The NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) Measured Goats project has achieved one of its strongest conception results, thanks to an expert-driven breeding management program.
The most recent out-of-season mating of the project's goat herd at Condobolin, in Central West NSW, recorded average conception rates of 85% for maidens, and 90% for mature does.
The high conception rates provide a boost to the number of data records available from Cohort 3, allowing researchers to build a comprehensive database which will help deliver modern genetic selection tools for the goat industry.
However, project leader Dr Tom Granleese said the unconventional timing of the joining in September last year initially attracted doubt from many.
"A lot of people from the industry were worried we would not achieve a single kid from this joining given it was out-of-season," Dr Granleese said.
"The thinking was that combining non-cycling does with the low libido of bucks during that period would result in much fewer becoming pregnant."
The NSW DPIRD Measured Goats team devised a breeding management program with the aim to increase conception rates.
In total, 1,476 does were joined with an almost even split between maiden project-born does and mature does.
Dr Granleese said while they were apprehensive about the results on pregnancy scanning day, the surprising outcome from this third cohort in the project proved to be one of the most successful.
"While we expected lower conception and litter sizes in the maiden does compared to the mature aged does, we were thrilled with the result which netted us 2,600 foetuses from 1,304 pregnant does," he said.
"The truly remarkable feat of the mature does is that they will have birthed and raised 3 litters of kids in 2 years."
The research herd is on track to deliver at least 8,000 weaned kids by October 2027 to create the initial building block of data to facilitate genomic breeding values.
Given the goat industry has had little performance or genetic benchmarking, this project is giving goat breeders access to the science and selection tools —which already exist for sheep and cattle enterprises — to make rapid genetic progress.
The Measured Goats project is funded by the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA).
Visit the NSW DPIRD website to learn more about the Measured Goats project.
