Influence of Age at First Mating on Female Body Development, Gestation Length and Kid Growth Performance in Carpathian Goats

This study evaluated the relationship between age at first mating and gestation length, body development, reproductive performance and kid growth in Carpathian goats raised under a traditional production system. A total of 150 females were assigned to three groups according to age at first mating: L1 (7–8 months), L2 (12–13 months) and L3 (17–18 months). A reference group of 50 adult females was used to assess body development. Mean gestation length ranged from 150.74 to 151.55 days, without significant differences among groups (p > 0.05). During the first breeding season, mean body weight in L1, L2 and L3 represented 54.2%, 66.0% and 75.3% of adult female body weight, respectively. By 2024, these proportions had reached 91.9%, 96.3% and 98.1. Kidding rates differed significantly among groups (p < 0.001), with values of 70% in L1, 76% in L2 and 100% in L3, while live-born kids represented 78.9%, 88.9% and 95.3% of all kids born, respectively. L1 females therefore had the lowest kidding rate and the highest proportion of stillborn kids (21.1%), compared with 11.1% in L2 and 4.7% in L3. Single-born kids maintained higher body weights than twin-born kids until 90 days of age. The results indicate that first mating at 7–8 months of age was biologically possible in Carpathian females, but females in this group had a lower kidding rate and a lower level of body development than those in the more developed groups. These findings indicate that breeding readiness should be evaluated in relation to both age and body development, particularly body weight at first mating.