# Twins, triplets, & quads



## goatgirl16 (Nov 21, 2012)

Just put of curiosity if a doe is from a birth of quads is she more likely to have quads and same for twins and triplets?


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## J.O.Y. Farm (Jan 10, 2012)

Well.. They very well could and have a better chance of it. But it's not a 100% that they will. I have a doeling that was a single, her dam was one of quads. I had two does this spring, both out of a set of triplets, had singles. Then I had two sisters.. (Triplets) they both had triplets, one had twins, and one had quads, so it depends on the goat.


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

My first Nubian of unknown birth count had twins, then trips then quads every year after.
Her daughter has quaded a few times.
Of a pair of Boer twins, they have both had trips & quads, one Qs her first time. These usually take turns spitting out trips & quads each year but one threw me off one time with a single.
So glad her sister didnt make up for it!!


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

There is a better chance of it, but not set in stone. 
For example, I have a doe out of twins, she only ever has a single.
I have a doe from triplets, she normally twins, but her last kidding she had a single.


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## OakHollowRanch (Jun 6, 2013)

Our Nubian doe was a twin. She ended up having triplets, and I guess her sister had a single. I wonder what her daughter will have.


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## goatgirl16 (Nov 21, 2012)

Thank everyone I was just curious I love the surprise of the babies all but two of my does had twins this yr one of the others had triplets this is her first kidding and she is a triplet and the other had a single and she was a twin I have one doe due to kid in sept and she is from a set of quads and I swear today her baby side piped out she is typically a slim girl


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## ptgoats45 (Nov 28, 2011)

Most of mine have followed suit after their dams. I had triplets from a doe, bred at the same time two had triplets and one had twins their first time. I had a doe who was a triplet form a FF, she had triplets her first freshening. Coincidentally she also had the same number of bucks and does (2 does and 1 buck) as her dam. I had one doe who had a single her first time, twins her second and triplets her 3rd. Her daughter had a single her first time and twins her second. She died of bloat after her second kidding so I never got to see if she would have triplets.

I think you do have a much better chance of getting multiples if the doe is a multiple, not a guarantee though. Nutrition plays a huge part in the number of kids a doe will have. If she is up on all of her minerals, fed well (and fed good quality feed) you are more likely to get higher multiples. This is why some people "flush" their does prior to breeding, basically they increase the amount of high quality feed to trick the doe into thinking that food is plentiful and it is ok for her to have multiples. If you do this, you do need to keep feeding them an adequate amount of good feed. Some people will only feed grain to their does until the does are bred, but if you quit right after they are bred the does body may think that she will not be able to support the multiples she just conceived and could slip one or more embryo's. 

I have also heard that the litter number of the buck can affect how many kids the doe has, but I'm not sure on that since the doe is the one producing the eggs all the buck has to do is produce enough sperm to fertilize all of the eggs the doe releases.

I did have a doe who had singles 3 years in a row then finally had twins.


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## goatgirl16 (Nov 21, 2012)

Well the feed thing I would believe all my FF had twins even the ones that where born singles and I am told I feed too much lol


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## goat luver 101 (Jul 19, 2011)

One thing I wish I could change about angoras-they rarely have more than twins


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## goatgirl16 (Nov 21, 2012)

I am such a goat baby junky lol I love to smother the momma's and when they are pregnant most of my girls just love all the extra attention they love letting me rub there belts and let me feel there babies move and I love being there when they are born and playing with them after I have to say the best part of babies is watching them interact with the herd and jumping on everyone's backs and irritating the older does it is hilarious I would just love for one of my girls to have quads once but I am happy with any they bless me with as long as they are happy


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## audrey (Jul 17, 2012)

My neighbors have a doe who was from quads, shes had singles every time for them lol.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

They definitely could repeat, but not always, feeding schedules, flushing unknowingly, can be a factor as well.


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

^^ yep!


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## Goat_in_Himmel (Jun 24, 2013)

This talk of quadruplets etc. makes me wonder...why is it that goats, who have two teats, not uncommonly have triplets or quads, but cows, who have four teats, only have one or two calves, I believe? Seems backward!


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## goatgirl16 (Nov 21, 2012)

audrey said:


> My neighbors have a doe who was from quads, shes had singles every time for them lol.


Oh man :/ lol


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## goatgirl16 (Nov 21, 2012)

Goat_in_Himmel said:


> This talk of quadruplets etc. makes me wonder...why is it that goats, who have two teats, not uncommonly have triplets or quads, but cows, who have four teats, only have one or two calves, I believe? Seems backward!


Lol never thought about that its a good point


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## ptgoats45 (Nov 28, 2011)

Goat_in_Himmel said:


> This talk of quadruplets etc. makes me wonder...why is it that goats, who have two teats, not uncommonly have triplets or quads, but cows, who have four teats, only have one or two calves, I believe? Seems backward!


I don't really know why either, just the way they were made I guess. Horses only have two teats and they almost always have singles, you would think cows would have been the same. Maybe it is a sign that we should be milking goats not cows. lol Unless you have four hands of course


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