Given that it is breeding season it’s time for another goat breeding fact!
Goats generally have 21 day cycles, although this can vary depending on breed and the individual goat. They are in heat for 24-36 hours with only about 12 of those hours being considered optimal. If you are not allowing your bucks to run with the does you have to watch your herd closely for signs of heat.
It’s September! Which means the girls will start going into heat and it will soon be breeding season! I can’t believe it’s already this time of year! So going with this theme the next several week’s facts will be about breeding…
Many goat breeds, including Nubians, are seasonal breeders. These goats are generally bred in the months ending in ER (September, October, November, December). While it is possible to breed these goats at other times of year their heats are not as strong (or almost non-exisitant) and it can be very hard to tell when they are ready to be put with the buck. Breeding goats in the months ending in ER results in late winter to spring kids. The cooler weather keeps the parasites and flies at bay, helping prevent several issues that can cause major problems!
It’s that time of year again! Breeding season will be starting very soon. Now is the time to make a reservation for a 2016 kid. We work on a first come first served bases. If you have a specific breeding you are interested in please indicate that when you make your reservation. You are welcome to come and visit the goats if you like.
Because we have no way of knowing how many goats we will get and what genders they will be we take a limited number of reservations and under estimate what we think we will get based on past experience. This year we will take reservations for 6 does. There may be kids still available in the Spring once all reservations are filled. If you are interested in a kid and all reservations are filled you will be added to a wait list.
All of our does this year will be bred to our herd sire Warner. We will have a mixture of Pure Bred Nubians and American Nubians. Pictures of all of your does can be found on the “Our Animals” section of the blog. For more information about purchasing a goat from us visit this blog post.
2016 Breedings
Goat Pricing:
Have you ever wondered what farms do with all of the manure that their animals produce? Here on The Freckled Farm we use it for our compost and garden. Both goat and llama fecal matter has little to no odor and both can be added directly to your garden without having to be composted. It acts as an amazing fertilizer! It’s a great organic way to give your plants a boost.
There is a growing trend of people using goats to clear land of brush and keep landscape from becoming overgrown. There are farmers who actually do this as a business… renting out their goats to people who need land cleared. It is more eco-friendly and in most cases costs the same, if not less, than having equipment brought in to do it. In fact Google uses rent-a-goats to clear weeds and maintain the grounds at their headquarters! Read about it here.
Goats have a life expectancy that is similar to a large dog. Most breeds of goat live between 10-12 years, although under excellent care some goats can live up to 15 years!
Did you know that goats burp? An adult goat can carry four to five gallons of plant matter in it’s rumen. The rumen breaks down the plants and acts as a fermentation vat. Gasses are created because of the fermentation causing the goat to burp!
I love the heat! I’m comfortable even on the hottest days of the year… The cold is what I have trouble with (if you were following us last winter you are well aware of this!). The animals however don’t deal with the summer as well as I do. We have to take certain precautions to make sure that they are safe and healthy even in the hottest temperatures.
The goats deal with the heat the best. We just have to make sure they have constant fresh water and shade. During the hottest parts of the summer we may have to come out several times a day to make sure the water buckets are filled. A few summers ago, when we were dealing with extreme heat, I witnessed a bucket of water emptied in front of me between the llamas and goats. We have several buckets spread around. We always keep at least one in the barn and one in the pasture.
The chickens will tell you when they are too hot. They pant and egg production may go down. In very extreme heat chickens may become listless, which is a sign that they could be in danger of heat stroke. We help our chickens deal with the heat by making sure they always have fresh water, occasionally we will add ice to the water to keep it cooler longer, we give them frozen fruit and veggies to eat, and give them fruits with high water content like watermelon. It is also important that chickens have shade and space to dust bathe since this can help them regulate their temperature.
In the spring we shear both llamas to prepare them for the summer and like with the rest of the animals we make sure they always have fresh water and shade. Afton, our cream colored llama, does fairly well in the heat. He dust baths a lot, but is no where near as miserable as our black llama, Blue. Poor Blue struggles in the heat, so at least once a day, on the really hot days, we go out and hose Blue off. He loves to stand in the running water.
Heat can be very harmful to animals. It is extremely important that you take measures to keep your animals safe in the heat. For most fresh water and shade is enough, but keep a close eye on them to make sure they don’t need further help.
Goat’s ears come in all shapes and sizes. Some stand straight up, like in the case of Alpines. Some are so small it looks like they have no ears at all, like in the case of Lamanchas. Nubians have large pendulum ears. It’s one of the features that attracts people to them the most! Beyond being cute these ears serve a purpose. Much like elephant ears do for elephants, the Nubian’s ears keep them cool in hot climates.
In last week’s Fun Farm Fact I told you that Nubians are the most common dairy goat breed in the US. Many people ask us why we picked Nubians as the goats for our farm. After all, there are several to choose from. Well after today’s fact you might understand.
While Nubians give less milk than the other standard breed goats their milk has the highest butterfat content! Their milk is creamier, richer, and is ideal for making cheeses, yogurts, other diary products…. and of course soaps!