Agri Vehicles Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: Matings  (Read 5841 times)

ballingall

  • Moderator
  • Joined Sep 2008
  • Avonbridge, Falkirk
Matings
« on: October 26, 2014, 09:45:34 am »
Hello everyone!


How are you all getting on with your goats being mated so far?


Ours have been a bit odd, but we did manage to get 6 done in one week at the beginning of October. Evita came in on the Monday, though I am not certain that she will hold at all (her issue rather than the boy). Krystal and Kola came in on Tuesday, both to go to the same male kid, who had done Evita the day before. So we had to sacrifice Kola and not do her, so just Krystal done.
 Brienne in on Wednesday, and she had to be taken to my sister's, fortunately only 10mins away. Ranvir on Thursday, who also had to be taken to my sister's. No one in on Friday, but the male at my sister's arrived at ours for his holidays.
Saturday, Romily was in, as we trying to get away early for the Scottish Goatkeepers AGM, so had to rush around getting her done. At least the male was on site now! Monday, Rula was in. I have to confess I have never seen a goat as desperate to get at the billy. She was even attacking us- biting and kicking! Think we know how Rue was born if she was like that last year....


Ria, the other goatling hasn't been in and is showing NO signs of coming in ???  Kola's 3 weeks are up this Tuesday, so hopefully she'll be back in. Charade is the only other one, and she hasn't shown any strings signs of being in either.




How is everyone else getting on?


Lesley Silvester

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • Telford
Re: Matings
« Reply #1 on: October 26, 2014, 06:34:15 pm »
I'm only planning on getting Pom mated this autumn and she hasn't been in season yet so it could be a longish wait.


It is getting a bit late even for her but I think it's the milder weather.

bloomer

  • Joined Aug 2010
  • leslie, fife
  • i have chickens, sheep and opinions!!!
Re: Matings
« Reply #2 on: October 26, 2014, 06:37:24 pm »
don't have goats yet, but excited to hear if Kola gets mated (its Kola's fault i like AN goats)




Treud na Mara

  • Joined Mar 2014
  • East Clyh, Caithness
  • Living the dream in Caithness
Re: Matings
« Reply #3 on: October 27, 2014, 11:04:48 pm »
Our two, Buffy and Diamond, both pygmies, are going to see one of Brucklay's lovely billies, Lewis in a couple of weeks.  :fc: it all goes well.
With 1 Angora and now 6 pygmy goats, Jacob & Icelandic sheep, chooks, a cat and my very own Duracell bunny aka BH !

mojocafa

  • Joined Sep 2012
  • Angus
Re: Matings
« Reply #4 on: October 28, 2014, 04:38:09 am »
My billie is pimped out at the moment, hope he's having fun :innocent:
pygmy goats, gsd, border collie, scots dumpys, cochins, araucanas, shetland ducks and geese,  marrans, and pea fowl in a pear tree.

sokel

  • Joined Jun 2012
  • S W northumberland
Re: Matings
« Reply #5 on: October 29, 2014, 08:23:47 pm »
So far we have only managed to get 2 Boer mated, The Dairys have been very hitty missy this year.
 They all started coming in early but we try not to kid in the worst of the winter incase the vet is needed and we are snowed in. They then all stopped coming in.  :thinking:
Graham

sokel

  • Joined Jun 2012
  • S W northumberland
Re: Matings
« Reply #6 on: November 04, 2014, 06:40:47 pm »
2 GGs now covered so  :fc: they take
Graham

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Matings
« Reply #7 on: November 04, 2014, 07:33:21 pm »
All but one of the 7 (SEVEN - I must be mad!) have now gone past the three weeks, but of course another possible wobbly at 6 weeks...

Also 6 should kid in the space of 2 weeks... I am mad!  :-\ I could have anything from 10 to 15 kids next spring! I will be bottle-washing all day long!  ::)

mariegold

  • Joined Jan 2013
Re: Matings
« Reply #8 on: November 04, 2014, 07:52:34 pm »
What would be the latest date to try to get a goat in kid?
We are trying to dry up our horribly skinny goat - she came to us in kid and was in a pretty bad way. She is a lovely goat and easy to hand milk but would like to put some weight on her before putting her back into kid.
Can it be done in January? Has anyone tried sponging (is that the right word)?

Seems to be a bad goat day, our other goat (who refused to dry up) has completely gone off her food for the last 24 hours. We recently upped her concentrates as it was clear she wasn't going to dry up and I didn't want another skinny goat!
Have I done something terribly foolish? Is it wrong to up her concentrates and stop trying to dry her up? WORRIED!

ScotsGirl

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • Wiltshire
Re: Matings
« Reply #9 on: November 04, 2014, 09:17:20 pm »
I'm sure Anke or a more experienced milking person will respond soon but I think you need to cut the concentrates to dry them up but keep feeding hay and presumably low protein feed? Maybe you are giving too much and upsetting her digestion? It's a difficult balancing act. Good luck

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Matings
« Reply #10 on: November 04, 2014, 10:43:06 pm »
What would be the latest date to try to get a goat in kid?
We are trying to dry up our horribly skinny goat - she came to us in kid and was in a pretty bad way. She is a lovely goat and easy to hand milk but would like to put some weight on her before putting her back into kid.
Can it be done in January? Has anyone tried sponging (is that the right word)?

Seems to be a bad goat day, our other goat (who refused to dry up) has completely gone off her food for the last 24 hours. We recently upped her concentrates as it was clear she wasn't going to dry up and I didn't want another skinny goat!
Have I done something terribly foolish? Is it wrong to up her concentrates and stop trying to dry her up? WORRIED!

Re goat that has gone off her feed - what's her general demeanour like - bright and alert or listless? Has she got a temperature? Runny droppings or none? Still eating hay (and cudding)? Is she in season? One thing that comes to mind would be CCN - brought on by sudden changes in diet, usually when diet improves too quickly (in sheep seen when moved from poor onto lush pasture). She would be listless and probably be going blind (shine a light in her eyes and watch the pupils). She will need Combivit injections asap!

Re skinny goat - if she was not in good condition during the summer and is still skinny now you will not put much weight on her between now and end of mating season - do you need to kid her again next spring? Why don't you just keep milking her, feeding her well (good roughage, readigrass, or if she can take it - Alfa A, and a good mix, plus shreds).. and let her regain condition slowly over the next summer?

mariegold

  • Joined Jan 2013
Re: Matings
« Reply #11 on: November 05, 2014, 09:19:49 am »
Thanks both, I will take a torch and check her eye sight now! She ate some oats, a little alfalfa and pumpkin this morning but wont touch her concentrates. She is up and about and seems alert but certainly not herself.

Skinny goat needn't be put back in to kid, I'm just concerned that she wont put on weight whilst I keep milking her!?

I've been back and forth with the vet, tested her for Johnes, worms, cocci.... He suggested I was giving her too much feed (2kg a day concentrates, alfalfa and sugar beet - she gives 2.5-3 litres a day) so I dropped this down a bit which seemed counterintuitive!

If there is a good chance she can put on weight and be milked I will definitely do this as she is so lovely to milk....

mariegold

  • Joined Jan 2013
Re: Matings
« Reply #12 on: November 05, 2014, 09:53:57 am »
Just got back from the goats, I shined a torch in her eyes which seemed to bother her, her pupils changed slightly but not that much, I will try again when it gets dark. She spotted me coming down the track! And she spotted someone else (who often feeds her apples) in the far distance...
She is very happy to much on branches and veg and is wondering about in the field.

We have stared feeding them on some new hay which is very green but dry. We bought it from a horsey place so maybe its too good?   ???

clydesdaleclopper

  • Joined Aug 2009
  • Aberdeenshire
Re: Matings
« Reply #13 on: November 05, 2014, 10:30:10 am »
It seems counter intuitive but if the protein levels are too high in their feed that can cause weight loss.
Our holding has Anglo Nubian and British Toggenburg goats, Gotland sheep, Franconian Geese, Blue Swedish ducks, a whole load of mongrel hens and two semi-feral children.

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Matings
« Reply #14 on: November 05, 2014, 10:31:31 am »
Great - if she is active, eating greenery and hay, there may just be an issue with the concentrate or she does get enough from other stuff. Keep offering small amounts and see if she picks again at it. Bananas and carrots are always eaten here.

Your skinny goat may not put on weight until next summer - I have been there too.... but if she doesn't want to dry off you are risking mastitis by trying to force her - just keep her diet varied. Dairy goats are not meant to be fat. My older BT girl is all skins and bones at the moment, milking between 3.5 and 4 ltrs per day just now and she gets probably around the same as yours in feed. She is also being run through and not in kid.

Hay can never be too good! If the protein level in your feed overall are too high you see the droppings become loose.

Is your concentrate goat mix or a dairy cow mix? Mine are on cow diary nuts (18% protein), some calf mix (18% protein too - the kids prefer it and some of my adults will not touch dairy nuts) and rolled oats, and soaked shreds. Dairy cow feed are higher in copper than most goat mixes, and goats need that for milk production. Maybe you want to check. A mineral/vitamin drench with copper (you can get sheep ones with added copper) may also be a good thing every few months. My goats refuse Caprivite, but I am trying to re-introduce garlic and seaweed - meeting with resistance right now... :(

Some times if the goat is on season she my not want to eat...

 

Forum sponsors

FibreHut Energy Helpline Thomson & Morgan Time for Paws Scottish Smallholder & Grower Festival Ark Farm Livestock Movement Service

© The Accidental Smallholder Ltd 2003-2024. All rights reserved.

Design by Furness Internet

Site developed by Champion IS