actually be ovualting long after heat is over. Whereas the other breeds tend to ovulate soon after they go out of standing heat. This would cetainly explain why you are getting almost all does from AI, where as I get nothing but bucks so far using the same timing for my Alpines! I have paid attention to what goes on with other Alpine breeders and AI, and it seems that more bucks are born with AI than does.

Anyway, if your Nubians take longer to ovulate after going out of heat, you might want to try breeding just once or twice as soon as they come into heat, it would seem to me that this would be even more effective with the Nubians than it is with Alpines! As for me, when I'm planning AI breedings, I only use the best expensive semen on the does that I don't mind getting bucks from, because bucks are all I have ever gotten!!

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), November 05, 2001.

Rebekkah, do you use a teaser buck for determining heat or do you use the mucous test? Stick your fingers in the vagina, when you can not see your fingers because the mucous is so thick, she is ready to be bred. Wish you would post more stuff you learned at convention! Lucky you for getting to go!!! Jealous Vicki....

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), November 05, 2001.