Reproductive Performance of Dairy Goats in Smallholder Farmers Affiliated with Dian Santosa and Pangestu Farmer Groups in Sleman Regency, Yogyakarta: A Descriptive Study

This pilot study aimed to describe and ascertain the reproductive performance of dairy goats on smallholder farms,focusing on the Dian Santosa and Pangestu Farmer Groups in Sleman Regency,Yogyakarta. Data collected encompassed farmer demographics, dairy goat maintenance, reproductive management, and reproductive performance. Data acquisition involved questionnaire completion by farmer group members, with data standardization achieved through purposive sampling. This was further substantiated by estrus cycle observations via vaginal smears performed on five representative farms. Descriptive analysis of farmer demographics, dairy goat maintenance, and reproductive management was performed using Excel 2021. Reproductive performance data was quantitatively analyzed using IBM SPSS 23. A bivariate Pearson correlation with a two-tailed test of significance was applied to correlate reproductive management data with reproductive performance data. Quantitative descriptive results from 45 questionnaires revealed that dairy goats reared by smallholder farmers exhibited normal average reproductive performance. Correlation analyses revealed a strong negative correlation between estrus cycle length and the implementation of estrus synchronization (r = −0.617, p<0.01), and also a negative correlation with the ability of farmers to detect estrus (r = −0.311, p<0.05). Furthermore, reproductive recording showed a negative correlation with weaning age (r = -0.336, p<0.05).The study’s findings suggest opportunities to enhance the reproductive efficiency and production performance of dairy goats on smallholder farms through implementing estrus synchronization and providing training on reproductive event recording. These interventions are expected to shorten estrus cycle length and improve reproductive management efficiency on smallholder farms. © 2025 by the authors. Licensee ResearchersLinks Ltd, England, UK. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).