farm life
September
Tamsin Cooper is a smallholder and writer with a keen interest in animal behaviour and welfare
ON THE SMALLHOLDING
www.goatwriter.com By Tam s
AS THE SEASON CHANGES, GOATS AND SHEEP ARE PREPARING TO BREED
T
he shorter days trigger hormones that lead to ovulation approximately every 21 days over the autumn and winter months. As ewes and goat-does gestate for approximately five months, an autumn mating will result in early spring births.
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flames of fertility when they return in autumn.
When planning for offspring, consider the qualities needed by the flock to thrive in the local environment – not only should the sire be unrelated, but a local old breed is more adaptable to changing outdoor conditions.
September is a time to prepare prospective parents for mating and pregnancy. Ewes and does should be well-fed and in good health, but not too fat. Overweight females can have fertility problems. Underweight ones may not be able to support pregnancy without putting stress on their own health. Provide a fresh pasture in September for a nutritional boost. This summer’s meadow hay can supplement if pasture is scarce. Cereal supplements should only be necessary for those who are too thin. Cereals and “granulés” should be introduced gradually and be kept to small portions to avoid serious metabolic issues.
While commercial breeders may favour early matings to give a long growth period for a faster return, most smallholders The first oestrus, normally in September, prefer to wait until October to introduce a is often “silent”, meaning difficult for male. This allows offspring to be born in humans to observe. This especially applies March, when temperatures are improving to sheep. Goats are a lot more vocal and and natural forage is demonstrative because, in starting to grow, Goats are a lot more vocal and their natural providing rich demonstrative because, in environment, they would nutrients for lactating have to attract bucks from their natural environment, afar. Goats show that they mothers. In spring, newborns are less they would have to attract are coming into oestrus vulnerable to cold and by bleating, wagging their bucks from afar dams need less tails and showing other supplementary behavioural changes. feeding. For ruminants, fresh fodder is a Sometimes they go off feed and often they healthier food source than cereal. are more affectionate. They may fight or pester other females more often or allow Another advantage of late mating is that other females to mount them. many males will have already serviced their own flock in September. This gives smallholders a chance to borrow or hire breeding males from another holding. In this way, they can introduce a different, unrelated male every year to avoid inbreeding. Rams (béliers) and goat-bucks (boucs) offered for this service (la saillie)
in Coop er
Although ewes are more subtle in behaviour, a ram can easily find those on heat through their scent. With both species, introduction of a male should trigger the cycle within a few days. Males are often kept apart from the female flock during summer, so that they fan the
Prospective parents need checking for worms and other parasites. As routine worming is no longer recommended due to the rise in parasite resistance, it is worth taking a faecal sample to the vet for an egg count (coproscopie). This allows you to reduce treatment to the susceptible portion of the flock. Poultry may see a last chance to raise a clutch in autumn. Make sure that a broody hen’s nest will stay warm and dry if the weather changes. She will need a dry, protected area with thick bedding to rear her chicks until they are fully feathered at six weeks old.
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