Breeding Season Goats

 Breeding Season Goats

Goat Reproduction, Babies, and Lifespan

When breeding season arrives, males become more aggressive with each other and start emitting a pungent odor. The largest and strongest male that prevails over the others in a fight will usually have near-exclusive breeding rights to the nearby females in a single herd. This ensures that the best characteristics tend to be passed down from one generation to the next.

Many species breed in the fall and produce a single offspring (and sometimes twins or triplets) in the spring. Goats are pregnant for about 5 months on average. When she’s ready to give birth to the baby, the female briefly departs from the group and finds a safe, isolated location where she won’t be disturbed. The new offspring is called a kid, and once it is old enough to walk (almost always shortly after its birth), the baby will rejoin the group and enjoy the protection it offers.

The baby is weaned at about four to six months of age but may remain with its mother for the first year of life. Females tend to stay with the group, while males depart and seek their own fortune. It takes a few years for a goat to reach sexual maturity, and depending on the species or breed, they tend to have a life expectancy between six and 24 years.

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