The greatest number of goat owners in this country keep goats for family purposes. In Florida, there are three licensed commercial dairy goat operations of which two are processing and marketing Grade A pasteurized goat milk and the other is marketing specialty products such as cheese. Most of the operations in Florida are rather small with less than ten milking does. Many of the dairy goats are registered and are exhibited at various shows throughout the state. The more popular breeds are Nubian, Alpine and LaMancha. The Florida Dairy Goat Association and the annual Florida Dairy GoatProduction Conference have been helpful in recent years in providing needed materials and information to dairy goat producers.
The selection of milk goats for commercial dairy herds and breeding herds must be accomplished in terms of keeping and maintaining good records, and becoming familiar with the different strengths that dairy goats possess. They may or may not be registered, but must be able to produce milk over a long period of time with good care. Good herds frequently consist of goats having herd averages of 1,500 to 3,000 pounds of milk. The top three dairy goat herds in Florida in 1992 completed DHI 305 day lactation records above 2,100 pounds of milk with the top herd at 2,934 pounds. For those that are interested in getting involved in raising or showing dairy goats, start with two kids (three to five weeks old) so they can get to know you and you can have the enjoyment of watching them grow. It is best that they be of the same sex, preferably does if you plan to expand. If a buck is preferred, have the breeder castrate and dehorn the animal prior to taking it home. Also at this young age, about a quart of milk is needed daily until about 8 weeks of age. At the time of weaning, the doeling should be eating some grain on a daily basis.
The choice of breed is purely a personal one. We recommend visiting a goat dairy or a dairy goat shows prior to making the final decision on breed. Generally, the breed you start with will end up being your preference.
Breeding and Artificial Insemination
The normal breeding season for the dairy goat is from late August to mid-March. Most of the does are bred in September, October and November and produce offspring in February, March and April. Because goats are seasonal breeders, the milk supply may be short for 2-3 months during the late fall and winter months. Planned matings through good record keeping and a sound breeding program will largely overcome this.
Age to Breed Does
Doelings reach puberty by 6 to 8 months of age and are usually bred at 7 to 10 months of age. At the time of breeding they should weigh about 80-90 pounds (60% of adult weight). If the doelings are not at an optimum weight, breeding should be delayed since puberty is more dependant on body size than age. However, delaying breeding much after 10 months of age decreases the reproductive performance. Growth rates of replacements should be monitored and their nutrition adjusted accordingly.
For two to three weeks prior to the breeding season does and doelings should be gaining weight. This is achieved by increasing the amount of energy being fed. Does managed in this manner will have an increased number of ovulations.
Signs of Estrus
Estrus is the period when the doe will receive the buck (or the time of Artificial
Dairy goats
Insemination). Usually this period will last from a few hours to 2-3 days and is characterized by frequent and insistent “talking”, tail wagging, and pink color as well as swelling in the external genital region-sometimes with a discharge. A lactating doe will usually drop in her milk production. The period between estrus’ is from 17-21 days. To achieve the highest conception rate , it is best to breed the doe on day two of her estrus period.
During the breeding season bucks have a strong odor and should be kept in separate pens at all times. This will aid you in being able to get the does bred over an extended period of time in order that milk will be available over a 12-month period and reduce the possibility of off flavors in the milk. Maintain good records and record all heat periods. Breed to the best buck available if you plan to retain the kids. Any notes of her behavior may help in out-of-season breeding or in detecting estrus early in the next heat period.
Gestation Period
The gestation period is the time from conception to kidding. Normally this is a period of 145-155 days or on the average 5 months. Does producing milk at the time of breeding will be at their peak production. The doe is usually bred at 45 to 60 days in lactation and will normally be producing milk over a 305 day period. The kidding interval should be about 12 months.
Artificial Insemination
Artificial Insemination (AI) is nothing more than the placement of semen in the female reproductive tract by mechanical means rather than by natural mating. While the term AI does not necessarily imply that the semen used be preserved through prior freezing, this is the most common situation in dairy goats.
The main value of AI lies in its use as a tool for the improvement of livestock, by extending the use of bucks that possess desirable characteristics. There is probably no other sufficient reason (cost, ease, disease control) to consider AI.
I am very thankful for the information provided by the University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) I have made a post of all the resources and links and contacts used in the study to provide the best information possible. This article was produced by Barnet Harris, Jr., and Frederick Springer2
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Tags: Age to Breed, Artificial Insemination (AI), Breeding and AI, Dairy Goats, Estrus, Gestation
