# Tracking heat cycles



## NoahEm (Sep 19, 2013)

Ok this is my first time breeding a goat! I can not tell when this girl is in heat! She's finally big enough to be bred. Problem is I have a lot of family weddings this year. Not having a due date is NOT an option. Does anyone have any tips for me?! I've been watching her behavior and just haven't noticed anything that would indicate she is in heat. She never really seems overly interested in the buck she sees everyday? I'm stumped and would hate to wait until December to breed her  

Would lute bring her into heat? I feel like I read that somewhere? 

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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Have you tried using a buck rag?


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## NoahEm (Sep 19, 2013)

No school me on the buck rag please


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## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

Is she in with the buck? Do they share a fence? Some goats don't cycle this time of year. Lute won't work unless she is currently cycling and has an active corpus luteum.


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

NoahEm said:


> Ok this is my first time breeding a goat! I can not tell when this girl is in heat! She's finally big enough to be bred. Problem is I have a lot of family weddings this year. Not having a due date is NOT an option. Does anyone have any tips for me?! I've been watching her behavior and just haven't noticed anything that would indicate she is in heat. She never really seems overly interested in the buck she sees everyday? I'm stumped and would hate to wait until December to breed her
> 
> Would lute bring her into heat? I feel like I read that somewhere?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Goat Forum


What breed is she? If she is a diary breed, chances are good she won't start cycling until the first part of September because most dairy breeds are seasonal breeders.


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## NoahEm (Sep 19, 2013)

It's a nigerian dwarf. She shares a fence line with the buck but they are not together In the same pen. 


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## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

If you never saw her in heat last fall or winter with this exact set up you describe, then you might consider separating the buck to where there is no contact, say in July - August or so. When the buck starts getting stinky and nasty, then put him back on fence line duty. His sudden appearance and smell should trigger some action.


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## NoahEm (Sep 19, 2013)

We bought him January 18th of this year. So he wasn't here in the fall. 


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## ciwheeles (Apr 5, 2013)

This will be a tough time of year to bring her into a visable heat. Even with bucks nearby. The guys aren't focused on breeding and the girls aren't having strong heats...  I'm in the same boat now with a doe.

I've heard that a there are tools like people use for AI (I think it's called a CDIR???) to bring them into heat when you need them to be. Hopefully someone else could shed a light on that, because it's beyond my area of expertise..




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## NoahEm (Sep 19, 2013)

At least I'm not the only one! Thanks Cassie! 


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## canyontrailgoats (Jan 4, 2014)

One trick I know of is to remove the buck out of sight and smell for two-three weeks. Maybe someone could keep him for you for a little while. In the meantime find a stinky buck and wipe a rag all over his head and tummy to cover it in his stench. Maybe a neighbor or someone close by has a buck still in rut you could use.
Bring the buck back and tie the rag to his collar or horn. The smell and sudden appearance of a rutty buck could throw the doe into heat. And the buck will get riled up with the smell of another buck on him. I've heard some people successfully brought does into heat with this method.


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## Bertnut2 (Feb 9, 2014)

My Nigerian Bertie is the same way. No signs when she's in heat. We have to watch her pooch every day. Then when we think she is in heat, and we set up her "date" if we can't get her there within that day, it's gone. It's so maddening. This has been going on since January and she still isn't bred. My other one Peanut makes it very clear at 5:30 in the morning when she is in heat and she was bred in Feb. Easy peasy. 


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## CAjerseychick (Sep 21, 2013)

Well this spring was our first time watching heats-- luckily we got our girls last summer so could see the before and after--

the vulva get pink, and there is discharge of fluids clear then milky etc... you will notice your buck getting super up close and personal with their urine (looks like he is drinking it)...

Their female parts.... sort of swell alittle and they look different...

there is alotta tail wagging and flirting with buck boy-- 
we got a buckling in November and he is just a little guy, we are just letting him run with them so far....

hope that helps...


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