Reproduction
Understanding reproduction in goats is essential to increasing productivity, which is largely a function of pregnancy rate, the number of offspring born and weaned and the frequency with which kids are produced. Therefore, goat reproductive management should produce a high level of fertility (greater than 90 percent) and an optimum litter size (two kids) with a high rate of survival to weaning. Understanding reproductive processes in the goat will help producers manage their herd more efficiently and breed their does to produce kids that will fit a specific market niche to command a maximum price. Major constraints to reproductive management of goats are the seasonal nature of breeding and a lack of data on the reproductive performance, especially of domestic goat breeds.
