Seasonal Breeding in United States Dairy Goats

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Abstract
Efficient reproduction, in addition to enabling the doe to produce milk, affords opportunity to increase future production by culling low-producing does and breeding does with high genetic merit for milk yield. Effects of breed, region and interaction of breed with region on seasonality of breeding in USA dairy goats were studied. Reproductive performance data were from 76,350 official National Cooperative Dairy Herd Improvement Program records on Alpine, La Mancha, Nubian, Saanen and Toggenburg does. Variables were month of conception, month of kidding, days open and deviation of kidding date from March 1. Four northern regions were 1, .gtoreq. 45.degree. latitude; 2, 40.degree.-45.degree.; 3, 35.degree.-40.degree., and 4, .ltoreq. 35.degree.. About 20% of Nubians conceived from Jan. through Aug.; only 10% of Alpines and of Toggenburgs conceived during those months. La Manchas conceived most frequently in November whereas other breeds conceived most frequently in Oct. Each breed kidded most frequently in March. In Sept. and Oct. 3 to 4% more conceptions occurred in Regions 1 and 2 than in 3 and 4; in Nov., 7.3% fewer conceptions occurred in Regions 1 and 2 than in 3 and 4. In Jan., 13.2% of kidding occurred in Region 4 compared to 5.6% in Region 1. Similarly, during July through Dec., proportionally more kiddings (11.8%) occurred in Region 4 than in Region 1 (5.2%). In the range of latitudes studied, differences in degree of seasonality due to breed, region, and interaction, although significant, were minor.