How do you flush your does?

[Pearce Pastures]

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

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]

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]

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

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.

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

Chris

 

[Pearce Pastures]

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]

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

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

 

[20kidsonhill]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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