Best way to tell my goat is in heat?

[savingdogs]

Okay, we have the hot date planned for Molly....she will be meeting up with her old lover, whom we sadly sold last year and broke her little goatie heart. But, because she produced such a fine little son, we are planning a repeat rendezvous with the same buck, and are plotting one of those "drive-by" matings, or I guess you could call it a one-night-stand.

I'd like to make sure we take as few trips down the mountain with Molly as possible, we live about a 1/2 hour drive from the buck and I'm milking her so I can't leave her there. We will be transporting her (a mini nubian) in the back of a Subaru Forester (don't laugh, I'm not kidding) as our jeep is not running, so we'd REALLY like to take her down on the right day.

She had a day about two weeks ago when I could see a slight discharge and she had a sudden urge to mount our doeling all day and head-butt her sister about it. I assumed this was a heat and made arrangements for about four days from now for the buck's owner to let their buck know to brush his teeth and clean his hooves and otherwise spiff himself up for her pleasure (I know, he will probably use that GOAT cologne ).

Should I go get a "buck rag"? Would it help insure I only need to take Molly there once?

Does the discharge happen right when they are fertile?

Should I watch for "tail" flagging......I never noticed this last year. My goats always seem to wiggle their tails at odd times that I don't fathom.

Two months later, I plan to do the same thing with her sister, so I need to get practiced at this.

What are the best ways to tell if a goat is in heat?

How long do they stay "in"?

Is is best to breed more than once? Last year I had this buck living here for three months but she got preggers right off the bat, based upon when she delivered. But I did think she was in heat when he arrived.

Should I expect that she will be too shy to allow him to mate (she is a shy goat). Will we have to hold her still if we want to get it accomplished?

Too bad I can't leave her there, but the people are going on vacation and have goat sitters watching their herd.

Any hints y'all have for me would be appreciated so I don't waste a bunch of time doing it wrong. And you know I don't post goat questions....over there.

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

Get a buck rag. You cannot count any of the usual signs. They can change at any given moment
You can get a pretty close date by counting 21 days from the first cycle you noticed.
Let her smell the rag on the 18th day or so, and every day after that.

Is it possible for you to leave her their for 24 hours? Milk right before heading down, then visit her 12 hours later for a milking, then milk her when you take her home?

Oh, and mark that cycle on the calendar as well. You want to know those dates for two things. Either a birth in 5 months, or another date in 3 weeks.

ETA the cycle usually lasts at the very most 3 days, but you want to catch it in the first two if possible.
And no worries about shyness. Just the fact that its another goat will usually help matters, never mind if she is in heat.
You will not be able to peel them apart if she is

 

[freemotion]

I second that. You want her in a "standing heat" ready to say "come hither" to the boyfriend. The buck rag will be very useful. They can come into heat in 18-21 days, but it usually is around 21 days. Some does show interest for a couple of days before they are ready to be bred, too, so plan on a couple of trips until you know your does better. Some does are also in heat for only a few hours.....Ginger did this her first year. Her second year it was something like 2-3 days! Leaving the doe overnight is a good idea.

I brought Mya home in the back seat of my Hyundai Sonata..... Seven LOOOOOONG hours! We hit some unexpected traffic, and I was in tears by the time I was half way home. I now know about using large adult diapers and duct tape.....wish I'd known that then!

 

[savingdogs]

I'm laughing thinking about Molly wearing a large adult diaper and duct tape. I was going to put her in a large dog crate and the back of the subaru has a rubber mat.

I'm only milking Molly once a day at this point. I was thinking I could leave her 24 hours if I milk her right before I leave.

So 18 to 22 days......it might be as much as 8 days from now then.

And you guys both think I should get a buck rag. Hubby is going to roll his eyes, but I think it will be easier to transport a rag down the hill as opposed to the goat!

I was also wondering, is smelling Molly going to put my other doe in heat?

 

[freemotion]

You can use the buck rag to help bring your other doe into heat.

 

[savingdogs]

Even two months later?

 

[BarredBuff]

 

[CrimsonRose]

Oh you have popcorn! I have some cookies... scoot over a tad and we can share... this is some good info I want to listen in too...

 

[savingdogs]

Oh you have popcorn! I have some cookies... scoot over a tad and we can share... this is some good info I want to listen in too...

You guys crack me up! Now if you wanna hear about breeding bunnies, we have that down pat......I get hysterical every time the male faints though, I can't help it. My (male) family members don't think it is as funny.

With goats however, that whole part of the buck peeing on himself takes ALL the humor out of the situation and makes me want to run for a gas mask. I really do not enjoy "goat cologne." Despite all these hassles, I do NOT want that buck to come stay here again for ANY amount of time. Last year he was so stinky, we had friends come to visit, and they ended up leaving early because his smell was gagging them, despite him being in a field quite a distance away.

That is why the thought of a buck rag makes me a little .... it sounds like it would be more of a ......."pee-rag".

Luckily this little buck is a nice guy, rather shy and not hard to handle, but still........and his owner is about as experienced as myself, I believe this is the first time she is using him to service someone elses does.

 

[Britesea]

When that "nice little guy" comes into rut, things are gonna change.