Comparison of Boer, Kiko, and Spanish meat goat does for stayability and cumulative reproductive output in the humid subtropical southeastern United States

Boer (n？=？132), Kiko (n？=？92) and Spanish (n？=？79) does were evaluated for longevity trends and cumulative kid production. The herd was managed on humid subtropical pasture. Does had the chance to complete 2 to 6 production years. Survival curves were analyzed for 2 culling methods. The actual culling practice removed does after two failures to wean a kid. An alternative culling protocol removed doe records after the first failure to wean a kid. Kid production traits analyzed across herd life were the total number of kids weaned and cumulative kid weight weaned to the 2-, 3-, and 5-year stayability endpoints. Most (82%) doe exits were illness-related under the actual culling method. Reproductive failure represented 51% of doe exits under the alternative culling protocol. Boer does had greater survival declines (P？<？0.01) from 2 to 6？years of herd life compared with Kiko and Spanish under both culling protocols. Boer does had lower stayability rates (P？<？0.01) at each year endpoint for both culling protocols. Under the alternative protocol, over 50% of Boer does failed to complete 2？years, whereas over 50% of Kiko and Spanish does successfully completed 4？years. Boer does had lower (P？<？0.01) total number of kids weaned and cumulative weight weaned through each stayability endpoint compared with Kiko and Spanish.Boer does had low stayability and cumulative kid production rates compared with Kiko and Spanish does. Poor health was the primary driver of does exiting the herd. Kiko and Spanish does did not differ for longevity and lifetime performance indicators.Stayability is an indicator of longevity that measures the proportion of animals remaining productive to a fixed time endpoint [1]. Functional longevity (i.e., length of productive life) is defined by the ability of animals to avoid death or culling as a result of illness or reproductive failure. Longevity of breeding females has an economic impact on commercial meat animal production systems [2-4]. Females with