Excited: looking at bucks Saturday

mzgarden · #1 03/11/15, 07:24 AM

Our first foray into having a buck may begin Saturday!

We got our two registered Nubian does last year as bottle babies and we want to breed them this Fall. They are of size and age. Ours is a little herd just for us and the girls were our first goats. A year into it now, we are expanding to add a buck - hooray/tremble.
All 3 possibles are registered/registerable, tested clean, coming from the same place. Checked the genetics at ADGA and we're good to go. We visit Saturday.

Our choices are:
1 year old, proven breeder
or one of the above buck's progeny from this year's kidding, both of them born in Feb (not twins).

Pics below -- how do we pick just one?

Clovers_Clan · #2 03/11/15, 08:21 AM

I would start by evaluating your does(and their mother's udder traits, since you can't see theirs). Are there any areas you'd like to improve? With all three bucks so closely related there won't be a lot of variation. But perhaps one of the buckling's(or buck's) dams stands out with particular traits you need. If any of the dams have had Linear Appraisals or Milk Test, you can compare those evaluations on the ADGA website. If you have a goat mentor perhaps they can help you with that and maybe go with you to pick him out.

It is very difficult to judge young kids. But length, width and a flat top line are fairly easy to spot. And of course vigor and growth.

The last factor should be color as it does not influence the utility and health of your herd. Unfortunately too often, sometimes unconsciously, it is the first consideration.

billinwv · #3 03/11/15, 11:27 AM

If you have nice bucks close, I would either take the does to the buck when in heat or rent a buck for a month. I only keep two does now and it sure is a lot easier than putting up with a buck full-time just to breed 2 does. No accidental breedings, no separate housing and no odor. If you decide to keep doe kids next year(which is likely)

You can get an unrelated buck to breed them all to. A buck purchased for breeding this year would need to be replaced if you keep back his offspring.

mzgarden · #4 03/11/15, 12:27 PM

bilinwv -- our original plan was to rent a buck. After getting turned down by everyone we talked with for 3 months - we gave up. No one here is willing to take our does or let us rent/lease their buck for fear of contamination. We then tried to find someone that could do (or teach us to do) AI -- no one, including vets.
Last option now is to get a buck of our own.

**mygoat** · #5 03/11/15, 04:06 PM

You can linebreed a buck to his daughters, especially as FF'ers. I've had success doing so, mainly because I'm not likely to keep any out of FF'ers and we band bucklings out of FF by rule here. One buckling now should last you at least two seasons, maybe more, depending on what you keep. If the two bucklings are unrelated perhaps that may be a route to go. You'd have to get your buck a wether friend anyways, so might as well feed another buck who is going to at least do something for you. Of course, then you need 2 breeding areas if you plan on pasture breeding does - if you plan on hand breeding, just get the buck of choice out and tie him to the outside of the fence, bring his date to come visit on a leash.

Having two unrelated bucks could let you go for longer without having to buy a new buck, and two are not really stinkier than 1. :P

But, new bucks is how you make improvements so it's up to you if you'd rather just buy one every couple years or buy two every several years.

Clovers_Clan · #6 03/14/15, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mygoat

You can linebreed a buck to his daughters, especially as FF'ers. I've had success doing so, mainly because I'm not likely to keep any out of FF'ers and we band bucklings out of FF by rule here. One buckling now should last you at least two seasons, maybe more, depending on what you keep. If the two bucklings are unrelated perhaps that may be a route to go. You'd have to get your buck a wether friend anyways, so might as well feed another buck who is going to at least do something for you. Of course, then you need 2 breeding areas if you plan on pasture breeding does - if you plan on hand breeding, just get the buck of choice out and tie him to the outside of the fence, bring his date to come visit on a leash.

Having two unrelated bucks could let you go for longer without having to buy a new buck, and two are not really stinkier than 1. :P

But, new bucks is how you make improvements so it's up to you if you'd rather just buy one every couple years or buy two every several years.

I don't breed registered goats and thats just what I did. I have a purebred Nubian and a purebred Saanen buck, both excellent milk lines. I plan to keep my herd completely closed here on out. As infrequently as I will be retaining replacements, I will never need another buck. With that genetic diversity I can line-breed between the two for an eternity without fear of inbreeding. Airplane ears forever!

mzgarden · #7 03/14/15, 07:14 PM

Thanks all, we decided in the smoke/cream colored guy. The black buck was spoken for the day before we could go see. The other is lovely but we wanted a baby we could raise on our property. Now to find a wether. The same folks have one more doe to kid. We asked them to save us a buckling, if she has one. Onward and upward.