# Bringing Does into Heat Using the "Buck Effect"



## Pearce Pastures (Jan 19, 2013)

Just sharing some reading.  There are of course other, and often more reliable, ways to induce estrus in a doe (light stimulation, CIDRs, and lutalyse injections) but this one just struck me as interesting.

Many animals have a way to use chemical signals to communicate different things (like when a threat or stress is present or approaching for example).  We also have this ability to some extent, though it is not widely understood and does not appear to be as sensitive as in other animals, but it is thought to be why women who spend enough together will sometimes have their cycles synchronize (another interesting read on a study done using underarm sweat collection-- http://www.apa.org/monitor/oct02/pheromones.aspx)

Back to goats though---just a few excerpts of some studies and articles on breeders and farmer using the influence of a buck to bring does into heat (estrus).



> "United States dairy goat farmers seeking to breed does out of season for a year-round supply of milk commonly use either the buck effect or artificial lighting to bring does into heat. Bucks have musk glands located behind their horn area that secrete strong odors when the bucks are in rut. Suddenly introducing a strong smelling buck to does that have been housed away from the smell of bucks can trigger heat. This buck effect is used to synchronize heats early in the breeding season because most does will come into heat roughly 2 to 5 days after the sudden introduction of a buck. It has been used with more limited success to bring does into heat
> out of season. The major limitation is that many bucks of dairy goat breeds do not show rut during the anestrous period and, therefore, do not have a strong odor. Even when bucks do have a strong odor, it is not always enough stimulus to cause anestrous dairy goat does to come into heat (I)."





> "In goats, estrus can be induced with the strategic exposure of anestrus does to intact males. This response is dependent on the depth of seasonal anestrus and associated with a first ovulation in two to three days after the introduction of the buck. The first ovulation is usually silent and of low fertility. The second ovulation five days later is accompanied by a fertile estrus. The response to the male effect is influenced by the sexual aggressiveness of the buck, the intensity of the stimulation and the body condition of the does. Immediate contact results in a greater response than fence-Iine contact or intermittent contact. The pheromones responsible to induce estrus are present in buck hair, but not in urine, and are not associated with buck (II)."





> "Exposure to males after a period of isolation -- at least three weeks and one mile away -- can be used for induction and synchronization of estrus during the breeding and non-breeding season without additional treatments in goats. The physiological basis for this response is due in part to smell and sight, with neither stimulus completely accounting for the response. It is not effective if the males and females are together all the time and sudden placement of male with females induces an LH surge and ovulation in days. Females typically exhibit estrus within 72  144 hrs after which natural mating or artificial insemination (AI) can be used for breeding.  Less seasonal breeds respond the best to this method and it proves to be a viable and inexpensive alternative as a co-treatment in progesterone-based synchronization schemes for anestrous females.
> 
> In studies conducted at both Delaware State University and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, the buck effect was the only treatment required to synchronize estrus in does during the breeding season. All were bred within 12 days. The response to buck stimulation can be quite variable and is influenced by a number of factors:
> 1.	Breed
> ...


I.	Cornel University: Out of Season Breeding http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/goats/Resources/GoatArticles/Factsheets/OutOfSeasonFactSheet.pdf
II.	Heat Detection and Breeding in Meat Goats http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/an_sci/extension/animal/meatgoat/pdf_factsheets/ANS 00 607MG.pdf
III.	Estrous Synchronization Buck Effect http://www.extension.org/pages/19270/estrous-synchronization-buck-effect

IV.	Distinct Signals Conveyed by Pheromone Concentrations to the Mouse Vomeronasal Organhttp://www.jneurosci.org/content/30/22/7473.full.pdf
V.	Jacobson's Organ http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/299124/Jacobsons-organ
VI.	American Psychological Association; Pheromones in Context http://www.apa.org/monitor/oct02/pheromones.aspx
VII.	Do Women Who Live Together Menstruate Together? http://www.scientificamerican.com/a...-who-live-together-menstruate-together&page=2
VIII.	Menstrual Synchrony and Suppression http://www.mum.org/mensyn.PDF


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## madcow (Jan 19, 2013)

Wow, interesting read.  It all makes perfect sense to me.  I found it good information, especially concerning the increased fertility effect from the first to the second ovulation a few days later.  Something to think about with timing of breeding in does and how to use that phenomon for more multiple gestation births.  Very interesting......


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## Pearce Pastures (Jan 22, 2013)

Yeah, you know you are a goat addict when you spend part of your weekend reading up on goat ovulation  .


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## Straw Hat Kikos (Jan 22, 2013)

Pearce Pastures said:
			
		

> Yeah, you know you are a goat addict when you spend part of your weekend reading up on goat ovulation  .


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## poorboys (Jan 22, 2013)

Straw Hat Kikos said:
			
		

> Pearce Pastures said:
> 
> 
> 
> > Yeah, you know you are a goat addict when you spend part of your weekend reading up on goat ovulation  .


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## Mamaboid (Jan 22, 2013)

Pearce Pastures said:
			
		

> Yeah, you know you are a goat addict when you spend part of your weekend reading up on goat ovulation  .


Part??


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