Artificial insemination of goats: pros and cons, timing and rules

In artificial insemination, male goats are injected vaginally with the use of special instruments. This method of fertilization of female ungulates in agriculture is considered more convenient and productive, it allows you to control the breeding composition, select the best individuals, and prevent diseases. But the main goal of artificial reproduction is to obtain numerous offspring from a producer with the necessary traits.

Advantages and disadvantages

Artificial insemination is beneficial for farms of any size and direction, has many advantages:

sperm can be obtained from any male, even located on the other side of the planet, as the freezing method is used for transportation;
fertilization of several goats is possible, for which the seed material is divided into the required number of servings;
does not require mature goats;
he alth of livestock is maintained, as transmission of infection is excluded;
The productivity of livestock increases as the he althiest males become sperm donors.

There are disadvantages to the artificial insemination of goats:

sometimes you have to wait a long time for seed material from distant regions;
the owner must purchase equipment and equip the premises where the goats will be inseminated;
A goat owner can inseminate only with the help of a veterinarian or after passing training sessions;
the cost of the procedure is considerable, which is unprofitable for small farms.

Optimal timing

Artificial insemination starts when the goat is in heat. This state is determined by several signs:

the vulva swells, a mucous mass is released from it;
pet is restless, refuses food;
tends to approach the goat, if he sees him nearby, becomes in a position of readiness for cage.

The above signs in goats are not always observed. In this case, to check for the presence of estrus, probe goats are used - individuals that are not suitable for the production of offspring. If the goat is in heat, she will allow the goat to mount. If the female resists, then she is not in heat. To prevent fertilization, a male probe is tied to the genital area with a blocking apron.There is a practice of introducing a goat into a state of sexual hunting. The hormones progesterone and ovariotropin are administered intramuscularly to her. The course of injections is as follows: 120 mg of progesterone - 4 times 30 mg for 2 days, followed by ovariotropin. 2 days after hormonal injections, the goat begins estrus.

Goat insemination starts 2-4 hours after the onset of estrus. Repeated procedures are carried out every day until the end of sexual hunting.

Rules for artificial insemination

Artificial insemination includes several stages. First, a he althy goat-producer is selected, seed material is taken from him, which is transported to the place of the procedure. Then insemination is carried out.

Getting sperm

Up to 2 ml of sperm can be taken from one goat at a time.The most common is the urethral method of extracting seed material, in which an artificial analog of a goat vagina is used, which has an irritating and thermal effect on the reproductive organ of the male. The device looks like a hollow cylindrical tube, which can be ebonite or aluminum. An elastic rubber bag is placed inside, with the ends tucked into the casing.

Side of the cylindrical structure has a hole for the supply of water and air, due to which the temperature and pressure are created in the rubber bag, optimal for maintaining the excitation of the penis. The inner end of the bag is equipped with a sperm receptacle.

The procedure for obtaining sperm is carried out as follows:

the goat is excited by bringing it closer to the females;
worker becomes to the right of the animal;
retracts the preputial sac with the left hand;
with the right hand on the excited organ pulls the artificial vagina at an angle of about 30 ° to the horizontal plane;
after ejaculation turns the device vertically, opens the air outlet to let the sperm glass into the receptacle.

There are also vaginal sperm collection methods and electroejaculation. But these two methods have not gained popularity, as they worsen the quality of sperm.

In the first case, the seed material is taken from the goat's vagina with a sterile sponge after natural planting. In the second case, one electrode is inserted into the rectum of the male, and the second is attached to the scrotum. The device generates pulses with a voltage of up to 30 V, which have an irritating effect and make the semen secrete.

Insemination with a catheter syringe

For the procedure take:

insemination syringe;
22cm plastic catheter;
livestock vaginal speculum;
70% alcohol solution;
1% saline solution.

A goat is tied to a loom. The mirror is disinfected with a warm saline solution, immersed in the vagina in the folded state. Carefully open the instrument. The catheter is attached, 1 ml of diluted semen is drawn into a syringe disinfected with alcohol. The catheter is inserted 2-3 cm deep, sperm is injected. They take out the catheter, close the rods of the mirror, take out the instrument.

Using insemination capsules

They take a plastic perforated tube 20 cm long and a metal capsule inserter heated in water to a comfortable temperature of 38-40 °C. The goat is tied to the machine. The capsule is immersed in the tube into the socket, carefully moved with the rod to the end.A speculum is not required: the vaginal opening is expanded with the fingers of the left hand, and the instrument is moved into the vagina with the right hand, scrolling around the axis. When moving the tube, the anterior end is lifted up a little so as not to affect the ureter. Deepen until the device rests in the vaginal fornix, then return about 1.5 cm, release the sperm.

Preventive measures to spread diseases

To prevent the goat from contracting an infectious disease, the following manipulations are performed before artificial insemination:

tools and materials stored in sealed containers are carefully treated with an antiseptic solution;
worker is given a clean medical gown, a cap to hide hair under, and sterile rubber gloves for single use;
the vaginal area of the goat is washed with a 0.02% solution of the drug "Furacilin";
The vulva of the animal is thoroughly wiped with a clean cotton towel.

How to keep covered females?

After successful insemination, the goats are moved to the prepared barn compartment, where they will live until delivery. You can't shout or make noise in the barn. Pregnant goats become more restless and sensitive, any stress factor has a negative effect on their body.

Pregnant goats are provided with a quality, balanced diet that includes:

forage with a predominance of legumes;
fresh grass;
meadow hay.

The goats are fed 4 times a day. There should always be clean water in the drinker. Throughout pregnancy, goats are regularly examined by a veterinarian, who controls the physical condition of the body, the rate of weight gain and abdominal enlargement.