Out-of-Season Breeding
Goats are considered seasonal breeders, with some breeds more seasonal than others. To read more on the effects of season on reproduction before proceeding please visit: http://www.extension.org/pages/19372/season-impacts-reproduction-influence-of-daylength
Being able to breed outside of the normal season could:
- Help provide a more consistent supply of milk and meat products
- Allow for accelerated kidding (three kiddings in two years)
- Allow producers to schedule kidding when feed and labor are available and to take advantage of specific niche markets or price trends
However, out-of-season breeding comes with higher costs of production, reduced fertility and more losses of pregnancy when compared to breeding during the natural season. Although alternative synchronization methods are available during the breeding season, it is commonly accepted that inducing estrus during the non-breeding season requires the use of at least one hormone (progestogen) or some form of manipulation of social or environmental inputs that would change the animals’ hormones (i.e., the buck effect and/or lighting/photoperiod manipulation). For more information on the use of progestogens and artificial lighting and melatonin please click on the links below.
A CIDR (controlled intravaginal drug-releasing devices) being inserted into a doe*. It conatins a progestagen and can be used for inducing estrus out of season. *Extra-label drug use since it is only FDA-approved for use in sheep; see your veterinarian for more information about using CIDRs in goats.
Progestagen Use
Artificial Lighting and Melatonin
For more information on the different methods of estrus synchronization in goats please visit:
http://www.extension.org/pages/19331/goat-reproduction-estrous-synchronization
Keywords: Season, out of season breeding, progestagen, accelerated kidding