Boer Goat Breeding Methods and Technical Key Points
Because the original Boer goat breeding stock was all imported from abroad in the early stage, the prices were relatively expensive, resulting in relatively high prices for the original and purebred stock bred and selected after being imported back to China. The Boer goat breeding video and methods are introduced as follows.
Boer goat breeding method
You can buy only 1 to 3 purebred Boer goat rams, use these goats to mate with local female goats, and after conception they will produce first-generation Boer goats. The male kids of first-generation Boer goats can only be raised as meat goats and should be castrated; they must not be kept as breeding goats. After the female kids of first-generation Boer goats grow up, if they are mated with purebred rams, they will produce second-generation Boer goats.
Note:
When first-generation Boer goat ewes are in estrus, do not mate them with their father goats, to avoid inbreeding. Second-generation Boer goat rams still cannot serve as breeding goats. After the second-generation female kids grow up and are mated with another purebred Boer goat, they can produce third-generation Boer goats. By the third generation, both rams and ewes can be considered purebred goats, though they still cannot compare with the fourth generation.
Generally speaking, using this method to breed Boer goats, a large number of purebred Boer goats can be bred in two to three years, which is much more economical and cost-effective than buying Boer goats directly. Some people estimate that one purebred ram can mate with at least more than 500 ewes in one year. If frozen semen insemination is used, one ram can mate with more than 10,000 ewes.
Using this method to breed Boer goats must also meet one important condition: the ewes used for mating must be relatively large in body size. Ordinary small-bodied “local goats” will not do. If small-bodied goats are impregnated by purebred goats, dystocia is very likely to occur, and both the ewe and the kid may be in life-threatening danger. Only large-bodied ewes can be mated with purebred goats. There is a type of ewe called the Saanen goat, which is relatively large in body size and also lower in price, and is suitable for mating with purebred Boer goats.
Estrus identification
In Boer goat breeding work, estrus identification is a very important step. The purpose of identification is to promptly discover ewes in estrus, correctly grasp the time for mating or artificial insemination, and prevent missed or improper mating that would reduce the conception rate and lambing rate. There are mainly 3 methods for estrus identification in Boer goats:
1. External observation method: When Boer goat ewes are in estrus, they show obvious excitement and restlessness, reduced appetite, cessation of rumination, loud bleating, tail wagging, and congestion, swelling, and relaxation of the vulva and vagina, with a small amount of mucus discharged or flowing out.
2. Vaginal examination method: This is a relatively accurate method of estrus identification. By using a vaginoscope to examine changes in the vaginal mucosa, secretions, and cervical opening, it can be determined whether the ewe is in estrus. During vaginal examination, first restrain the ewe properly, wash the vulva, then clean, disinfect, and lubricate the vaginoscope. The inspector holds the vaginoscope horizontally with the left hand, closes the front end, slowly inserts it from the vulvar opening, gently opens the front end, and uses a flashlight to examine changes inside the vagina. When the vaginal mucosa is found to be congested, red, glossy and moist on the surface, with transparent mucus exuding, and the cervical opening is congested, relaxed, open, and has mucus flowing out, it can be determined as estrus. After the examination is completed, close the vaginoscope and gently withdraw it.
3. Teaser method: Put a teaser ram into the ewe flock once a day or twice a day, morning and evening, at fixed times. The teasing site should be level, making it easy to observe and drive out ewes in estrus. After the teaser ram is put into the ewe flock, the staff should not shout; they may appropriately drive the ewe flock so that the ewes do not crowd together. When the teaser ram is found sniffing ewes with its nose, teasing ewes with its hooves, or even mounting on a ewe's back, while the ewe stands still or actively approaches the ram, such a ewe is a ewe in estrus. At this time, the ewe in estrus should immediately be separated out for breeding. The teasing time should preferably be about 1 hour.
Pre-lambing preparation
Preparation before Boer goats give birth: before lambing, the maternity meat goat shed should be cleaned thoroughly, and the walls and floor should be disinfected with 5% alkaline water or 2%~3% Lysol. Whether spraying the floor or coating the walls, it must be done carefully and thoroughly. During the lambing period, disinfection should also be carried out 2~3 times. The maternity meat goat shed should have sufficient area. During the lambing period, it should be kept as dry as possible and at a constant temperature. Dampness in meat goats easily causes problems. Feeding and management tools, feed troughs, hay racks, and other utensils should all be checked and repaired before lambing. They should be disinfected with alkaline water or limewater. Farrowing pens are necessary utensils at lambing time. After ewes give birth, keeping them in the pens can both prevent interference from other meat goats and make it easier for ewes to recognize their kids. Therefore, farrowing pens should be prepared or repaired before lambing. In pastoral areas in summer and autumn, it is best for Boer goats to leave some grassland not far from the meat goat pen, enclose it as much as possible, and not graze it. The area specially used as grazing grassland for lambing ewes should be sufficient for grazing lambing ewes for 1.5 months. The grassland should be sheltered from wind, face the sun, and be close to a water source. Ewes generally do not go out to graze within a few days after giving birth, so there should be enough high-quality hay, silage, and succulent feed to supplement the lambing ewes.
Postpartum management
1. As the due date approaches, pay attention to the condition of the ewe and do a good job in assisting birth. On the day the kid is born, promptly clear the mucus around the newborn kid's mouth and nose and the meconium at the anus, and disinfect the umbilical area with 5% iodine tincture. It must be allowed to suck colostrum to help expel meconium. If the ewe dies or lacks milk, try to have it obtain colostrum from another ewe. Newborn kids that are strong can suckle on their own; weak kids, or those from first-time mothers or ewes with weak mothering ability, need manual assistance in feeding. That is, confine the ewe in a mother-and-kid pen, hold the kid to the udder, and the kid will suckle. Weak ones should be fed once every 1~3 hours; after several times, they will find the ewe and suckle on their own. When ewes nurse kids, they often sniff the kid's tail area to identify their own kid, so when kids are nursed by other ewes because of insufficient milk, multiple births, or other reasons, the kid should be smeared with the ewe's urine so that she recognizes the kid.
2. At lambing time, this should generally be done in a lambing room or specially made lambing pen. For 3~7 days after birth, the mother and kid live there to ensure the kid can receive colostrum and to promote bonding between mother and kid. At the same time, care should be taken that the ewe does not crush the kid while resting at night. On the 7th day after birth, the ewe may appropriately go outside the shed to graze, and at noon the ewe should be brought back to the shed to nurse the kid. In the evening when they return, care should be taken to let each kid find its own ewe. If conditions permit, it is best to house the mother and kid together for 15~20 days.
3. When kids are 15~20 days old, they should be trained to eat grass. At half a month of age, supplement with mixed feed 50~75 grams/day; at 1~2 months of age, supplement 100 grams/day; at 2~3 months of age, supplement 200 grams/day; at 3~4 months of age, supplement 250 grams/day. The composition of the mixed feed is best based on beans, soybean cake, corn, etc.; it is best not to use cottonseed cake. For hay, alfalfa, peanut vines, willow leaves, etc. are best, and the hay should be chopped. Feed concentrate first, then roughage, and also appropriately add green feed. At the same time, ensure sufficient drinking water, and let the kids exercise for a certain period in the exercise yard every afternoon.
4. The weaning method for kids is that at 3~4 months of age, they must be weaned. The one-time weaning method is mostly used, that is, separating the mother and kids into groups and no longer keeping them together. After weaning, move the ewes away and manage the kids in groups according to sex, strength, and weakness.
5. Castrate and dock tails at the proper time. Non-breeding kids can be castrated at around 4 weeks of age, commonly by surgical method and ligation method. Tail docking can be carried out within two weeks after birth, commonly by cauterization docking and ligation docking.
6. Strengthening supplementary feeding of lactating ewes is very beneficial to the growth and development of kids. Within 8 weeks after birth, kids mainly rely on breast milk for growth. Supplementary feeding of ewes is mainly in late gestation and lactation, for about four months. For supplementary feeding, choose high-quality hay and concentrate. Each day, 1.5 kg of hay (alfalfa or wild hay is best), 1.5 kg of silage, and 0.45 kg of concentrate can be fed supplementarily. Within 3 days after lambing, if the ewe is in good body condition, concentrate may temporarily not be fed, and only high-quality hay may be given, to prevent indigestion or mastitis.
7. Do a good job in shed sanitation. Keep it dry, clean, and warm, maintain the temperature at 0~5°C, and prevent drafty wind. Frequently add bedding straw, or dry soil, dry manure, etc., to keep the floor dry. Promptly remove shed hair, wire, and other debris to prevent intestinal blockage or perforation in kids that could cause death. Feed troughs should be clean and hygienic.
In fact, the sheep born from mating with breeding ewes for surrounding farmers are Boer goat crossbred sheep, and compared with raising ordinary goats, farmers can also obtain greater returns. Under normal circumstances, one adult breeding ram can mate 3~4 times a day. If it rests once every 4 days, it can be used for an average of 24 days per month, and can naturally mate an average of 60 times per month. If the average is 30 yuan, the monthly profit is at least 1,800 yuan. Excluding 4 months of high-temperature weather in a year, the annual income from one adult breeding ram is nearly 15,000 yuan.