Are you wanting to breed dairy goats? Do you need to know how to tell if your goat is in heat?
This post will tell you exactly what signs to look for to make your breeding season easier!
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How To Tell If Your Goat Is In Heat – 10 Signs
When breeding season begins, I start watching and observing my does so that I can tell when they are ready to breed.
If you aren’t sure when breeding season for dairy goats is, then be sure to read my post When Do Dairy Goats Breed? to find out.
Goat In Heat
Once you are sure that you are in breeding season, here are the ten signs to look for:
1. Discharge
This is the main sign that I look for.
It is very obvious and you will recognize it as soon as you see it.
In my experience, all does in heat will have a drippy discharge.
It tends to be either clear or milky white and will vary in amount.
How long are goats in heat?
A heat will last anywhere from 6 hours to 3 days.
So as soon as you see this discharge put your doe with the buck immediately!
2. Swollen and red rear end
In addition to discharge, your doe might have a very swollen and red rear end.
Now I say might, because I have a few does that do not do this, but I have one doe in particular that gets really swollen and red.
This is another clear sign that your doe is in heat, especially if discharge accompanies it.
Immediately put your doe with your buck!
3. Showing interest in bucks
The second main sign that I rely on is my doe showing interest in the bucks!
I can always tell that one of my does is in heat when I open up their pens in the morning and she makes a beeline for the bucks field!
A doe in heat will seek out a buck.
My does stand next to the fence where the bucks are and will not leave!
4. Wagging her tail
Sometimes when a doe is in heat she will excessively wag her tail back and forth.
I generally see this as one of the first signs that a doe is coming into heat.
In my experience, it usually precedes the discharge and will continue throughout the heat.
5. Urinating in front of the bucks
Ok, this is really gross, but it is a sign!
When a doe is in heat she will actually pee in front of the buck.
And the buck will smell it and even drink it! I know, I’m cringing as I write it, it’s so nasty!
But, it is a sign, and I want you to be completely aware of all that will take place when your doe is in heat.
6. Buck showing interest in doe
In addition to the doe showing interest in the bucks, the bucks will all show interest in her if she is in heat.
They will all act like stupid boys fighting over the girl!
The buck will show interest in the doe by curling his lips and smelling the air, drinking her pee, peeing on himself (yeah really, really gross!), and trying to mount the doe.
7. Letting the buck mount her
A sure sign that your doe is in heat is that she will allow the buck to mount her to breed.
If she is not in a true heat she will not allow him to do this.
If she is running away from him then she probably isn’t in full heat yet.
8. Mounting other does
Now this is a sign that others have seen in their does, but I have never seen mine do this. Every doe is different.
However, if you do see your doe mounting another doe, or letting a doe mount her, then she could be in heat.
9. Yelling excessively
Sometimes a doe that is in heat will be very vocal!
She might stand by the boy’s fence and yell and yell.
If this symptom accompanies any of the other symptoms on the list, then it probably is a sign that your doe is in heat.
10. Not interested in feed
The last symptom on our list is that your doe might decide that she doesn’t want to eat.
She might show no interest in hay or grain and spend all of her time hanging out with the boys instead!
If this happens while your doe is in heat do not worry, it is completely normal!
As long as your doe doesn’t show any symptoms of being sick (except being lovesick;) then she will be fine.
Especially if she is showing other signs of being in heat in addition to this symptom.
So there you have it, the 10 signs that will tell you if your goat is in heat! I hope this list helps you to determine when your doe is in heat and ready to breed.
After your doe comes into heat and you have put her with the buck, read 7 Signs That Your Dairy Goat Is Pregnant to confirm that you doe is indeed bred!
Before long, you will hopefully have lots of newborn goats and plenty of fresh goat milk!
To learn more about breeding, pregnancy, kid care and everything else you need to know to care for your goats, check out the Raising Goats For beginners Course! This course has step by step lessons, videos and PDFs for everything from goat illnesses, feeding, milking, you name it! It will help you to raise your goats with confidence, as well as provide a group for personal help and support!
Free Goat Health eCourse!
This info is going to help me a lot! now I know to prepare ahead, instead of waiting till she is in heat. Thanks!
What about milk production? Will she develop an udder, if she is a maiden, during heat cycle?
She will not begin to develop an udder until she is bred, so no she will not develop an udder while in heat.
Can a doe that is still in milk go into heat and become pregnant?
Yes a doe that is still in milk can definitely come into heat and be bred.