Artificial Inseminating our goats

by mrsdoni
Artificial Inseminating our goats
Careful which lube is used! Water-based lubricants kill sperm!

Artificial insemination (AI) Transferring semen to the reproductive tract of the doe.

AI is an excellent way to bring in superior genetics and proven bucks that can improve a herd quickly. It does require an initial investment of equipment but the genetic improvement is well worth the cost. We have utilized AI for several years with good results (66% success rate). This year (2020) we’ve been forced to use it for most of our does since we only have one buck and most of our does are closely related to him. This is the first year using NO hormones but instead allowing the goats to cycle naturally. Practice makes perfect and we are learning more and more but no where near perfect yet. Timing is everything! Knowing how long each doe’s estrus cycle is very important for success.

This is an empty ‘straw’ that holds 1/2 cc semen (approx 200 million sperm and, hopefully, has a greater than 30% motility)
Microscope to check viability of the semen. A tiny speck of semen is placed on the slide so the condition of the sperm can be determined. Not all frozen semen is equal and it’s important to know the quality you’re working with.
Our liquid nitrogen tank and measuring stick. You can see the frost line showing the depth (cm) of No3 inside the specialized vacuum insulated tank. It holds approximately 35 liters of No3. And even though we have Select Sires come fill the tank on a regular schedule of every 3-4 months, we check the level weekly. Semen is expensive at $150-250 (or more) per 5 straws so its prudent to keep an regular check on the No3 level. This tank can hold up to 1,200 straws of semen at maximum capacity but I only have a few hundred straws stored at present. The liquid nitrogen keeps the semen alive and in suspended animation at a cool -320 deg F

Strips of pasture?

by mrsdoni
Strips of pasture?

With the does at their last 2-3 weeks of gestation, I am opening up small strips of pasture for them to graze on. This gives them fresh vitamins and extra calories! I will be sure to move them to another ‘strip’ after 5-6 days to help break the internal parasites life cycle. I’ve used electrical netting that is easy to move.

GREAT Article by PSU: Prevent Parasites Through Grazing Management

  • A few quotes from the Penn State article above
    • Larva can survive for long periods, even as long as 120 days, when weather conditions are cool and moist. However, when the weather is hot and dry, those parasites can die very quickly.
    • [the infective stage of parasite eggs] can take as little as six days to go from egg to infective stage. Therefore, producers can use grazing rotations to stay ahead of this cycle. 
    • Parasites can also go into a hypobiotic or dormant state inside sheep or goats. Parasites can remain in this state until environmental conditions improve. Sheep and goat producers often see problems when this occurs during the summer. 
    • Most parasite larva are found in the first two inches of forage growth, so the goal is to move the sheep and goats out of a field before they graze down to levels where parasite larva will be consumed.
    • Producers should cull animals that they consistently treat more often than most animals in the flock or herd. This allows producers to develop genetics that are more resistant to parasite infections. The parasites will still be present, but the animal’s immune system can better withstand the infection.

How much are they being fed?

by mrsdoni
How much are they being fed?

Knowing how much grain you’re feeding your animals is important but most people really do not know. Figuring this out is easy and all you need is your favorite ‘scoop’ or ‘cup’ and a scale. For our hogs, we simply use the large tin coffee cans that are 5 pounds filled with pellets. Easy enough. However, for our goats, we must be more careful so we use smaller and more accurate measurements.

For the goats we use a 1.5 cup, 2.0 cup and a 4.0 cup for measuring grain. Chinese soup containers are great for this. After taring each cup, we filled it up with our goat feed (Blue Seal Caprine Challenger).

  • 1.5 cups = 0.4 lbs (heaped up is 0.5 lbs)
  • 2.0 cups = 0.7 lbs (heaped up is 0.8 lbs)
  • 4.0 cups = 1.4 lbs (heaped up is 1.5 lbs)
Make sure you tare the cup.
After taring, add the grain; 2 cups = 0.7 lbs
Caprine Challenger grain weights: 1.5 cup = 0.4 lbs, 2.0 cups = 0.7 lbs, 4.0 cups = 1.4 lbs

EnergiLass – Protein/Energy pail

by mrsdoni
EnergiLass – Protein/Energy pail

We’re trying a new product this year! This product is to ensure our pregnant does have a constant rich energy supply during their last 8 weeks of gestation.

The Kent/Blue Seal product called EnergiLass is a hard molasses/protein/vitamin/mineral substance. It does NOT have added salt as an inhibitor so they can lick as much as they need. I just put it out a week ago and have noticed (watching the camera a lot) that, so far, only two of the goats are spending a lot of time licking it (Ashara & Tzuriel).

NOTE that we also feed grain twice daily (1.0 lb each) and they have orchard grass at night in each of their stalls and Sericea Lespedeza round-bale in the pasture during the day. They also have loose minerals, kelp, and copper sulfate free choice. We will slowly increase their grain ration during the last 4 weeks of gestation up to 2-3 lbs each depending on how large their baby belly grows (indicative of multiple kids). In the last 2-3 weeks of gestation, we will also be adding alfalfa pellets to their diet for additional calcium.