Polled genetics

[PurpleMartineer]

Just wondering....
Anyone know....
My polled saaned doe was bred (accidentally) to a polled saanen buck. She had two babies a week ago. One doe, one buck.

I just discovered tonight that the doeling has hornbuds starting. The buckling is polled.

What are the genetics on this? I read that polled is actually carried by dominant genes (although it is more rare in the goat population) and that most goats with horns are the result of crossing two recessive genes (even though the presence of horns is dominant in the population, the actual genetics of it is mendelian recessive x recessive which means all recessive horned phenotype--yes? no?). I guess this question is then about whether or not polled is homozygous dominant or heterozygous dominant. In my goats case, as well as her mates case, it must be that they are both heterozygous.

So, if that is the case, then her accidental breeding was with a heterozygous polled (hP (horned x Polled)) while she is also heterozygous polled (hP), resulting in a homozygous recessive horned (hh). Correct?

Now, taking it further....
I keep trying to assess the likelihood my doeling will be a hermie! Ack. Let it go let it go....I know time will tell, she could be fine, and that statistically and anecdotally often the polledxpolled situation poses no problem and you get a normal doe. But, just for the sake of discussion, does this presence of these horned genetics rule out, or at least make less likely, the chances of hermaphrotitism? Just curious....

As if, perhaps, you cross a homozygous polled (PP) to another (PP) resulting in all (PP) which would likely result in the lethal hermie gene.

Maybe (hP)x(hP) allows for a normal sex outcome...

I dont know....

Whats your thinking on this?

[dosthouhavemilk]

Polled is dominant, so a goat only has to carry at least one copy of the gene to be polled.
Since your doe is horned, she carries the recessive horend gene from both paretns. Both parents are clearly heterozygouly polled, which is most common in polled goats. My polled goats are all heterozygously polled.
Assuming the link between the sex gene and the polled gene to be true (and some question the link and its commonality) she isn't at risk anymore than horned does are. Horned does can be hermaphrodites. Assuming a PP doe is always hermie would rule out the option of two PPs being bred. Again, however, there is at least one invididual in the group mentioned below who suspects she may have a PP doe.
There is a Polled Genetics Yahoo! Group that has a number of breeders of varying breeds that regularly breed polled to polled and do not see any more cases of hermies than they do with their horned to horned breedings.
I know our Polled buck settled his polled daughter. They produced a single polled doeling that did not look right. She was smothered at a month old so I have no idea if she was a true hermie or not, but her vulva area was not normal at all. The breeding was not one I chose. That is for sure. She is settled to a horned buck this year, and I am hoping for a Polled buckling this year out of her.

[hoofinitnorth]

Much of the debate on the PP and hermies comes from the finding that west African goats are not susceptible to this linkage.

I presume dosthouhavemilk meant that horned goats can be hermies *in addition* to PP goats (as opposed to only horned goats).

[dosthouhavemilk]

Yup...I tried to make it clear but at 3:40AM...well, it just didn't happen. lol