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Well!!! Its almost breeding season, and "hope springs eternal." But there is a great deal we can do at this time to improve our chances of creating that "perfect" kid. Of course, it goes without saying that you need to select the stock with the genetic ability to produce outstanding progeny. This means you must avoid the "buck (or doe) of the month", and instead, select a sire who hales from an outstanding family line. Not only is his mother a productive animal with superior conformation, but also, so are sisters, aunts, and granddams - on both sides of his family tree. Assuming that you've selected a prepotent sire (I emphasize the buck, for he is truly half the herd) whose strengths match the weaknesses of your does, NOW is the time to really pamper your cherubs. Worm all your animals prior to breeding. Trim hooves on all stock, paying particular attention to the buck, who is going to really need those good "wheels." Put a little extra weight onto the sire right now, because when breeding season arrives, he may eschew the chow in favor of the ladies. If you want more kids per doe (thereby increasing your profit margin), you may wish to put the does on an "increasing nutritional plane." This means that every day or two you slightly increase the amount of chow fed to each doe - until the does are bred. This practice is called "flushing", and has been used by the sheep industry for years. We can personally attest to the effectiveness of this regimen, for the one year that we flushed our does, we averaged quadruplets. One last suggestion - try putting a little apple cider vinegar into the drinking water of both the does and the buck. You may discover a few more doeling "dividends" in your hamper next Spring.



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Welcome PageDescription of Dairy HerdWhat's New at the Site?Crafts and Nifty StuffAlchemy's MenagerieTip of the MonthPrevious Tips of the MonthOther Resources of Interest