Preg results are in - some synch ?'s. :)

[mygoat]

Grace-Hill Magnolia is officially settled AI to SG Sunshine Rehma Reprise. Hoping for a son out of there to keep.

The two AI boer does, Vixen and Vermillion, were open. The 4th Alpine doe that I AI'd was in a raging heat LAST weekend, so I didn't preg check her, lol.

Crystal, Lolita and Strudel were open, had been bred live cover to Waylon.

Princess, Miss Hop, Mattie, and Lily were settled. Mattie and Lily are headed to another HT member's place.

So that means... I will have just 3 does kidding the first week of March! what a difference from last year. I blame the open live cover does on the fact that I re-used CIDRs and they had been in a total of 42 days... 21 days last year, 21 days this year - ish. The does were in heat the day I was supposed to be pulling CIDRs, so I threw literally 7 does in middle of heat at a buck and he was overhwelmed I think. Last year he covered 6 perfectly fine but they had CIDRs pulled and probably came into heat somewhat staggered from each other as is natural - so he serviced each as they came into heat, instead of this year when he was overwhelmed, lol.

I only have a couple CIDRs left - 3 unused ones and 3 used ones. At least I have lute now! Can I use lute now and then again 10-14 days from now? I can always order PG600 again, should I give that along with the 2nd shot of Lute for a fertile heat?

I was thinking to synch the does and throw them in with the buck - then leave them and keep a marking harness on the buck. That way even if dad misses a heat, I'll notice bright orange or green butts which will narrow it down to a week period since I'm home every week.

Is there a trick to these marking harnesses? Last time I used them, the crayon got mostly rubbed off or caked in sand. I know some got rubbed off on the does like it's supposed to, but it wore down awfully quick. I think when he was laying down it just caked into the dirt (he lays outside a lot). Should it be mounted so it faces outward on his chest, instead of right between his front legs?

[Frosted Mini's]

http://www.extension.org/pages/63472...s#.UnP3xtJDt8F

Here's an article I recently stumbled on. If you can get ahold of cystorelin, you could use that protocol, otherwise, the lute should work by itself, hopefully.

How long do the crayons in the harness last? If at least a week, you could change them out each week you are home. I don't know how expensive they are though.

If you are going to throw them in with the buck, you probably could just do that and not worry about synchronizing the does. Unless you just need them to come in at the same time. But most of mine will have heats in clusters at the least anyway.

[mygoat]

Because I work, I much prefer them to kid all the same time... but at some point I get desparate just to get them bred because I hate late season kids too. I'd have to do quite the goat shuffle to throw them in with the bucks, I'd prefer not to - but I might this year.

I have no idea how long crayons last. I was told to change colors of crayon every 3 weeks ish in my sheep class so you can tell if a ewe is going into heat but just being rebred and rebred and rebred... I was surpised at how worn down the crayon was after I took it off my boer buck who had it on for less than a week. More of an issue was how caked full of sand it was.

[Doug Hodges]

You would probably get then bred just as quick by throwing them together.

[mygoat]

Probably quicker for some. but... then I'd have like 9 goats due over the course of 3 weeks. I have to work, and I prefer to tend all kiddings. It would be ideal if they all kidded within a week, like last year.

[crazytenn]

I would not ever reuse a CIDR. The synchronization protocol I used was CIDR for 21 days.
On day 1, place a new CIDR in the doe.
On day 19, I gave 2.0ml of PG600 intramuscular into the doe's right shoulder/upper leg, that was a Wednesday.
On day 21, Friday, I pulled the CIDR early in the morning (5am).
On Saturday, day 22, I woke up at 4 am and my doe was hot to trot, tail wagging, mucus string, and bleeting her ever lov'n guts out.

The buck bred her twice in about 5 minutes of putting them together. He looked done for the day after that.