There is nothing better then seeing a baby goat for the first time as they are the most precious of all goats. However, a goat usually only kids a baby once a year. But with such a short gestation period, can a goat give birth more than once in that same year?
There are certain goat breeds that are capable of kidding twice a year. Goats are capable of conceiving at any point throughout the year. However, you have to take certain birthing techniques and mating practices into account before attempting to do so, especially if your doe is likely to give birth to more than one kid at a time.
So what are these birthing technique and mating practices? And how can we know if our doe is capable of having more than one kid at a time?
Taking the mating process into account
Most does are not capable of breeding until they are at least four months old and eighty pounds in weight. Even then, there can still be complications during the period of a goat’s pregnancy. As the goat is smaller and may not be able to support the added weight of the pregnancy, it may be necessary to have her legs be splinted.
Once they hit a year to two years and weigh about a hundred pounds, they would be big enough to be able to birth twins or even triplets.
Warning: Giving birth to twins and especially triplets may require more aid on your part, especially if the goat is smaller and doesn’t have as much fat built up for the pregnancy.
For your information: If you don’t want a specific doe to kid just yet, then you have to keep them separate from the buck in the herd that you’re using to help the other does to kid throughout the kidding seasons.
(Source: Breeding Goats – Farming Magazine)
Hunger causes kidding to be a problem
In order to be able to have healthy kids, the doe has to be properly prepared for the kidding season. This includes, if not especially, ensuring that they are properly fed both before and during their pregnancies.
A doe needs to have a certain balanced amount of fat. This is especially important if she might not receive enough feed during her pregnancy. When a pregnant doe cannot feed properly, her body will start to burn the built up fat for energy.
A doe does not have as much space in her stomach due to the kid within her taking up too much room. making it vital that you do not attempt to feed her too much hay. As her stomach has been pushed aside by the kid within her, it could make her sick and cause issues during the pregnancy.
In order to ensure the safety of both the doe and the kid, be sure to feed the doe only good quality grain. The grain should give the doe all the nutrients she needs in smaller amounts. Usually about 0.4 pounds of grain a day.
Tip: To ensure that the doe is well taken care of and only receives the correct food during the last six weeks of pregnancy, it is best to keep her in a special birthing stall that you can set aside for her. In which you will be able to better and more carefully regulate her daily feedings, as well as other issues that may occur.
Just Kidding around
A goat has the potential to kid around a lot. Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean that they’re cracking jokes all the time. It means that they have a short gestation or birthing period.
At only about 150 days after conceiving a kid, the doe is ready to give birth. So, does that mean that she could kid again soon after?
A doe needs time to recuperate lost fat. As well as time to wean the kid or kids of her previous birth before moving onto give birth to another. So in a sense, yes, it can be done. However, it would be difficult to ensure the health of the doe during the second birthing process were she to not have time to heal and be properly prepared.
If you are unsure of how to properly help your doe have a kid a second time that year, then it may be best to either seek out professional help, or to avoid kidding your doe a second time altogether. Avoid attempting to kid a goat the second time around until you are certain that you can ensure the safety and health of the doe and the kid inside of her.
(Source: Meat Goat Production (psu.edu))
What could go wrong with multiple kiddings?
As previously mentioned, there are some issues that can arise when attempting to kid more than once in a year. These have more to do with what can go wrong when kidding in general. However, it is more likely to occur when kidding your doe multiple times, especially so close together.
- Sufficient fat – If a doe doesn’t have sufficient amounts of fat stored away before kidding, she could begin to starve and not have enough energy to properly feed the kids within her. When she runs out of fat to burn, it could cause stomach issues, making her lose the desire to eat altogether. In which case she will starve.
- Insufficient nutrition – If the doe does not receive sufficient nutrition before and during kidding, then it could cause issues and defects in the kids. It could also cause issues when it comes to giving milk for the kids after kidding.
(Source: Meat Goat Production (psu.edu))
(Source: Breeding Goats – Farming Magazine)
Are there benefits of having 2 kids in a year?
For those seeking meat production;
- Meat goats are actually known to have a higher fertility, making it easier for you to birth them more than one time a year
- kidding twice a year allows for greater goat meat production, especially in certain cultures that prefer young goat meat
For those seeking herd production;
- You will be able to increase your livestock quicker. And if you are seeking to sell goats, then you can increase your monetary intake as well.
(source: Meat Goat Production (psu.edu))