Kidding season literally just ended today for me, and I'm already thinking about next year. A first timer boer doe was kidding and dad called me, "There's a head and a foot, and I can't catch her to help!" Reason number 708007080823423 that I hate wild boers... anywho, I was an hour away at my apartment, I told him to watch and she'd likely be able to move the kid even with one foot back - just takes more doing.
Sure enough, seconds later dad goes "Oh! The kid just hit the dirt! I'll call you back!" Hehe.
Anywho, some questions. I've read the comprehensive discussion on DGI about CIDR/PG600 use, but these weren't answered.
1. I want to use CIDR's and PG600 to cycle some of my does on a schedule next year. Some I'd like to AI, some live cover. In my research, I've seen it mentioned not to use CIDRs/PG600 on FF'ers. Is this for YEARLINGS as a maturity/development issue with hormones, or is it simply not suggested on FF's at all? A friend of mine would like to breed her 3 year old FF, but cycle them with a CIDR so we can attempt AI'ing. I have boer kid born the first week of March that I was thinking of attempting to AI and using CIDRs/PG600 to arrange her heats.
2. My friends and I are looking to invest in AI equip together. Anybody suggest anything specific? Maybe like a ready-to-go kit? Does anyone have an AI video that they reccommend? Or does anyone have an instructional AI video that they don't need anymore?
We're thinking there's an AI class put on by our state goat club, but it wasn't put on this past year and there's no guarantee it'll be held this year either.
3. How does one go about registering AI kids? I know the straws are labeled with info from the collection, and are labeled differently for owner use/resale if I recall correctly.
4. A lot of places mention AI'ing when the discharge is 'right'. Now, I'd say a good number of my does in heat don't show much discharge. Some mention waiting a certain number of hours from CIDR removal to placing semen, some said to wait very different amount of times for the discharge to be 'right'. Exactly what am I looking for, for the time to be right to AI? I know AI is most successful when a doe is going OUT of standing heat, but what signs do I look for?
Now I gotta pick out a boer buck and some alpine bucks...
I'm resisting expensive boer bucks this year, because it's my first year AI'ing, lol. I know it has a large learning curve and I'm not sure I want my learning curve to involve expensive investments.
