If the goat does not come into heat. what to do? Causes of pathology

Sexual cycling in goats

The first signs of heat in goats appear when they reach puberty. At this time, eggs begin to mature, special hormones are produced, and secondary symptoms appear. The growth and development of eggs in goats will continue throughout their lives.

Morphofunctional restructuring occurs under the influence of sex and auxiliary hormones, the formation of which increases sharply during maturation. Under the influence of these substances, the development of reproductive organs occurs. Subsequently, bursts of hormonal activity will be observed during the arousal stage, which leads to the maturation of the egg, thickening of the vaginal epithelium layer, and preparation of the uterine environment for fertilization.

Typically, goats reach sexual maturity at 5-8 months, but there are differences determined by the following factors:

breed;
type of feeding and fatness;
climatic conditions;
care and maintenance;
presence of a goat in the herd.

Often, as early as six months, a goat can be successfully mated by a male, but this should not be allowed until the animal reaches physiological maturity. In practice, it is usually determined by reaching 70-80% of the weight of an adult animal. Goats should be used for herd reproduction from 12-14 months.

With the traditional keeping of goats, there is a pronounced seasonality of reproductive cycles - females usually come into heat from September to December. This allows the pregnancy period to be postponed to the winter and early spring months, and lambing and development of young animals occurs during the grazing period, due to which the kids quickly gain weight.

Stages of the reproductive cycle

Sexual cycles appear when the goat reaches 5-7 months, and then repeat every 14-17 days, stopping only during pregnancy and summer with traditional (pasture) breeding. In healthy females, signs of estrus begin to appear already in the first month after lambing. This feature of goats allows you to get up to 1.7-1.9 lambings per year from one queen.

When does the hunt usually start?

The first signs of heat in a goat appear with the onset of puberty. On average, this is 5–8 months of age. The female's readiness for fertilization depends on several factors:

animal breeds;
type of feeding;
conditions of detention;
climatic features;
the presence or absence of a goat in the herd.

Despite the fact that a female can be covered even at six months of age, it is not recommended to allow this until the individual has matured physiologically - that is, until she has gained 80% of the weight required for an adult animal.
The desired age for first mating is 12–14 months. The development and growth of eggs in a female occurs throughout her life. Hunting often occurs between September and December, which is very convenient for the birth of young animals. However, in general, goats are polycyclic animals, which means they can go into heat regardless of the time of year.

Why doesn't it come into heat?

In some cases, people may encounter the following problem: the goat has passed puberty, but does not come into heat. The same trouble is typical for animals that have given birth to healthy kids, and suddenly, after the last birth, heat does not occur. First of all, it is necessary to eliminate the tightness. This often happens when animals of different sexes are kept freely and separated late, and the owner may simply overlook it.

The most common reason for a lack of heat is that the goat is overweight. It is not recommended to immediately go on a strict diet: you need to limit yourself to adjusting the diet, in which carbohydrates and fats are reduced and fiber of plant origin is increased.

It must be remembered that in some goats, estrus occurs in a hidden form: a test mating is an excellent way to detect it. If the queen allows the breeder to approach, this indicates the onset of heat.

Tempting character

If there is a need for a goat restraint, it is better to use a piece of chain. It is put on the animal's neck, the end is attached to a metal ring. A strap is attached to the chain, which is put on the male’s leg.

This is interesting

This device does not interfere with eating food or grass on the lawn, but at the same time does not allow the pet to show aggression, interfere with other animals or run away from the herd. Thanks to this mechanism, the animal is able to walk on only three legs. It is important that the farmer controls the individual when he is wearing the device, because sudden movements will lead to wounds.

How is pregnancy going?

In goats it occurs easily. In the first months, she is indistinguishable from other females. A change in forms occurs when half the term has passed. The sides become asymmetrical, the stomach becomes rounded. Behavior also changes - the female is calm, spends more time lying down, eats more.

Mating of goats is the most important production event on the farm, including detection of heat in a goat, selection of a goat, and preparation for mating. The optimal age for the first mating is 1.5 years for goats, and 1 year for male goats, but animals can mate earlier. Mating is carried out once a year, but there are exceptions (in beef cattle breeding, frequent mating is often practiced, and in dairy cattle breeding, vice versa).

For breeding, several technologies are used, combined into two groups - natural and artificial insemination. In the first case, there is direct contact between the goat and the buck, in the second, a person (insemination technician) uses ready-made sperm. Embryo transplantation is rarely used in goat farming.

Definition of tightness

Pregnancy in most cases occurs after the breeding period. To provide better care, each owner must be able to diagnose pregnancy in an animal. You can get acquainted with the necessary methods in the following table:

What is

There are several methods - from the use of sterile instruments and a speculum to ultrasound and veterinary examination. The most accurate is ultrasound, which allows you to determine the timing

Home Farm Inspections

Inspection of the udder during milking. The udder should be increased in size. Checking the skin next to the vagina: in pregnant animals it is even and smooth. Monitoring the general condition of the animal. The goat should be calm and have a good appetite. In later stages, asymmetry of the abdomen is observed, the sides become round.

What to do if there is no hunting

There are cases when the breeder does not see signs of hunting for a long period. There are a number of reasons that may explain the absence of estrus.

These include the following:

Pregnancy.

This is possible if the goat breeder missed the moment of hunting. After determining the gestation, it is necessary to change the care and monitoring of the female.

How to stimulate

For stimulation, hormonal drugs containing progesterone are used.] Thanks to the effect of the female hormone on the body, the eggs forcibly begin to develop and enter the phase necessary for fertilization. A tampon impregnated with the drug is inserted into the vulva.

Hunting in goats is determined by a simple analysis of the animal’s behavior. With the correct approach of the breeder to mating and monitoring of pregnant individuals, the female will successfully become pregnant and give birth to healthy offspring.

How does hunting manifest itself?

Any goat breeder, even a beginner, will unmistakably determine that his favorite is in the hunt. You can determine that an animal is ready to mate by its non-standard behavior and some characteristic signs:

The animal eats poorly or does not eat at all.
The goat bleats continuously and anxiously.
The tail moves from side to side.
Mucus is released from the swollen genitals.

If you put your hand on its back, the goat will sit down and bend down, this will finally dispel all doubts about the condition of the animal. This can go on for a day or a little more.

How to coordinate this process so that it takes place at the right time and fertilization is effective?

Is it possible to prepare the animal for this period so that everything goes well?

In order for the hunt to come on time and for the goat to develop an interest in the male, you need to monitor its diet. The animal must not be overfed, otherwise it will become fat. They create comfortable conditions for him and provide him with increased care and attention.
A month before the expected onset of the hunt, sprouted grain is introduced into the goat menu. Oats, barley, flax or wheat are given, starting with a tablespoon, increasing the volume to a handful.

Features of growing up

By the age of 6 months, goats reach sexual maturity. However, it is not recommended to let him mate before a year. An early age can affect further development, and the offspring may be born very weak and with disabilities.

At what age can a male goat cover a female goat? The right time for mating is when the male is 1-2 years old. By this period, it will be correctly formed, and it will be possible to easily determine the presence of shortcomings and positive traits.

It is enough to keep one male for 50-60 females, but it is important to control the load. In the first year of mating, 10-20 queens will be enough. The load is increased to 30, subject to 4 cages per day.

When a male turns 7 years old, he becomes unsuitable for procreation. Experts recommend changing the animal every year to avoid inbreeding.

Stimulation with veterinary drugs

If all these actions do not bear fruit, then special medications are used. Every 10 days, the animal is injected with the hormone estrofan, which stimulates reproduction. The result appears after 11 days.

If this drug does not produce results, then they begin to change the dose - progesterone is added to estrofan, after the injection signs of heat should appear in the goats.

In special cases, hormonal-correcting agents are prescribed, and surfagon is also used. You cannot choose the types and doses of medications yourself, otherwise the situation will worsen. For this you need to contact a veterinarian, and he, based on age, weight and number of lambings, will prescribe everything necessary. Each goat has individual characteristics, so you should not trust the advice of friends.

Such methods greatly help in breeding new offspring and stimulate signs of heat in the goat. Thanks to them, healthy kids are born, and the reproductive abilities of females are restored.

Drugs are not the only method of stimulating heat. In addition to them, there are other effective methods.

How to induce heat without using drug therapy?

If young goats are not showing signs of heat, you can try old, time-tested recommendations, for example:

A goat is placed in a pen or barn with a goat. After two days, the goat will show signs of heat.
At the end of summer, they take crushed hay and wipe the goat's skin with it on all sides. In the spring it is fed to the goat.
Beginners need to know that when buying a goat, it is better to immediately get a goat along with it; the animals need to be kept together.

It is not recommended to use free mating when the goat is constantly with the herd for stimulation. In this case, it is difficult to control how many animals have not taken a walk and how many will be preparing for lambing. And this can have a negative impact on the goat’s health.

Some goat breeders resort to forced mating. After one or two cages, signs of hunting usually appear. There is no need to be afraid that such a pregnancy will be unsuccessful, and the offspring will not be healthy; practice shows that forced mating does not affect this.

If the animal is unfertilized, then after 18 days in the fall, and after 25 - 30 in the winter season, signs of heat should appear.

Study the recommendations of experienced goat breeders, this will help you use queens more intensively, get healthy offspring to strengthen the herd and have tasty and healthy milk throughout the year.

Feeding the owner of the herd

Feeding a goat occurs in three ways, depending on the time of year and its purpose. This:

Pasture and stall period. If the animal regularly goes out for grazing, it will take all the important and useful substances on its own. But additional feeding will not be superfluous. Farmers use concentrated feed in a dose of 0.6-0.8 kg per individual. During the winter season, build the right diet, which will consist of nutritious food. Hay is added 35-40% of cereals and legumes - 20-25% of succulent food and concentrated feed - 40-45%. The nutrition of the herd should be aimed at its fatness, but it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of the body during the rutting and mating periods.
Not a random season. This time is considered the quietest for the goat. They do not demand anything from him and do not load him, but it is not worth bringing him to the point of exhaustion. The daily feed rate in winter is 2-2.5 hay, 0.3 concentrates, 1 kg of potatoes, cabbage or other vegetables. During the hot season, the pet is sent out for grazing and, if necessary, fed in the same amount as in winter.
Mating. This is the most crucial period for the male, because maximum effort and energy will be required from him. Therefore, the animal’s diet needs to be enriched. If mating occurs during the warm season, the goat is fed 0.8-1 kg oats, 0.2 kg cake, 0.1-0.2 bran, 0.5 carrots. Feed 1-2 chicken eggs and feed them back. During table care, the diet becomes a little more complicated. If 3 cages are carried out per day, the animal is fed 1.2 kg of mixed-grass hay and 0.5 kg of alfalfa hay. In addition, they give crushed barley - 0.4 kg, the same amount of oats, 0.2 bran, 0.1 sunflower meal, 0.2 peas, 1 kg of beets, and 0.5 carrots.

In order for the goat to obtain normal fertilizing ability at the time of mating, he is first taken to a good lawn 6 weeks in advance and the daily portion of food is increased to 0.8-1 kg.

Causes of the problem

If the goat does not show any signs of hunting, behaves aggressively towards the male and does not let him near, beats him, then there may be several reasons for this. The female may not like the introduced male - these animals are highly sensitive to pheromones. In this case, try bringing in another goat and observing the behavior. It is advisable that young goats be covered by an older inseminator, and vice versa, young goats are brought to older females.

Poor diet is another likely cause. If the menu is not balanced, the goat does not receive the necessary microelements and vitamins, this can lead to temporary infertility, the milk will become tasteless and watery. Magnesium deficiency has a particularly negative effect. Review the animal's diet and improve its quality, add mineral and vitamin supplements to the food.

The next nuance is the microclimate. If the conditions of detention are unfavorable, the individual experiences climatic infertility. And vice versa, if you create conditions for the animal with a stable microclimate, which will be the same all year round, the female will be ready for insemination at any time of the year.

Did you know? The specific smell of milk is characteristic only of aboriginal goats. Dairy breeds do not produce such a smell; their milk is very tasty, and when cooled it has the taste of fresh hazelnuts.

The most unpleasant reason why a goat does not hunt is diseases:

ovarian pathology, cyst;
inflammation of the uterus, ovaries;
hormonal disorders and metabolic disorders;
delayed return of the uterus to normal after childbirth.

The phenomenon of hermaphrodites

Hermaphrodites are organisms that simultaneously possess male and female sexual characteristics. This phenomenon can also occur in animals. In some cases, kids are immediately born of different sexes, but sometimes their sex depends on the influence of the environment, which affects them throughout their lives.

It is easy to determine whether there are hermaphrodites among the individuals; it is enough to examine the animal and observe its behavior. The signs are:

The male's genitals are undeveloped.
The urinary canal is not formed correctly.
The tail is lowered and there is no forelock on the head.
There are no differences in gender characteristics, but during the course of his life the male acquires the features of a female. The body weakens, hormonal levels change, and the characteristic smell disappears.

Hermaphrodites cannot give birth. They are born infertile or become so within 6-12 months.

How to induce heat and prepare the female for mating?

There are two ways to stimulate estrus:

Hormonal. A cotton swab is impregnated with a special composition containing progesterone and inserted into the goat’s vagina. Once in the blood, the hormone stimulates the maturation and release of the egg. This method is often used in animal husbandry. If pregnancy is suspected, the use of hormonal drugs is contraindicated to avoid miscarriage.
Svetov. Goats go into heat when daylight reaches 12 hours. You can create the necessary conditions using artificial lighting. Depending on the situation in the room where animals are kept, the lamps are turned on or, conversely, turned off for a certain time.

Why doesn't the goat come into heat?

Sometimes there are situations when a goat, upon reaching puberty, does not show signs of attraction to a male, and breeders have a question why the goat does not come into heat, and how to correct the situation. There are several reasons for an animal’s decreased drive.

Obesity

One of the most common reasons why goat hunting does not occur on time is considered to be obesity of the animal. If the problem is extra pounds, then you can’t immediately starve your pet and put her on a strict diet to lose weight. In this case, it is necessary to reduce the portion of solid food in the daily diet.

Well-fed goats cannot be kept at rest all the time, where they are deprived of the opportunity to actively move. Females should roam freely, preferably under supervision.

You should know that all animals differ in their temperamental characteristics, so for some goats the hunting period passes quietly and almost unnoticed.

Exhaustion

The exhausted state of an animal means a deficiency in the body of proteins, fats, vitamins and microelements.

Exhaustion can be noticed by certain signs:

in the areas behind the ears, hair falls out, forming bald spots;
the skin around the eyes is bare, without down;
the skin on the udder is dried out, there are numerous wrinkles on the surface;
significant weight loss;
emerging skeleton.

Exhaustion becomes a serious reason for the lack of hunting, as the body signals a lack of energy for bearing and feeding cubs.

Diseases

Disorders of the reproductive cycle can provoke various diseases.

The most dangerous diseases for goat reproduction are:

decreased ovarian function;
cyst-like growths on the ovaries;
infantilism (underdeveloped state of the genital organs);
bisexuality (hermaphroditism);
disruptions in the functioning of the thyroid gland and adrenal glands;
inflammation of the genital organs: uterus and vagina;
uterine subinvolution – delay in postpartum reverse development of the uterus.

These diseases affect the degree of sexual attraction of the goat to the goat. They appear due to improper care, early coverage and characteristics of individual development.

Physiological abnormalities

Developmental anomalies can not only affect the activity of sexual estrus, but also the health of the goat in general.

The most common types of anomalies include:

shortening of the skeletal axis;
nervous diseases: seizures and epilepsy;
congenital goiter, compressing the trachea, which can suffocate the mother during childbirth;
Hermaphroditism is the presence of both male and female genital organs in one individual.

Release form

Estrofan is sold in veterinary pharmacies in the form of an injection solution. Placed in glass containers with a capacity of up to 10 ml (ampoules of 2 ml are available, packaged in 10 pieces in 1 package).

Glass bottles are placed in a cardboard box and packaged.

Important! The packaging with estrofan should indicate the expiration date and the optimal temperature for storing the drug.

On the sealed box there is a mark indicating the sterility of the product and the possible area of application (veterinary medicine).

How to induce heat in a goat

When a pet has no desire to mate for a long time, it can be provoked.

Expert opinion

Zarechny Maxim Valerievich

Agronomist with 12 years of experience. Our best country expert.

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There are several ways: with the help of medications or through proper coordination of the female’s diet.

Medication method

To induce heat in goats, hormonal agents containing progesterone are used. The drug acts on the egg, and the goat is forced into heat. Medicines that help induce the desire to mate:

"Estrophan." It is administered intramuscularly 2 times a day, the average dose is 0.7 ml. As soon as the breeder sees signs of estrus, the animal should be impregnated immediately. If the attempt to induce heat is unsuccessful, the injections must be repeated after 10 days.
"Progesterone". Placed intramuscularly every 2 days (3-4 injections). Goats that are in heat are covered twice. If estrus has not begun, the procedure is repeated after 16 days. Synthetic progestogens are administered orally or intravaginally.
"Surfagon". To initiate ovulation, the pet is injected intramuscularly with 1-10 mcg of the drug. The female is covered twice, every 12 hours. The tool can also be used to synchronize hunting.

The dosage of medications is prescribed by a veterinarian, focusing on the age and body weight of the animal. It must be remembered that hormonal drugs cause miscarriage in a pregnant goat.

Without the use of medications

Before resorting to medications, veterinarians recommend trying more natural methods:

it is necessary to examine the animal to ensure its health. If sexually transmitted infections are detected or parasites are found, treatment should be started immediately;
you need to reconsider the animal’s diet, diversify it with vitamins, grains (barley, oats, wheat), flax and soy;
you should rub a piece of hay on the male, and then feed this dried grass to the goat;
some owners resort to forced mating. Sometimes this method results in the goat awakening to desire.

See also Description and conditions of keeping Alpine mountain goats, cost of ibexesRead

Quite often, these recommendations lead to the resumption of estrus. Goats conceive and produce healthy offspring.

Goat Covering Process

The natural way is the safest

Among breeders there is a practice of so-called wave mating, when one goat grazes in a herd of goats. At the moment when the female is ready to mate, the male fertilizes her on his own. This method of covering has one drawback - the goat quickly gets tired and ceases to be interested in females.

Another widely used method has worked well among farmers. The goat is brought to the male in person and locked in a specially equipped room. Sometimes you can simply put the doe in a small pen so that she stands still and let the buck approach her. The mating process in artiodactyls takes several minutes. The end signal is a strong push, after which the female usually hunches her back.

When is it necessary to stimulate a goat?

Stimulation of the female is carried out in the following situations:

in the case when the animal has reached puberty, but hunting has not occurred for various reasons;
during herd synchronization, when animals are fertilized at the same time;
when a goat remains unfertilized after mating.

If a goat does not come into heat on time, this does not mean that everything is bad and you need to get rid of the female. The reason for this behavior may be simple poor nutrition or metabolic disorders. Therefore, it is necessary, adhering to the listed recommendations, to exclude the main causes and help your pet.

Proper care of a goat after lambing

You can milk a goat after lambing after 1.5 - 2 hours. Before this, you need to give the goat water to drink. If there is a large amount of milk, you should milk immediately so that the udder does not harden and to avoid the onset of an inflammatory process. Do not give the first portions of milk to small goats. They contain a large number of microbes. After the first three days, begin feeding your goat feed in moderate amounts. Over time, when you begin to increase your norms, add root vegetables to your diet. At first, milk the animal 4 times a day before the mother feeds the cubs.

Signs of heat: how do you know if a goat is ready for mating?

Sexual arousal in goats is usually accompanied by striking changes in the behavior and functionality of a number of systems (primarily reproductive). The activity of sexual reflexes begins to predominate, inhibiting most of the others, which is why many goats in heat refuse food, or their appetite is greatly reduced.

Goats have a pronounced sexual seasonality - they come into heat from September to December.

The first sign that appears in an excited goat is estrus. Clear mucus is released from the genitals. All reproductive organs undergo changes - the internal membranes are covered with additional layers of epithelium, the number of glands in the uterus increases, which produce mucus. At this stage, the cervix opens, allowing the discharge to enter the vagina, where it mixes with rejected epithelial cells, many of which are found by smear microscopy.

The amount of mucus in goats is usually small. It can be visually detected on the tail - clots on the fur, as well as during a detailed examination of the genital slit. Redness of the vaginal vestibule is also detected.

Vivid changes occur in the behavior of the goat, determined by sexual arousal. The general reaction occurs after the appearance of discharge in the female. Behavior noted:

refusal of food;
aggressiveness towards other goats;
decreased productivity;
interest in the goat appears;
often take a posture to urinate;
animals scream loudly (bleat).

Estrus and general arousal occur due to the influence of estrogen hormones. As their concentration increases, the manifestation of signs will also increase and the appearance of a new one - hunting (a positive reaction to the male). In a goat it lasts 32-40 hours, during which time she approaches the goat and allows him to mount. Then the female loses interest in the opposite sex and often reacts aggressively. What to do to check the heat - put a tester on the goat.

Why doesn't the goat come into heat?

The absence of a pronounced reaction of sexual arousal in the female often frightens farmers. Prolonged infertility of an animal not only leads to loss of profit, but can also indicate serious pathologies of the reproductive organs and other systems.

In order for a goat to hunt in a traditional homestead, you need to wait until the breeding season. It usually begins in September and can last until the end of December. If your animals are constantly kept in a warm barn and you do not have seasonal changes in breeding and feeding, then the females should come into heat all year, except during pregnancy.

Feeding can affect the normal course of the sexual cycle . Both overfeeding is dangerous (overfed goats often lose cycles and the duration of the phases is disrupted) and underfeeding - a deficiency of protein, microelements and vitamins causes the body to temporarily weaken the production of hormones. Your farm should be built from an approach to proper maintenance and feeding.

Lack of hunting may indicate diseases:

inflammatory processes in the vagina, uterus;
cysts and other ovarian pathologies;
subinvolution of the uterus - after childbirth, the reverse development of the genital organs may be delayed;
hormonal disorders and metabolic pathologies.

If the goat does not come into heat, then it is necessary to do a full clinical examination of the animal. It is advisable to carry it out several times a year - in the postpartum period to monitor the animal’s recovery, and 1-1.5 months before mating, in order to have time to prepare the female. During the examination, attention is paid to the general condition of the animal (temperature, fatness, respiration, condition of the external integument, functioning of the internal organs).

Particular attention is paid to the study of the reproductive system. Using a vaginal speculum, the condition of the mucous membrane is examined, the nature of the surface, the presence of injuries, and overlays are noted. A smear should be taken for microscopic examination - based on the elements it contains, a diagnosis can be made. Then you will have to do a blood test for general indicators and hormone levels.

Let's talk about mating

Choosing a male is a responsible matter. Choose animals with excellent health and good origin. After this, a month before mating, it is worth feeding the male with a complex of vitamins and macroelements. Required set: zinc, magnesium, iodine, cobalt, vitamins A, D, E. Only then allow the male in.

Cattle breeders distinguish three types of mating:

manual mating - the female is left with the goat in the goat's coop;
free mating - animals of both sexes are kept together for two months. Mating occurs without human intervention, but this method negatively affects the reproduction of males.
harem mating - during the mating period, the male is kept together with two or three selected females. This type allows you to control the quality of the offspring.

During mating, the male must make two cages. If more than three weeks have passed and the female no longer comes into heat, then the animal has gone wild.

Algorithm of actions for synchronizing the reproductive cycle of a herd

Before starting to synchronize the herd, they review the goats’ diet and do everything to ensure that the nutrition is balanced and rational.
They detect the presence of worms and other parasites, eliminate infectious foci and pay great attention to strengthening the immunity of animals.
Vitamin therapy is prescribed, for example, Tetravit, etc.
Food additives and stimulants are added to the feed.
Some plants (walnuts, soybeans, flax, etc.) have a good effect on stimulating hunting in goats.
If these measures are unsuccessful, veterinary drugs are used to synchronize hunting. Estrofan injections are given every 10 days. The effect of its use occurs on the 11th day.
If heat does not occur, additional drugs are used (estrophan in combination with progesterone).
In more severe situations, medications are needed that correct the animal’s hormonal levels in combination with surfagon.

The drugs and their dosage are prescribed by a veterinarian, taking into account the age, weight and number of lambings of the animal. All goats are individual, and it is better not to rely on the advice of neighbors or your own intuition.

These simple manipulations and veterinary drugs help produce healthy young animals and restore the reproductive functions of healthy goats in the event of synchronized hunting of livestock or individuals.

The goat thought.

In addition to veterinary drugs, others are used that can be no less effective.

Feed additives

Goats need mineral supplements all year round, but especially in winter when they are not eating fresh greens from the pasture.

Supplementary minerals (there are a number of products on the market designed specifically for the goat industry) are best fed as a bulk product from specialized dispensers, but in the absence of dispensers can be offered on a free choice basis.

Goats require significant amounts of copper and selenium in their diet, and in winter, when their fluffy coats need to keep them warm from the cold, zinc is added. Zinc and copper are two minerals that promote the growth of a thick coat.

Take a bag of sunflower seeds from your home bins to mix a handful or two into your grain rations. The seeds contain healthy fats and provide essential oils to the skin and coat to counteract the cold.

Vegetable supplements, pumpkin or carrots, will undoubtedly please the animals.