How to Tell When Your Goat is in Heat

To ensure the arrival of baby goats in the spring, it’s important to recognize the signs your goat is in heat. Do you have your first goats and need some tips on how to recognize the first signs of goat heat? Read on!

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How Often Do Goats Go Into Heat?

Goats are similar to cows in that they will have a heat cycle (estrous cycle) every 21 days, give or take. Each doe (female goat) is different, so you’ll want to keep track on a calendar any time you see potential signs of heat for successful breeding.

What Does It Mean When a Goat Is In Heat?

Heat, also called estrous, is when a goat is fertile and can get pregnant. You typically have about a twenty-four-hour window in which to breed a goat. During that time an egg has been released from her ovaries, and can now be fertilized. 

If you try breeding her when she is not in heat, it will not result in a pregnancy.

goat kids wrong position rough and tumble farmhouse

How Long Is a Goat Pregnant?

Goat gestation, or the time they are pregnant, is typically between 140–150 days. Just like humans, this can vary on either end. This means they are pregnant for around five months. 

You’ll want to keep this in mind for goat breeding; I once had our buck breed with our doe in September, which means January kids here in Minnesota. 

For some goat producers, that is ideal, but we really aren’t set up for that sort of thing. I managed to keep the kids alive and in good health, but let me tell you, it was a real pain. Don’t want new kids with winter due dates? Consult a calendar and plan ahead for the right time!

Signs Your Goat Is In Heat

Tail Wagging/Tail Flagging

This is one of the easiest signs to spot your goat is in heat. The doe’s tail will wag around just like a dog. Quick little flits back and forth. Apparently, that motion really manages to get the buck’s attention, like waving a red flag in front of a bull.

Obnoxious

We keep Nubian goats, who tend to be a talkative bunch regardless of their heat cycle. Even still, when our goat girls are ready for a fella, they let the whole neighborhood know about it. 

My husband is an excellent help when it comes to telling when the goats are in heat because he complains about how obnoxious they are being. Ding ding ding! 

Swollen Vulva

Between our Jersey cows and our Nubian goats I spend way too much time looking at and deciphering the state of animal vulvas. But, they can be a good indicator of heat. Pay attention to your goat’s vulva each day. Is it puffy and swollen looking? Then she might be in heat. If you are brand new to goats it might not be ab ad idea to take a picture each day so you have something to compare it to.

Discharge

It sounds gross, but when I see discharge on my female animals I am thrilled. It’s a sure fire indication of heat. Discharge will be a thick, mucous looking thing. Almost like a clear snot.

Standing for the Buck

A doe in heat will stand in place while the buck mounts her. This is called a “standing heat”.  If she scurries away from him, then chances are she is not quite ready.

I had a doe once who did not have obvious heat cycles. My method was to every day let her into buck pen. If she tried to run for the hills, I simply let her back out and tried again the next day. 

Eventually she came into heat and instead of running from him, she was all lovey with him and stood still so he could get the job done. 

King, the handsome granddaddy of many of our goats.

Tricks to Help Detect Heat

Recruit a Wether

One easy way to detect heat in a goat is to keep a wether in with your does. A wether is a buck that has been castrated so they aren’t able to breed with any does.

However, many wethers still get pretty excited when a doe shows signs of heat. Often times they might try mounting the does or will chase them around. Especially if your does stand still for the wether’s mounting attempts, you know you are good to go.

Buck In a Can

This isn’t something I have ever tried but it is talked about in Storey’s Guide to Dairy Goats. They recommend taking a rag and rubbing it all over a buck who is in rut. Then you put the “buck rag” in a jar and seal the lid tight.

Bring that jar to a doe that may or may not be in heat. Open the jar and let her smell it and gauge her reaction. If she is very interested in it, then she may be in heat. 

Again, I haven’t tried this “can a buck” option with our own buck, but it might be worth a shot.

Keep a Calendar

Most goats tend to follow a pretty standard schedule of being in heat. If you’ve noticed signs that your goat is in heat but you aren’t ready to breed her yet, mark it on the calendar.

Then, make a note about nineteen days out so you remember to start watching for signs of heat again. Eventually you should be able to get down to a day or two of when you can expect her next heat cycle. 

At What Age Can You Breed a Goat?

This will vary for different breeds of goats. On our farm, so long as a doe was a healthy weight and size (very close to what we anticipated their adult size to be), and it was the right time of year for our weather, we would breed them.

When we kidded around April, this meant that the does were bred around November-December. Our does were usually then around 19 months of age when bred for the first time.

​If you have warmer weather for kidding, you might consider breeding them a few months earlier. 

signs of goat heat rough and tumble farmhouse

Options for Breeding

Keeping A Buck

At our farm, we keep a buck around to get our girls bred. This is the most efficient way to breed does who might come into heat at various times. There are a few challenges to keeping a buck, but ultimately they aren’t too much trouble and are very effective if your goal is to have a pregnant doe. 

Artificial Insemination

The success rate is higher with a buck than with artificial insemination, but it is an option for some folks. You likely will not be able to hire out goat AI like you can hire out AI’ing a cow. You would need to learn how to AI your does yourself, as well as correctly store the semen straws in a special cooled tank.

Rent-A-Buck

Some farms offer stud service of their bucks. The most likely version of this will involve you bringing your doe to the buck. You might do what is sometimes referred to as a “driveway service” where you unload the doe and have her bred while on a lead or briefly in a pen with the buck.

​Some farms allow you to leave the doe for a day or two on their farm for a fee. Personally, I would avoid this option, as it increases the risk of introducing diseases from their herd/property to your own. 

Lastly, some buck owners might bring a buck to you and do either the driveway service model or leave him with you. 

Buck Swap

​If you choose to keep a buck, you will likely only use him for a couple of seasons before you will have too many of his daughters around to keep him for breeding. At this point you will need to rehome your buck. 

If you develop a community among fellow goat owners, you might consider a buck swap. They will be in the same boat as you, needing to bring fresh genetics in. If it makes sense for both of your herds you might consider swapping bucks. 

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