Goat breeding: heat signs, mating and kidding

Breed a doe when she is big enough, not just old enough; use a healthy buck that is not related to her; and get ready for kidding about 5 months later. Good breeding gives you more live kids and fewer problems at kidding.

Age and weight at first breeding

Does mature at 7–12 months (TNAU), but weight matters more than age. Breed a doe only when she reaches about 70% of the adult weight of her breed; does bred too young give weak kids, and more of them die (ICAR-CIRG).

Breed size	Age at first breeding	Weight at first breeding
Small	7–9 months	8–9 kg
Medium	10–12 months	16–18 kg
Large	12–16 months	Over 20 kg

These figures are from ICAR-CIRG (ICAR-CIRG). TNAU puts most does at 8–12 months and about 15–18 kg (TNAU). To find out what your breed weighs as an adult, see How to choose a goat breed: South Indian breeds compared.

Bucks. Start using a buck at 10–12 months (TNAU); ICAR-CIRG suggests 12 months for small breeds, 14–16 months for medium and 16–18 months for large breeds (ICAR-CIRG). Choose a strong, active buck with straight legs and two well-developed testicles, from a mother that raised her kids well; a buck born as a twin is a good choice (ICAR-CIRG).

Signs of heat and when to mate

A doe that is not pregnant comes into heat about every 3 weeks (18–21 days), and each heat lasts from half a day to 2 days (14–48 hours) (TNAU). Watch for these signs morning and evening (TNAU, TNAU):

• she wags her tail, more so when a buck is near;
• she bleats often and is restless, and eats less;
• the vulva is swollen and red, with a little clear mucus;
• she looks for the buck and stands still when he mounts;
• she mounts other goats, or lets them mount her.

When to mate. If you see heat in the morning, mate her that evening; if you see it in the evening, mate her the next morning (ICAR-CIRG). Two matings 8–12 hours apart improve the chance of pregnancy (TNAU). A doe that does not come back into heat for 2 cycles is likely pregnant — move her to the pregnant group (TNAU).

How many does per buck

• Plan one adult buck for about 20 does (ICAR-CIRG, TNAU).
• A strong buck can serve 25–35 does, but ICAR-CIRG suggests 10–15 does per buck when you start, so that your flock has more than one bloodline (ICAR-CIRG).
• Keep a spare buck: for 100 does, ICAR-CIRG's farm plans keep 7 bucks, in case one fails (ICAR-CIRG).
• Do not let the buck run with the does all day. Put him in with them at night and keep him apart by day, so he rests and eats well; if you bring each doe to him, let him serve not more than 3 does a day (TNAU).
• In the breeding season, give the buck extra grain — see feeding by stage.

Avoid inbreeding

Inbreeding means mating close relatives: father with daughter, mother with son, brother with sister. Over time it makes the flock weaker.

• Replace or exchange your buck every 2 years (TNAU) — after 2–3 years at the most (ICAR-CIRG). This keeps him from mating his own daughters.
• Bring the new buck from another flock, not related to your does (ICAR-CIRG).
• Do not keep a male kid from your own flock to breed with his mother or sisters; sell the surplus male kids.
• Write down which buck mated which doe, and when (ICAR-CIRG). See health records.

Feed well before mating

Extra feed for a few weeks before mating, called flushing, brings more does into heat and gives more twins (TNAU).

• Start 3–4 weeks before mating: give each doe about 250 g of concentrate or 500 g of legume hay a day. TNAU says this can raise the kidding rate by 10–20% (TNAU).
• ICAR-CIRG suggests 100–200 g of grain a day with mineral mixture during the mating season (ICAR-CIRG).
• Flushing helps thin does most. Do not let does or bucks get fat — fat animals breed poorly (TNAU).

Pregnancy: how long and how to care

A goat is pregnant for 145–156 days — about 5 months (TNAU). Note the mating date and count 5 months ahead to know when to expect kids.

• Keep pregnant does in their own group of not more than 15–20, so they do not butt each other (TNAU).
• Handle them gently and as little as possible (TNAU), but let them graze and walk every day, and shelter them from rain and cold (TNAU).
• Never let a pregnant doe go hungry: even 2 days without feed early in pregnancy can cost the pregnancy (TNAU).
• From about day 100, keep her apart and feed her better (ICAR-CIRG); see feeding by stage.
• Keep her away from goats that have recently aborted (TNAU).
• If you milk her, stop milking 6–8 weeks before kidding (TNAU).
• Do not transport her in the last part of pregnancy (ICAR-CIRG), and ask the vet before any vaccination — the national PPR campaign vaccinates only goats that are not pregnant (ICAR-NIVEDI).

Prepare the kidding pen

• Move the doe to a clean kidding pen 4–6 days before she is due (TNAU).
• The pen should be about 1.5 m × 1.2 m, dry and draught-free, with a feeder and a water bucket (TNAU). More in Goat shed and housing: space, floor and roof.
• Spread soft, clean, dry bedding such as straw or dry grass (TNAU).
• Clip the hair around her udder and tail to keep them clean (TNAU).
• Keep clean cloths ready to wipe the kids, and save the vet's number and 1962 on your phone.

Signs that kidding is near

Watch the doe closely from about 145 days after mating. Signs that kidding is near (TNAU):

• the udder fills up and the teats look tight and shiny;
• the area on both sides of the tail sinks in;
• thick mucus hangs from the vulva;
• she is restless, goes off alone, paws the ground, lies down and gets up, looks back at her belly and bleats softly.

When labour starts she strains, and a water bag may appear. A kid usually comes front feet first with the nose resting on them, or back feet first — both are normal (TNAU). Watch quietly from a short distance and let her lick the kids; they should suckle within about 30 minutes (TNAU). For newborn care, see Goat kid care: colostrum, creep feed and weaning.

When to call the vet

Call your vet or 1962 at once if (TNAU, TNAU):

• the doe strains hard for about 1 hour and no kid appears;
• the water bag has burst and no kid comes within about 2 hours;
• only the head, only one leg, or the tail shows;
• the discharge turns red-brown or smells bad;
• before kidding, she stops eating and does not want to get up (TNAU);
• the afterbirth has not come out within about 24 hours;
• a kid is weak and cannot stand within about 1 hour of birth.

Young does in poor condition, and small does mated to a big buck, need help more often (TNAU). Do not pull the kid or put your hand inside the doe — wait for the vet.

Common mistakes

• Breeding does that are too young or too small.
• Using the same buck for many years, so that he mates his own daughters.
• Letting the buck run with the does all day, so he loses condition.
• Not writing down mating dates, so kidding comes as a surprise.
• Feeding poorly in the last month of pregnancy.

Frequently asked questions

At what age can a doe be bred for the first time?

When she reaches about 70% of her breed's adult weight — usually at 8–12 months and about 15–18 kg.

How many does can one buck serve?

Plan about 20 does per adult buck. A strong buck can serve 25–35 does, but keep a spare.

How long is a goat pregnant?

About 5 months: 145–156 days from mating.

How often can a goat give birth?

TNAU gives three kiddings in two years as the ideal; NABARD's model farm assumes about 8 months between kiddings (NABARD).

How often should I change the buck?

Every 2 years, and after 2–3 years at the most, so he does not mate his own daughters.

Next

Get ready for the newborns with Goat kid care: colostrum, creep feed and weaning, and plan feed for pregnant and milking does in Goat feeding: fodder, concentrate mix and water. Keep vaccinations up to date with Goat health: vaccination schedule and deworming. Need a new, unrelated buck? See goats for sale near you, and check his health before you pay (How to buy goats safely: health, age and fraud checks).