[tremayne]

Here's a situation we're facing: I bought my daughter a registered Alpine doe, "Nadine", in early May. Nadine turned 2 years old in March and has never freshened. My daughter has her at the school farm as a project and wants to show her at the district fair in October.

Here comes the dilemma part of the situation :scratch: : The fair rules state that a dairy goat past the age of 2 must show an udder to be shown in competition. Nadine has never been bred, so no udder :shrug: . I was under the assumption that Alpines are seasonal breeders and we would have a harder time trying to breed her off-season. So, please tell me if I've got this straight, does go into heat cycles all year-round, but the seasonal breeding breeds of bucks are only in rut in the late summer/fall months.

AI is a possibility, right? Unfortunately we're still learning basic goat care. I'm not certain we know how to tell when a doe is in standing heat, much less trying AI.

Even if Nadine became pregnant today, she wouldn't have time to give birth before the fair and I'd be concerned about the stress of taking a pregnant doe to the fair with all the exposure and excitement (it's a big fair).

So, I'm flat-out confused. :help:

Sorry this was so long. Thanks to anyone who takes the time to slog through it and offer some advice. You folks here are so wise and always steer us in the right direction.

Anna

 

[AlaskaBoers]

I think it is stressful on a pregnant doe, mine don't go preggo, and theyre not at their best either.
I'd talk to one of the livestock organizers or whoever is judging or in charge, he/she will be able to give you advice.
I believe that Alpines are seasonal, I'm not an Alpine person though...And bucks come into rut the same times as does come into heat. I have the boers and theyre all year long, but the bucks are at their best during the fall.

 

[Di]

Hi Anna, well the bad news is she's probably not going to "come in season" until later Aug-Sept. as Alpines are seasonal breeders. I don't know if you can bring her into season with a vets help (ie drugs) or not. But, even if you bred her tomorrow, chances are she wouldn't freshen before this show anyway.

However, it's pretty obvious when they come into heat if you recognize the signals. Excessive tag wagging, mounting other does (or being mounted by other does), and of course they get a little, well, we'll say vocal.

Is the show limited to the goats at the school? Is any breed acceptable? It would be hard to find a registered doe in milk at this point, I'm sure. Sorry for your daughter, will she be able to show next year?

 

[StaceyRosado]

Unfortunatly she won't go into heat on her own till August at the earliest.

I don't know about AIing her. Unless you have a vet with a tank and know someone with semen or where you can purchase some that part could prove chalenging in and of itself. Plus it is rather expensive to have a vet do it

 

[tremayne]

Thanks for the responses, folks. You verified what I suspected was true. My daughter has 3 Boer X goats (mama Cosby, baby girls Luna and Alice) to show, so she'll still be competing. Thanks for the concern for her. I think she was hoping to show Nadine because she's such a special sweet doe.

We'll concentrate on Cosby and her doelings for this upcoming fair, and then try and find Nadine a lovely buck to breed to and see what happens after that. Anybody here have Alpine goats in central California?

I'm excited to see what kind of udder Nadine develops and what kind of kids she has. I've never seen Alpine kids in real life. The school had only Boer X kids born this year. Those were the first kids we've been around up close and personal. I love them all, addicting little beggars that they are.

Yeah, AI is beyond us, both technically and financially at this point. The school may have a nitrogen tank for pig semen, but I'm not certain it would be available for us "goat people" to use.

Thanks, everyone. You're the best! :thumbup:

 

[StaceyRosado]

well thats great that she still has a doe to show it would be such a disapointment if she didn't.