# Does only have singles???



## MountainMeadowFarms (Feb 16, 2014)

I've had 7 boer and kiko does kid so far this year and every single one of them had singles, except for one. 4 of them are 2 year olds and this was their first kidding so kind of expected but still... One had twins last year and a single this year. Another had 5 last year and a single this year. The last one had three healthy triplets last year, this year I got to the barn within a few hours of the kids births. She had triplets again. 2 were dead when I got there, they looked physically healthy from the outside, and I'd almost guess they were dead when they came out because she barely cleaned them off and their bodies were laying right where they were born, the third was cleaned off, but she had abandoned it. That last living kid just never thrived and ended up dying two weeks later. Any thoughts on why I would have so many singles? I don't know if the buck would have an impact on the number of kids born, but I used two different bucks so that kind of discredits that thought.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

It varies with how many eggs are released at the time of conception.

sometimes they may be mineral deficient causing less fertility.

It is always a mystery though, with how many arrive with each Doe. Sometimes they will throw trips too, when they usually give twins or a single.

Some First timers can give singles or twins ect.


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

Sounds like you might want to look at the quality/type of hay you are feeding. I know that makes a huge difference with mine. Somewhere around 2009 I was feeding our hay - I had 14 sets of triplets out of somewhere around 25 to 35 does, I believe. Then in 2010 we started selling most of our hay to folks in Texas and I started feeding hay we purchased locally. In 2010 I had 2 sets of triplets and 10 singles, same thing in 2011 and 2012. I put my foot down in 2013 and told Dad I wasn't feeding that hay anymore and started feeding ours again. This past January I had 6 sets of triplets, 1 single, and the rest were twins out of 21 does. Although some does habitually have singles, it does not sound like that is the case in your situation. Re-evaluate your hay and go from there.


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

I agree with MsSCamp on this one.
Up your hay.
Most of ours do trips. We feed 3rd cut alfalfa yr round. Also does get flushed, meaning grain a week or two before being put with the buck.


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## MountainMeadowFarms (Feb 16, 2014)

Thanks for the responses. The quality of feed makes a lot of sense. All of my does were out on irrigated grass pasture when I let the buck out with them. It was September and October though so maybe they weren't getting quite enough nutrition out of that late fall pasture grass? Next time I'll supplement with some hay and grain before I let the buck in and see if that helps.


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

You are probably correct on the grass. Were there a lot of seed heads? When grass starts developing seed heads it stops growing, and the quality starts declining. If the seed heads have matured to the point that they are starting to shed seeds the quality of the grass is considered rank, becomes unpalatable in a lot of cases, and doesn't have nearly as much nutritional value.


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## canyontrailgoats (Jan 4, 2014)

The earlier in the season the does are bred, the more likely they'll have singles and twins. Then as you get into November through January they release more eggs and greatly increases the chance of multiples, triplets becoming more common.
Of course if you breed for early spring babies then this wouldn't work for you. I learned this from a goat breeder who raises 400 meat goats; she swears by this method and calculated that 91 percent of her ffs had twins while 88 percent of her other does had more than twins. Which therefore increases her profit by a lot! 

And as said above good nutrition is important too. I would try flushing them a couple weeks before breeding next year.


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

I can't speak for anyone else's goats, but that does not hold true for mine. Time of breeding does not matter if the feed is there - at least with mine.


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## canyontrailgoats (Jan 4, 2014)

True msscamp, I see your point with the feed. I'm sure if they are well fed then it wouldn't matter what time you breed them. I just thought it was interesting how that lady said they release more eggs in the winter. I asked a sheep vet about that a few days ago and he said he could believe it because the winter bred sheep always seem to have more triplets than the earlier bred one's.
I'd like to test that theory, but I think I'd need more than two goats to do so!
Maybe someone with a larger herd would like to do some testing for me?


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## MountainMeadowFarms (Feb 16, 2014)

MsScamp said:


> You are probably correct on the grass. Were there a lot of seed heads? When grass starts developing seed heads it stops growing, and the quality starts declining. If the seed heads have matured to the point that they are starting to shed seeds the quality of the grass is considered rank, becomes unpalatable in a lot of cases, and doesn't have nearly as much nutritional value.


I don't remember there being very many seed heads, it was all pretty well evenly grazed. But, I'll keep a better eye on it this year.


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

canyontrailgoats said:


> True msscamp, I see your point with the feed. I'm sure if they are well fed then it wouldn't matter what time you breed them. I just thought it was interesting how that lady said they release more eggs in the winter. I asked a sheep vet about that a few days ago and he said he could believe it because the winter bred sheep always seem to have more triplets than the earlier bred one's.
> I'd like to test that theory, but I think I'd need more than two goats to do so!
> Maybe someone with a larger herd would like to do some testing for me?


You know, come to think about it, that theory does make sense in a pasture environment given good pasture and proper management. The goats would keep it grazed down, thus the grass would be young, continuously growing and provide enough nutrition to improve the goats body condition. While I wouldn't mind helping you prove(disprove) the theory, I will have to pass because I do not have access to pasture. Sorry.


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## canyontrailgoats (Jan 4, 2014)

Haha, that's ok I didn't think you'd want to . I 'll just take the breeders word for it until I have a herd of goats and a pasture to put them in!


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

Totally agree with Jean. The alfalfa we had during the breeding season was exceptional last year. We have had 16 sets of triplets this year and 2 quads. That just about makes up half of all our bred does.


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## MountainMeadowFarms (Feb 16, 2014)

TDG-Farms said:


> Totally agree with Jean. The alfalfa we had during the breeding season was exceptional last year. We have had 16 sets of triplets this year and 2 quads. That just about makes up half of all our bred does.


When do you guys usually put your buck in with your does?


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

We hand breed each doe. We pen one of the bucks next to doe pen. This way everday we can see who is in heat. We take her out on a leash to one of two bucks and put her in them him. We let him "get her" once MAYBE twice if there were only a couple of does in that day, and then put her back into her own pen. This way we have exact dates on every doe and know who to watch and when come kidding season. Also a bo-se booster before the breeding season helps the bucks.


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## IDSaanens (Dec 7, 2008)

*Multiples*

I have been raising goats for 17 yrs and Saanens for 15 yrs. As a rule, my Saanens have singles and twins with the occasional triplets. Last year I ended up getting 3d cutting hay and also bought Chaffhaye in the summer, feeding it thru the winter.

So far this year, 3 does have had 3 sets of triplets. One due Weds looks to be triplets or quads (have not had a Saanen kid with quads yet) and the next one due 1 Apr looks like triplets also. If they have that many, I would attribute the multiples to the Chaffhaye and 3d cutting alfalfa hay....tho it wasn't that rich according to the testing I had done on it.

I think being wormed, real healthy and eating good is the reason for the multiples this year.

IdahoLaura


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

Even lower quality alfalfa is nearly twice the protein level of most grasses.


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## lottsagoats (Dec 10, 2012)

What % protein grain are you feeding? I found that my does on a higher protein grain (or feed) produce more kids per kidding. In the years I fed a lower protein grain, they had fewer kids. I have been told that giving a BO-SE shot a couple of weeks before breeding causes more kids per kidding also.


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