Hormone Syncing and Ultrasound Day

Story Time: Confirming Goat Pregnancies with Ultrasound After Synchronized Breeding

As I placed the CIDR in the last of three does, I was met with an unexpected wall. Sometimes things just need a little maneuvering, but when I noticed a bit of blood, I stopped immediately. I knew something wasn’t quite right and pulled it out to start researching what could be going on.

I’ll be honest—I was nervous. There are a handful of developmental abnormalities that can make CIDR placement difficult. But since this was a first freshener, I hoped the issue was simply a thick or stubborn hymen. Her first breeding had been unsuccessful, but I suspected that was due to her buck being a little too young and, well… lacking enthusiasm.

So I said a prayer that her cycle would somehow sync with the other does who did receive hormones. I planned to pair her with our seasoned buck and hoped for the best. I watched her flag several times and noticed she hung close to him—unusual for her normally skittish personality. I never witnessed a full breeding, but something told me not to give up hope.

Ultrasound: Why We Use It to Confirm Goat Pregnancy

Fifty-six days later, as I prepped her for her ultrasound, I told Jason and the girls to say a quick prayer that she took. The relief and joy I felt when the screen lit up with two perfect little sacs is hard to describe. I think I exhaled for the first time in weeks!

This is exactly why we use ultrasound to confirm goat pregnancies. No more guesswork. Within about 30 days post-breeding, we can confirm who settled and who didn’t—and plan accordingly.

Ultrasounds allow us to:

• Confirm pregnancy early (as soon as 25–30 days post-breeding)

• Estimate litter size for nutritional and delivery planning

• Avoid wasted time and resources on open does

• Schedule kidding season with precision

It’s a simple, safe, and effective tool that brings huge peace of mind for any goat breeder—especially when you’re working with a more intensive or synchronized breeding schedule.

How We Synchronized Our Herd’s Breeding for Fall Kidding

If you’re wondering, What the heck is a CIDR, and why did we use hormones, let me break it down.

While does can sometimes sync naturally when kept in close proximity, it’s not an exact science—and that can stretch kidding season out for weeks or even months. In spring, that’s manageable. But fall kidding, especially around the holidays, requires a bit more control.

To tighten our timeline and ensure we’d be available to assist with births, we chose to use hormone synchronization with CIDRs.

Here’s the process we followed:

• Step 1: CIDRs (Controlled Internal Drug Release devices)

CIDRs are small, T-shaped devices inserted into the doe’s vaginal canal to release progesterone. This mimics pregnancy and temporarily prevents estrus. When removed, the drop in hormone levels triggers a heat cycle.

🐐 Fun fact: This method is widely used by breeders and isn’t artificial in a negative way—it’s just supporting what their bodies already know how to do.

• Step 2: Ovulation Support

After CIDR removal, we gave each doe a small dose of a hormone that promotes healthy follicle development and ovulation. Think of it like giving her system a pep talk before the main event.

• Step 3: Timed Buck Exposure

A doe’s fertile window is tiny—just 12 to 48 hours. We watched closely for signs of standing heat and placed the does in with our buck at their peak. No “wait and see” here—this was a strategic, timed effort.

First-Time Success and What We Learned

To say we’re thrilled with the results is an understatement. For our first time using synchronized breeding protocols, the process was smooth, educational, and honestly kind of empowering. We really feel strong in protecting our girls and their babies overall health- and this allowed us to do that even more.

And the best part? Seeing those baby flickers on the ultrasound screen—proof that all the planning paid off.

My Advice? Don’t Go It Alone

If you’re thinking about trying a breeding protocol like this, here’s my biggest piece of advice: find a mentor and a goat bestie. 😂

Having someone in your corner who knows the ropes makes all the difference. My goat mentor and I had a blast planning each step and troubleshooting as we went. Her knowledge and encouragement were priceless.

Your Turn!

Have you ever used CIDRs or hormone cycling in your herd? Did you confirm pregnancies with ultrasound? I’d love to hear what worked, what didn’t, and what you learned along the way. Are you considering starting the process? Do you have questions or concerns? Share your experience in the comments! There is power in community!