Other Influences on Reproduction in Goats
Differences exist in the onset and length of the breeding season among the various breeds of goats and even between individual animals within a breed. Geographic location, particularly degree of latitude, has a significant impact on timing and length of the breeding season. At locations close to the equator, tropical breeds of goats often breed throughout the year. However, factors such as rainfall, nutrition and lactational status can also affect breeding season. Other stressors such as transportation or illness may cause a temporary stoppage of estrus activity. In seasonally breeding does, the breeding season is framed by transitional periods during which gonadotropin levels are increasing but not to levels that will trigger estrus and ovulation. Often onset of estrus activity can be hastened through appropriate management techniques such as introduction of males during this transitional period. In the male, seasonal breeding is associated with changes in testis size and libido and the development of a distinct buck odor. For more information on specific topics mentioned in this article, please go to:
Influence of daylength on reproduction: http://www.extension.org/pages/19372/season-impacts-reproduction-influence-of-daylength
Nutrition: http://www.extension.org/pages/19305/goat-feeding-different-classes and
Lactation: http://www.extension.org/pages/19315/goat-reproduction-lactation
Keywords: goats, reproduction, breed, stress, estrus