The Goat Source Newsletter

Volume 4 Number 10 October 2007

Here is your Oct. issue of The Goat Source Newsletter. The ADGA Convention is going to be in Fort Collins, Colorado this year and I am going to have a vendor booth!! If you come to the convention, be sure to stop by and say “HI!” I will have all kinds of door prizes to give away and some nice goat items to sell. I plan to have T-shirts and pocket knives as well as all of my e-books and membership material! I am excited as this is the first time I have done anything like this!!
Please feel free to pass this newsletter on to your friends.

What’s New This Month?

* Evaluating for Breeding Soundness in Bucks
* This Month’s Quiz…
* Classified Ads
* Preparing Bucks for Breeding Season
* Answer to the October Quiz
* Helpful Hints

———————————————————————————————-
Evaluating for Breeding Soundness in Bucks

A buck should posses characteristics that will advance the production potential of the herd in which he is used, while being able to successfully mate to transmit these characteristics. Spermatogenesis is susceptible to outside influences such as elevated temperature, season of year and nutrition and breeding males need to be evaluated for reproductive soundness 3-4 weeks prior to mating season.
Part of such a ‘breeding soundness examination’ is an evaluation of the overall condition of the buck and includes his health history, physical soundness, particularly of feet and legs, and examination (palpation) of the external genitalia (scrotum and scrotal content, sheath and penis) for signs of infections and other abnormalities. There are currently no age and breed standards for scrotal circumference in meat-type breeds and there is a need for guidelines to be developed.
The second part of the examination involves the collection and evaluation of semen. Semen is immediately scored for motility, after collection, under low (mass motility) and high magnification (percentage motile sperm) of a light microscope on a pre-warmed slide.
Morphological abnormalities and viability are determined from stained semen smears.
Finally, bucks are allowed access to estrous does to evaluate libido and mating behavior.
Bucks that do not show interest in a doe in heat, probably will not be of any use as a herd sire!! (Italics mine)
Bucks are classified as either sound, questionable or unsatisfactory, based on all components of the examination. No firm guidelines have been developed to assign bucks into these categories and interpretation rests largely with the experience of the examiner. Animals deficient in any part of the examination should be considered questionable and retested after several weeks. A second failed test would indicate reproductive deficiencies and such a buck should not be used in natural mating.

Article excerpted from Reproductive Management of the Meat Goat

by Stephan Wildeus

Read the original article here:

http://www.clemson.edu/agronomy/goats/handbook/reproduction.html

This Month’s Quiz…

How do you calculate what percentage your kids are if one of the parents is not purebred?

Classified Ads…

Love Goats? We have the shirt for you!! Shop
The Goat Source Shirt Shop
I can customize it with your herd name and logo! Discount for ordering three or more custom items at one time. Other cool items available!! (Let me customize a calendar for you for 2008!)

Check out the classified ads in the Goat Source Forum! Place your ad FREE! Farm and goat related items only, please! www.goatsource.com/forum

Make a Photo Book with your favorite goats in it!
http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-2298695-10448511

Computerized recordkeeping for your goats –Easy and affordable software for goat keepers! The Goat Keepers Notebook

Give the Gift of Goat! Get Yer Goat

——————————————————————————————

Preparing Bucks for Breeding Season

Here is an article on getting your buck ready for breeding season:
http://www.boergoats.com/clean/articleads.php?art=217
——————————————————————————————-
Answer to the October Quiz:

If the sire is purebred, and

  • If the Dam is unregistered, the offspring is 50%
  • If the Dam is ½ blood, the offspring is 75% (a ¾ blood)
  • If the Dam is ¾ blood, the offspring is 88% (7/8th blood)
  • If the Dam is 7/8th blood, the offspring is 94% (15/16 blood)
  • If the Dam is 15/16th blood, the offspring is 97% ( 31/32nblood)

—————————————————————————————–
Helpful hints:

Here are two kidding calculators, just plug in the dates and they tell you when your doe is
due!

http://www.boergoatshome.com/Kidding.php

http://www.imagecyte.com/animations/gestcalculator.html

When breaking a goat to lead, start by turning is small circles and rewarding your kid when they move out with you. Gradually, make larger circles, and go in both directions. Eventually, they will move out readily no matter what direction you go in.(When going in a circle, it is hard to do the “Plant ones feet and refuse to move” thing!)

That’s all for this month,…

See you next month!!

Leslie, The Goat Source

The Goat Source
13611 NCR 9
Wellington, Co 80549
(970) 568-9622
http://www.goatsource.com

goatsource9@cowisp.net

Copyright by The Goat Source 2007

Information in this newsletter is not guaranteed to be accurate. However to the best of my ability, I will try to make all information as complete and correct as possible. It is up to
you, the reader, to determine how to best apply the information presented! Use your common sense!! If you notice errors, please bring to my attention! Due to the nature of the Internet, some links may not work, or may have moved. Please let me know about non-working links as soon as possible!

Thanks, Leslie, The Goat Source

P.S. Hope to see you at the ADGA Convention! Stop by and say HI! I would love to see you there!!

PDF of Oct. Newsletter