# How do you flush your does?



## Straw Hat Kikos (Jul 9, 2012)

I will be breeding my Kiko does on Sep 1st and the Nigerians on Oct 1st. That is subject to change but I will more than likely stick with it. This will be my first time "flushing" a doe. I know the timeline and how to do it but what I want to know is what you do and what do you feed? Do you feed a certain kind of grain or do you just increase their food a bit?


----------



## SheepGirl (Jul 9, 2012)

The thing about flushing is it only works on females in poor(er) condition. Animals that score a 2.5 to 3 or higher on a 5-point body condition score don't need it/won't respond to flushing. When we flush the ewes, we give them 1/4 to 1 lb of grain per head per day, based on what they needed (their BCS and how big they were). Of course you would want to work up to those amounts gradually.

ETA: You start the flushing about 30 days pre breeding and then you continue until breeding season is over and you taper off the grain until you feed them for late gestation (last 30-45 days) and lactation.


----------



## Straw Hat Kikos (Jul 9, 2012)

I understand that and I know the BCS system pretty well. I have a doe that is in perfect health and I have another that is just a little thin and another that does need to gain some weight. None of them are to small and they are all healthy. The funny thing is, Alona the biggest of them, but she does need to gain some weight, has kidded triplets every time she has kidded.

What grain do you give them? Barley, cracked corn, millet, bagged grain...


----------



## Straw Hat Kikos (Jul 9, 2012)

SheepGirl said:
			
		

> The thing about flushing is it only works on females in poor(er) condition. Animals that score a 2.5 to 3 or higher on a 5-point body condition score don't need it/won't respond to flushing. When we flush the ewes, we give them 1/4 to 1 lb of grain per head per day, based on what they needed (their BCS and how big they were). Of course you would want to work up to those amounts gradually.
> 
> ETA: You start the flushing about 30 days pre breeding and then you continue until breeding season is over and you taper off the grain until you feed them for late gestation (last 30-45 days) and lactation.


I know. That is why I am figuring it out now. There are many ways to flush goats. Most start 30 days before and continue for 30 days after breeding. I have heard of 60 days before and many others. I will do 30 before and 30 after.


----------



## terrilhb (Jul 9, 2012)

I looked for the answer but did not find it. What is flushing?


----------



## Chris (Jul 9, 2012)

You can use a good quality goat feed that is higher in energy than normal or you can feed a good quality goat feed then supplement with a high energy top dress like Honor Show Chow Power Fuel. If feel that the goat is really under weight you may want to add a protein supplement to the goat feed/top dress mix.

Here is a nice right up on flushing --
http://www.sweetlix.com/media/documents/articles/Goat_021.pdf


Chris


----------



## Chris (Jul 9, 2012)

terrilhb said:
			
		

> I looked for the answer but did not find it. What is flushing?


Flushing is putting weight back on a under weight animal before breeding.

Chris


----------



## terrilhb (Jul 9, 2012)

Thank you Chris.


----------



## Chris (Jul 9, 2012)

terrilhb said:
			
		

> Thank you Chris.


Your welcome,


Chris


----------



## SheepGirl (Jul 9, 2012)

I feed my sheep 16% textured sheep feed. But when you flush them, it doesn't even have to be grain. It could be the highest quality hay, alfalfa pellets, etc...anything that will put weight on an animal.


----------



## Pearce Pastures (Jul 9, 2012)

Chris said:
			
		

> terrilhb said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I have also seen a few articles that site "flushing" as a way to increase the number of eggs a doe releases thus increasing the chances of multiples.  It makes sense that exposing the doe to grains higher in natural estrogen could do that but I have not done it and do not know anyone who has done it for that reason.


----------



## Straw Hat Kikos (Jul 9, 2012)

That is the reason you flush. So they have more kids. As I have said before, I know how and what to do. I read alot about everything and I know how, I was just asking everybody *what* they use. If you use grain and if so what kind? I already feed them very good feed and hay and they have good browse. I just wanted to know what you do, not how. lol


----------



## Chris (Jul 9, 2012)

Pearce Pastures said:
			
		

> Chris said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Correct it can increase the chances of having multiples by having a more "fitter" doe.

Chris


----------



## Pearce Pastures (Jul 10, 2012)

I looked around I did not really find much either on what people who do flushing use specifically when they do it.  I would say oats might be a good bet though (but of course I do not have experience to lend on this-I hope someone else might pipe in who actually does this so we can all learn something).  The only think I can say I did do this year prior to breeding was a round of daily drenching with Nurtidrench, in addition to their regular free choice hay, browse, and feed.  Not sure if it made a difference though since I still have two weeks left until they kid 

Sorry if it seemed like we were getting off topic and not answering your question.    Reason I was clarifying the reason for flushing is because someone had asked what it was (I think there are 2 reasons but they are related...1)If the doe needs to gain some condition, flushing them would help them to both conceive and carry them through the pregnancy and 2) There is some evidence that flushing actually causes the release of a greater number of eggs to be fertilized, condition aside.  

If you find out more, hope you'll share it and maybe bring this back up after your breeding season so we can hear how you think it went.

Edited to add I did just fin one article that mentions using barley or corn, but it is talking about sheep.
http://www.sheepandgoat.com/articles/generalfeedingguidelines.html


----------



## Pearce Pastures (Jul 10, 2012)

Just found another good one with the results of a study by Cornell... 

http://ansci.cornell.edu/goats/Resources/GoatArticles/Factsheets/FlushingFactSheet.pdf


----------



## 20kidsonhill (Jul 10, 2012)

Straw Hat Kikos said:
			
		

> That is the reason you flush. So they have more kids. As I have said before, I know how and what to do. I read alot about everything and I know how, I was just asking everybody *what* they use. If you use grain and if so what kind? I already feed them very good feed and hay and they have good browse. I just wanted to know what you do, not how. lol


30 days before breeding season, we go through the entire herd, and are very criticle of famancha scale, and worm if they don't seem 100%, give bo-se shots,  put out protein tubs, if they don't already have them out. Evaluate the pasture, and if it is questionable from dry weather we put out good quality hay, Any does that are on the thin side are separated out and put with the yearlings and put on grain, yearlings would already be on grain. Pretty much we just try to evaluate everything really well 30 days prior to breeding and increase where needed.  We have fed the entire doe herd starting 3 weeks before breeding to do a true flush, but we havn't noticed a real big difference in increased number of kids. We have been pretty steady at 200% live births regardless. 

If you have purchased several does from different herds, I would suggest running a course of tetracyclene, oxy-tetraclyclene or aueiomycin through the herd for 5 to 6 days, 30 days before breeding to help with any STD's brought in my yearling does. 

Our herd always has loose minerals out.


----------



## 20kidsonhill (Jul 10, 2012)

Pearce Pastures said:
			
		

> Just found another good one with the results of a study by Cornell...
> 
> http://ansci.cornell.edu/goats/Resources/GoatArticles/Factsheets/FlushingFactSheet.pdf


That was an interesting read.


----------



## autumnprairie (Jul 10, 2012)

Thanks for starting this thread, I have only had my goats for almost a year. Everyday I learn something new. How does flushing increase the chance to multilples?
Thanks for posting the links too


----------



## 20kidsonhill (Jul 10, 2012)

Pretty much it is natures way of conrolling population when conditions aren't as favorable, so if you tell the body that conditions are fantastic, by increasing the energy and quality nutrients the last 2 to 4 weeks before being bred they are more likely to produce more eggs and have more eggs fertilized and stay settled.


----------



## autumnprairie (Jul 10, 2012)

20kidsonhill said:
			
		

> Pretty much it is natures way of conrolling population when conditions aren't as favorable, so if you tell the body that conditions are fantastic, by increasing the energy and quality nutrients the last 2 to 4 weeks before being bred they are more likely to produce more eggs and have more eggs fertilized and stay settled.


Thanks for clarifing


----------



## Ranchhandok (Mar 25, 2013)

Interesting to know. Again, the web sites are helpful. Thanks.


----------



## Mamaboid (Mar 26, 2013)

Any day you learn something is a good day.  Today is a good day.  When I saw this headline, I pictured tubes, water and umm shall we say not frontal loading.  Never heard of flushing when used in this manner.  Have done it, with my last goat that kidded, Brandy, but didn't know it had a name.  This old 'boid' learned something new today.


----------



## OneFineAcre (Mar 28, 2013)

Never seen the term flushing.

But, I put a post on here about an animal I have who is skinny, not typical for ND's.  She had 3 her first freshening and 4 her second.  I guess she needs flushing?

We did not re-breed her until we made sure she didn't have any worms.  0 count Mcmasters from state lab.

Kikos, you told me to feed free choice alfalfa hay.


----------



## goatboy1973 (Apr 1, 2013)

I personally define flushing as a semi-intensive short interval period of feeding a breeding animal with the intent of putting a moderate amt. weight on the animal just prior to breeding season. The intent isn't to make them so fat that they can't breed or conceive, but to increase their BCS to the upper limits of ideal. By flushing, you insure a greater conception rate of the doe as well as increase the chances of twins, trips, and quads. Now, what do I feed my does that I flush? Here's what works for my operation and has worked for 13 yrs: I start out with a base of 50 lbs alfalfa pellets, 20 lbs of powdered corn, 30 lbs of beet pulp (dry and shredded), 1/2 lb of CO-OP goat loose mineral with zinc, 1 cup of corn oil, and 1 large bottle of liquid molasses based goat vitamin such as Nutri-Drench. I have a good sized electric cement/ mortar mixer I use to mix all this up in. I first mix all the dry ingredients together except for the powdered corn and loose goat mineral. I then slowly add the corn oil, molasses based goat vitamin and mix until I achieve an even consistency. Then, with the mixer still running, I add the goat mineral and the powdered corn and mix until an even consistency is achieved. I feed this for about 6 weeks prior to breeding and the results are astounding. I usually feed this once daily and feed as much as my does can consume in 30 mins. To flush my bucks, I mix the same formula except I half the corn and alfalfa and replace the deficit with beet pulp due to corn and alfalfa being bad for male goats' urinary system. If you don't own an electric cement mixer, you can mix it in a large wheel barrow with a yard rake like I have done in the past with similar results. I mix up enough to last a week at a time. This mix must be kept in a cool place because it will rapidly start to ferment in the hot summer weather and spoil. Flushing works wonderfully at Calfee Farms. Most years we have 175% kidding rate, this year 200% kidding rate for spring kids and our fall 2012 kidding season we had all twins except for one single birth.


----------

