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Title: Genetic Evaluations-Dairy Goat Management Post by: mikey on November 22, 2007, 04:45:49 AM The genetic potential of dairy goats to produce milk and fat can be improved each generation if the does and bucks with the best genetypes in the current generation are selected as parents for the current generation.The practical difficulty in mating the best to the best,is to know which does and bucks are the best.KEEP RECORDS.The reproductive performance of goats can be exceptionally high.Birth rates of 98% over 2 estrous cycles with an average of 1.5 kids have been reported.Such fertilty is probably due to maximizing proper management.Reproductive management of dairy goats involves three periods:
1-the breeding season 2-the pregnant and dry period 3-kidding time AR or Advanced Registry is a special selection of records kept for those does who have met minimum requirements for production of milk and or butterfat for their age while on test under offical supervision,and bucks who have sired daughters meeting minimun requirements.These are based on lactations of 305 days or less and begin with a base of 1500 lbs. of milk and or 52.5 lbs. of butterfat for does freshening at age 2 years or less.For every day the doe exceeds 2 years of age at the time of kidding,up to the time she becomes 5 years of age,the requirement is increased by 0.2lbs of milk and 0.007 lb of butterfat.At the age of 5 years or more,a doe must produce 1719 lbs. of milk and or 60 lbs. of butterfat in the 305 days or less. By Goat handbook USA mikey |