Breed Identification
First of all, analyse the bloodlines and temperament of your goat. Analysing the goats perfectly will help you to identify the type of breed that you own.
It will also help you to determine whether the goat you have can be bred successfully or not. You must have to find a biologically compatible buck for your ewe/ewes, based on the goat breed you have.
Age factor
On average, a ewe gains sexual maturity and becomes suitable for breeding within one year. But for better quality kids and goat products, you should not breed your ewes before their first birthday.
After one year of age, the body of your ewe becomes fully mature for completing the gestation period and giving birth to the young ones.
If you are raising both ram and ewe then never forget to keep them separated from each other till they reach the ideal breeding age.
Prepare your ewe for breeding
Good health conditions play a very important role in successful goat breeding. The ewe that is selected for breeding must have to be healthy.
Never try to breed any ill or weak ewe. Always try to keep them healthy and disease-free. Feed them adequate nutritious feed.
A regular feeding system for your ewe should include grain, hay and other nutritional supplements. This will help to keep your ewes healthy and make them ready for breeding. Perform necessary medical checkups regularly.
Find compatible ram
It’s not too easy to find a ram that is biologically similar to your ewes. So make a proper goat breeding plan and search for the compatible buck in your area or on your nearest goat farm.
Inquire about the various goat breeds compatible with your ewe, for producing improved offspring with desired traits from the parents.
Thus you can produce a hybrid version with varied traits. If you have compatible bucks in your herd, then take good care of them.
Goat breeding types
If compatible rams are available in your area, then you can choose natural goat breeding. It will be better if you have quality bucks in your herd.
Keeping some rams in your herd is highly recommended for commercial goat farming purposes.
If you don’t have any ram, then you can borrow one from a farm for a few days or send your ewe to a farm for breeding.
Goat breeding season
Usually, Autumn is the breeding season for goats. During this time or breeding season, a ewe becomes heated frequently (at an interval of about 18 to 22 days between two heat cycles)
Usually, ovulation takes place within ½ to 1½ days after estrus. Successful fertilisation depends on timely mating. Delay in breeding reduces the possibility of fertilisation.
Gestation
Successful goat breeding is challenging. But you will get personal satisfaction when you successfully bred your ewes.
Your ewes will enter the gestation period after fertilisation. Gestation period of goats stays for about five months.
During this period, take extra care of your ewes. Give them extra food. Their food must have to be nutritious enough with all types of essential nutrients available.
Gestation period is very crucial for both mother and her coming kids. So take good care of your ewes during this period.
These are the basics of goat breeding. Practice makes perfect. You will learn more when you handle the real process.
Do everything related to goat breeding according to a proper plan. And if possible, always try to follow the suggestions of a goat-breeding expert in your area.
– Agribusiness Media