# How common are quads?



## JamieH (Nov 29, 2010)

My first go 'round in goats, my doe had triplets, and three of my friends' does had a single kid each. They were all first fresheners. That is pretty much my only experience so I was wondering what you all think. How common are twins, triplets and quads?


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Triplets are common here in my Nubians, most of my kiddings even in FF are triplets. Quads come from family lines and if a doeling comes from a quad line she will likely quad from her thrid freshening and then stop quading by age 8 (Birdy had quads at 10, that is not the norm here). A handful of times a quad doe has had quints that all were alive and did well, only 1, 2nd freshening 2 year old had quads, all healthy. In fact two does were dam and daughter, both kidding on the same day, Debut with quints and her daughter Dove with quads.

We want triplets, why we use bo-se at breeding time, you do not want grain fed goats having big huge singletons. We rarely have twins in mature does and even more rare is singles. 

My daughters lamancha herd, rarely had anything but twins, raised in with nubians who rarely had twins.

It's so dependant upon nutrition, bloodline and minerals. Vicki


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## Red Mare (Apr 23, 2011)

I have mostly triplets and twins here. Though I have had several quads, normally out of related does, and a few rare singles, normally out of my FF. 
I haven't got the trick down of flooding yet, and I am looking forward to trying it next breeding season with some of said FF.


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

By flooding, do you mean flushing? :blush2 Though, I guess the two words are similar enough.


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## Tracy in Idaho (Oct 26, 2007)

One year I had FOUR sets of quads (including an AI breeding!)  I usually get at least one or two a year.....last year we had live QUINTS!


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## JamieH (Nov 29, 2010)

I'm so excited to see how many I'll get. Do any of you get ultrasounds or do you just wait and see?


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## KJFarm (Oct 26, 2007)

We had 6 sets of quads a couple of years ago. Several years back, an 8 year old Alpine had quints - 4 does, l buck and all lived.


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## JamieH (Nov 29, 2010)

Well I try to make sure they have the best nutrition I can. I just switched them over to a mix of grain. They had been on their medicated pellet before that. I wonder if that will flood or flush or whatever it is.


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Flushing is to increase calories (protein,energy,carbs) right before the does are bred to increase the amount of eggs they ovulate. Problem is if they ovulate say 3 and then your feeding program drastically changes, she can self absorb implanted kids, because she is fearing famine.

I wish ultrasound was a lot more common than it is, it was so nice to know Birdy was having quads so she could be fed accordingly although she was not in milk. Having fed other does who normally had quads here, who then kidded with twins.... they came into milking season with way to much fat  So it is nice not to have to guess...I have 9 does all ultrasounded with triplets (including two that will be 2 year old second fresheners) and two young will be FF in March on their birthdays, who are pregnant with twins...the fun is seeing if it is right. Vicki


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

Sheep people often flush their ewes. My sheep book says that you keep the higher plane of nutrition, starting a couple weeks before breeding and continue for 30 days post-breeding, so that would eliminate the self-absorbing, unless it is happening after 30 days bred (?). 

There is a sheep guy here with an ultrasound machine I was told, that will u/s goats, for a little bit more than what Biotracking charges, but not much; if I can find out who it is, I might try that next year. The person who told me is a well known dairy goat breeder from around here (not Tracy ).


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## lonestrchic23 (Jan 7, 2011)

Between my mom & I we had multiples for every birth so far.

Triplets- 2 does & a buck.
Twin bucks.
Triplets- 3 does
Triplets- 2 does, 1 buck.

I wish I could have had ultra sounds done.... Would be great to know how many to expect.


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## [email protected] (Sep 18, 2008)

This will be my 4th year kidding and so far, every FF has had B/D twins. I've only had two singles. Most have twins or trips. Only one set of quads in a 3rd freshening 3 yr old.


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## buckrun (Mar 7, 2008)

Flushing actually increases the frequency of the production and release of leutinizing hormone.
And flushing will work on bucks with notable increase in testicular capacity due to increased gonadtropin production.


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## hsmomof4 (Oct 31, 2008)

I could use an US machine around here right now. One of my does (who has had twins twice, then quads, then trips) is HUGE, and has more than a month to go. I'm thinking that there are probably at least quads in there, but you never know.


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## JamieH (Nov 29, 2010)

For the Houston people. Dr. Susan at aldine westfield animal hospital does ultrasounds... or at least she used to.


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## Lynn_Theesfeld (Feb 21, 2010)

I think around here anyway twins is the norm. Our first kidding was a single, but last year was all twins. All the does were FF except one. Granted just about all of those were bucklings (except 1), but we have some hope for this year


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

Here twins are the most common too. I am glad because those are my favorite. And twin does are my very most favorite of all. 
We have only had two singles born so they are kinda rare for us.


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## swgoats (May 21, 2010)

I got two sets of triplets last year which was a first for me. I tend to sell older does and keep kids. Twins are the norm and preferred.


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## Red Mare (Apr 23, 2011)

I do have access to a U/S and it makes it much easier. I am still so new to feeding them however. 
And ya.... *flushing* not flooding. Le sigh. 

I have the time, I just don't have my timing down pat... or know what to increase etc etc. 

I have 3 sets of triplets due, 4 sets of twins, and 3 singletons.


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## lonestrchic23 (Jan 7, 2011)

Lynn_Theesfeld said:


> I think around here anyway twins is the norm. Our first kidding was a single, but last year was all twins. All the does were FF except one. Granted just about all of those were bucklings (except 1), but we have some hope for this year


I'm crossing my fingers for ya Lynn! This year has to be a doe year for ya 

Now I'm just wondering who will go first.... Your Belle or my Sabrina, since they have the same due date... I will be upset if you get a day time kidding, and I'm stuck in the barn, freezing, at 3am... lol


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## Lynn_Theesfeld (Feb 21, 2010)

Lol Thanks Crystal  I have to say we have only had one late night kidding. hehehehehe

Hopefully you will luck out and day a day timer, if not I hope it isn't to cold!!!


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## goatkid (Oct 26, 2007)

Twins and triplets are the norm here, but I have had larger litters. One year Isis, a Boer X Spanish X La Mancha had quints. All the kids lived and were healthy, but we almost lost Isis from metabolic problems. The vet said goats weren't meant to have such large litters and that she's lost alot of fluids birthing that many. A year or two later, Goat Flower, a Nupine had quads and died four days later from what appeared to be milk fever I couldn't bring her out of. Since then, I've had three Nubians have quads and everyone was OK. I did give CMPK to those does to be sure they had enough calcium on board. From the looks of Jasmine, she'll be having quads or at least triplets this year too. She was one of triplets. The other two Nubians who had quads were one of a set of twins.


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## DostThouHaveMilk (Oct 25, 2007)

To me, Quads means you are doing something right. 
We have never had quads in the 10+ years we have kidded out goats. We have the right genetics for it. How do I know? I sold six Boer cross does to the school. They used my buck (from our home breeding). As a two year old, a Prevention raised doe (born to a positive dam) kidded with quads, all alive. Her twin sister here? Gave us twins. Their aunt has had triplets a couple of times now here as well. We can get triplets out of the line, but have not had quads here. The school is doing the opposite of us. They are trying to get the numbers down to singles and twins from their herd. They had over half triplets this past year (and lost a number of kids during birthing...not good).
As has been pointed out to me. If we sold down to a handful, I could probably get quads. When you breed close to 100 does a year, it just isn't that likely. Our biggest goal is a 200% kidding rate. Hasn't happened the past few years.


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

The other thing that sheep book mentions is using the "ram effect" of penning next to rams for 3 weeks prior to breeding to ensure ewes (does) are not bred until they have cycled at least once. If bred at the beginning or end of kidding season, fewer eggs tend to be released.

So far, all of my does have kidded in the daytime. Supposedly if you don't feed them until late morning/mid afternoon, that somehow gets them to be more likely to kid during the day. I am a night owl, so don't usually get up very early, which probably helps with this. This year will probably be different because I will have to get up early if I want my hubby to help me milk before work!


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## Oat Bucket Farm (Mar 2, 2009)

We feed high quality feed, free choice Standlee Alfalfa pellets, free choice good loose minerals, free choice good grass hay, copper bolus, and Bo-Se.

Last year our three does each had a single.

However, in the month after breeding, we weren't able to get our usual oats and had to go with a lesser quality, somewhat dusty bag that the girls barely ate. So that may have had something to do with it.


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## PrairieTrail45 (Nov 28, 2011)

I usually only had triplets or quads with my Boers in certain lines. I had a few does who were all related that would always have triplets or quads. Last year I had all twins and one single. I've got two who are due in a week that look pretty large, I am guessing they might have triplets or large twins. I've had a lot of does who had singles their first year and then would have twins/triplets/quads after that.

I'm sure feed/nutrition plays a big role. One of my AI books says that peak fertility is in October/November, so perhaps breeding does in those months would help the does have more kids.


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