pridegoethb4thefall
Ridin' The Range
- Joined
- May 12, 2010
- Messages
- 353
- Reaction score
- 6
- Points
- 74
I recently bought a herd of 7 Nigerian dwarf does, and came across a new term I wasn't aware of in the breed- Double dwarf gene. One of them is really small for her age.
This doe is almost 1 year old, but is easily the size of a 6 month old doeling. The previous owner said she just never grew as much as the other goats, that she was never sick, and always got plenty to eat. She said she thinks this doe has a double dwarfism gene that is making her stay small, and that the doe should not be bred or it would kill her for sure.
So, does such a condition exist? Or could her extra small size be something else?
And could she ever be bred w/out it being a death sentence?
I need to decide if Im keeping her (I don't have room for a non-producer) or if I should sell her to a pet only, buck free home. I have a buck, and can keep him penned, but I also know accidents happen, and I don't want to risk her life in any way.
BTW, I saw the previous owners place, and it was immaculate, excellent pens, 4 acres of grazing land, and she was super into keeping her goats well fed, well supplemented, and well groomed. I have no reason to even suspect the doe was anything but very well cared for.
What do you think?
Keep her and breed her?
OR
Sell her as a pet?
Normally I wouldn't have taken a doe like her since I am looking to keep my girls for home milkers, and to sell a few kids to offset feed (and of course PLAY with kids!), but she was part of a whole herd sale of 7 DOES, for only 700 bucks, which came with a TON of extras (basically everything you need to show and to keep goats) and of the 7, 6 are registered/registerable, only one wasn't, so I was NOT gonna pass up such a deal! The lineage is really good on these girls (for our area), so I am so excited about this herd being added to my current herd. Vet will be out wednesday to draw blood on ALL goats for testing, do fecals, etc. And yes, they are in quarantine. I am hoping to keep a few of the best for milkers, and sell the rest as bred registered does.
To make things more complicated, we also just picked up some pigs to raise for butcher, and I had to stuff the buck in with them for the night until I can reconfigure my pasture pens to keep everyone safe.
Of course, my buck is ramming fences to get to them, so I need to figure out about the smaller girl before he hurts himself, or busts out!!
HEEEEELLLPP!!!
This doe is almost 1 year old, but is easily the size of a 6 month old doeling. The previous owner said she just never grew as much as the other goats, that she was never sick, and always got plenty to eat. She said she thinks this doe has a double dwarfism gene that is making her stay small, and that the doe should not be bred or it would kill her for sure.
So, does such a condition exist? Or could her extra small size be something else?
And could she ever be bred w/out it being a death sentence?
I need to decide if Im keeping her (I don't have room for a non-producer) or if I should sell her to a pet only, buck free home. I have a buck, and can keep him penned, but I also know accidents happen, and I don't want to risk her life in any way.
BTW, I saw the previous owners place, and it was immaculate, excellent pens, 4 acres of grazing land, and she was super into keeping her goats well fed, well supplemented, and well groomed. I have no reason to even suspect the doe was anything but very well cared for.
What do you think?
Keep her and breed her?
OR
Sell her as a pet?
Normally I wouldn't have taken a doe like her since I am looking to keep my girls for home milkers, and to sell a few kids to offset feed (and of course PLAY with kids!), but she was part of a whole herd sale of 7 DOES, for only 700 bucks, which came with a TON of extras (basically everything you need to show and to keep goats) and of the 7, 6 are registered/registerable, only one wasn't, so I was NOT gonna pass up such a deal! The lineage is really good on these girls (for our area), so I am so excited about this herd being added to my current herd. Vet will be out wednesday to draw blood on ALL goats for testing, do fecals, etc. And yes, they are in quarantine. I am hoping to keep a few of the best for milkers, and sell the rest as bred registered does.
To make things more complicated, we also just picked up some pigs to raise for butcher, and I had to stuff the buck in with them for the night until I can reconfigure my pasture pens to keep everyone safe.
Of course, my buck is ramming fences to get to them, so I need to figure out about the smaller girl before he hurts himself, or busts out!!
HEEEEELLLPP!!!