2022 Fall Review - Goat Update!

The Goats on the farm are thriving!  A second “flush” was completed last week and we are expecting babies from the first round to be born in early December! For those who don’t know, a “flush” is where an impregnated goat is anesthetized and the uterus is physically flushed of fertilized eggs. Those eggs are collected and implanted into “recipient” female goats. As many as 30 fertilized eggs can be collected in one flush allowing one purebred doe to produce a vast quantity of offspring. We are in partnership with local Boer Goat breeders Chris and Marie Anderson who keep their recipient herd here at Homeplace. We just love the life these goats bring to the farm, pun intended! So stop by for a cool weather hike and check out some adorable baby goats in just a few weeks! 

If you are interested in learning more about how a flush works, click the "read more" link for more information and images. Please be advised, images depict a medical procedure and may be too graphic for some viewers. 

These images are from the Flush that took place at Homeplace on July 14th. Several breeders attended with their impregnated pure-bread does to be flushed by the embryologist. The 1st step is getting a relaxed doe on the bed to be anesthetized and prepped.  

​Next, the abdomen is inflated for visibility and a small incision is made and the uterus is presented.  Then a catheter is inserted and the uterus is literally flushed of fertilized eggs​.

​

---

---

The embryologist then looks at the collected embryos under a microscope to count and prepare to implant into a recipient doe.

Here's a cool close up from the microscope!

After she is stitched up, the doe is placed in a recovery space to recuperate from the procedure and the anesthetic.  The animals are typically recovered and back to being themselves within an hour or two. 

Once the embryos are collected, the embryologist will implant them in the uterus of recipient does to be carried to term.