Who determines the sex?

Backfourty,MI. · #1 04/09/11, 12:45 PM

I'm sure this has been asked a number of times probly before but I can't remember or maybe I missed that thread but anyways....

Who determines the sex of the babies. the buck or the doe usually?

Just curious because the 2 does' that only had a single buckling each were bred to the same buck. Does that mean next year who ever he breeds will most likely have bucks too?

My other 2 does were bred to 2 different bucks & 1 had triplet doelings & the other had a buckling & a doeling.

The doe due in June was bred to the same buck that sired the triplet doelings this week so I'm hoping she has all girls too!

copperpennykids · #2 04/09/11, 01:04 PM

Buck determines the sex.

Alice In TX/MO · #3 04/09/11, 01:09 PM

Sperm is either X (female) or Y (male). The egg is neutral.

Ergo, the buck's sperm determines gender.

I have a buck who threw ALL bucklings this year. I don't know if he's going to get another chance next year.

**ladycat** · #4 04/09/11, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alice In TX/MO

Sperm is either X (female) or Y (male). The egg is neutral.

Ergo, the buck's sperm determines gender.(

You beat me to it!

But an additional factor to take into account, the ph of the doe's vaginal tract can also affect the gender. I can't remember which is which (more acidic or more alkaline), but one makes the boy sperm more likely to fertilize, and one makes the girl sperm more likely. But that's usually a minor factor that has no real relevance overall.

Narshalla · #5 04/09/11, 01:18 PM

The buck always determines the sex of kids. The doe always determines the number of kids.

When he produces sperm, there are always an equal number of 'X' and 'Y' sperm. In theory, this should mean that the kids are split 50/50 boy/girl, but it never seems to work that way when we're watching.

As for the kids you are expecting or the kids he might father next year, there's a phrase used in Vegas -- "The dice have no memory."

One, two, three, or five, that's up to the mother's genetics. Boys or girls or both is pure chance, unrelated to what he fathered last time, and especially unrelated to what he father with another doe.

But that's only sex and number. There are a large number of other things he can pass on to his kids, regardless of sex.

copperpennykids · #6 04/09/11, 01:44 PM

When the doe is bred is actually a bigger factor. If the doe is bred at the beginning of her heat, and the egg hasn't dropped yet, the male sperm - being really fast little buggers - get there first and die waiting around for the egg to drop. Meanwhile the female sperm which are slower steadier swimmers arrive and impregnate the egg.

Of course, if you keep breeding the doe several times a day, you are supplying new "fast swimmers" all of the time so they may arrive about the same time as the female sperm and it is now a race

.

BTW - we pen breed our Boers (so full access to the does all of the time ergo fresh sperm) and we still get close to a 50/50 split on sex. So reach your own conclusions!

But the buck still determines the sex!

hardworkingwoman · #7 04/09/11, 02:01 PM

Oh wow! I might have to get a new buck after seeing this one. My doe had two boys this year and last. I want some girls.

**mygoat** · #8 04/09/11, 02:18 PM

The buck determines sex but it IS still a 50/50 toss up. It's just luck of the draw. Over 100 kids, theory says you should get 50 does and 50 bucks out of each sire, just like tossing a coin 100 times should give you 50% heads, 50% tails. However, the average - like all averages - depend on the number of times you flip said coin or how many kids are born. If, for example, you only have 3 kids born and they're all males, that's not a big enough sample size to say that buck has a tendancy to throw males. If the buck really is breeding quality and is going to improve your herd, don't sell him too hastily - wait for the desired doelings.

Here's a cool human article about gender selection... The article writer sounds cautious about making any sweeping remarks about the studies, which I like - and cautions against making any drastic changes to diet etc to get the result as it can cause other issues.

http://www.ovulation-calculator.com/genderselection.htm

Backfourty,MI. · #9 04/09/11, 03:12 PM

Thanks everyone, I was just curious. This is the first year we've ever had does' bred by different bucks. Normally we only have 1 buck but last year we decided to have 2 then a woman we bought our mini nubians from gave us a buckling for free when we bought the 2 doelings. He turned out to be such a beautiful goat & a sweetheart we kept him but may sell him this year, just can't justify keeping 3 bucks all though they are all really nice boys.

I always seem to have a soft spot for the boys anyways. One of the little bucklings born this week I've already has a little hold on my heart. Already thinking of banding & keeping him just because. I know....not many brains on my end here! Hahaha!

mary,tx · #10 04/10/11, 12:08 PM

Of course the buck determines, but I just gotta say that I have one doe who has kidded five times, for a total of nine does and one buck. This year is the first time she has ever had a buck.

dosthouhavemilk · #11 04/10/11, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mary,tx

Of course the buck determines, but I just gotta say that I have one doe who has kidded five times, for a total of nine does and one buck. This year is the first time she has ever had a buck.

On the flipside. Bianca has kidded five times and finally produced her first doeling this past year. So 8 bucks and 1 doeling for her.

The egg provides an "X" chromosome. The sperm, a "Y" (for male) or "X" (for female).
The Y is needed to produce the testoterone that create the male physique. The developing embryo has female as the base developmental code.

thaiblue12 · #12 04/10/11, 02:31 PM

Yup just like in humans you can blame the man

My cousin and her husband have 3 boys, I told her if he was a goat I would have sold him for throwing all boys lol.

Male sperm swimmer faster and die sooner, girls last longer

There was study done in humans about position and alakline verus acidity. Males die faster in more acidic environment even if the position means they travel less distance. So maybe more vinegar is needed in the does diet

Backfourty,MI. · #13 04/10/11, 04:21 PM

Heck they all (Boys & girls here) get apple cider vinegar water year around along with regular water. They drink the vinegar water first everyday! Maybe I better add more vinegar! Hahaha!

mary,tx · #14 04/10/11, 08:29 PM

I don't believe they can drink enough vinegar to effect that.

**mygoat** · #15 04/10/11, 09:14 PM

I would NOT go messing around with pH of the vagina. It'd be very hard to find a safe food that would affect the vagina as desired and you'd have to feed a LOT, likely sacrificing nutrition and general health - for momma and possibly babies. Be happy you're getting healthy happy kids. Changing the pH of the vagina is just a fast way to get an infection going on in there.

sammyd · #16 04/11/11, 09:28 AM

My aunt who raises tons of free range Boers swears that

Quote:

if does don't get enough iodine in their systems before they're bred, there'll be a preponderence of billies!

southerngurl · #17 04/11/11, 09:39 AM

The buck determines the sex, but the doe does determine which embyros to keep. So she can potentially have a hand as well. I had one doe that always had a buck and a doe 3 different times and 3 different bucks.

Backfourty,MI. · #18 04/11/11, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mygoat

I would NOT go messing around with pH of the vagina. It'd be very hard to find a safe food that would affect the vagina as desired and you'd have to feed a LOT, likely sacrificing nutrition and general health - for momma and possibly babies. Be happy you're getting healthy happy kids. Changing the pH of the vagina is just a fast way to get an infection going on in there.

I would never try to change the Ph of the vagina, I really do give them apple cider vinegar everyday but have been doing that for years. That's as far as I'm willing to go. The apple cider vinegar water is for them all to drink.

I am very glad I have healthy bouncy babies for sure & actually I love them all, boys or girls.

thaiblue12 · #19 04/11/11, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mygoat

I would NOT go messing around with pH of the vagina. It'd be very hard to find a safe food that would affect the vagina as desired and you'd have to feed a LOT, likely sacrificing nutrition and general health - for momma and possibly babies. Be happy you're getting healthy happy kids. Changing the pH of the vagina is just a fast way to get an infection going on in there.

First off it was a study in HUMANS as I clearly stated.

Second I highly doubt any of us would go and douche a goat with vinegar and water, or change our does diets which may harm them to POSSIBLY get more girls.

Next time instead of using

I may use

so you do not take everything so literally.