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What is the gestation length for an angora goat?
Gestation is 145-150 days. Angoras breed seasonally, usually from August to
January. Does are induced into estrus by the presence of a buck and
cycle every 19-21 days until pregnant.
How many does can one buck handle?
A full grown buck in good condition can handle between 20 and 45 does, a
kid buck will handle substantially fewer, probably no more than 10.
How do I prepare my herd for breeding?
Shear them and delouse and begin increasing their plane of nutrition several
weeks in advance of breeding (called flushing). It is especially
important that the buck is shorn particularly if it is hot. A shorn
billy will be a more vigorous breeder and settle more does on the first
attempt. It is also a good idea to worm and trim hooves a few weeks
before breeding.
How common are twin births?
In some herds, twins are very common, in others, not very common at all.
The biggest factor influencing multiple births is pre-breeding
nutrition. Flushing does before breeding will help increase multiple births.
Is it safe to breed a kid doe?
Generally, nannies need to weigh 60 pounds to breed, which usually means they are
bred as yearlings. However, if your kids are growing well there is no
reason to avoid breeding a young doe.
Do angoras have trouble kidding?
Very rarely. Occasionally, a large kid or multiple kids will have difficulty
navigating the birth canal and will need to be pulled, but usually they
are born with no troubles.
Do angoras abandon their kids.
Only orphans, extras (i.e. the third of a set of triplets) etc. are bottle
raised, otherwise mom does the work and nurses them for the 3 or 4
months until weaning. The key factor to a nanny abandoning her kid is
health and nutrition...if you are starving a nanny she won't take the
kid, but if you have her on a good health program and she is being fed
well she will staunchly defend her babies |
