# Have you bred polled x polled?



## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

Accidental or intentional, I'd be interested to know what you got! Also mention what breed.
I'm wondering if there are strains of polled goats that do not carry the birth defect gene.


----------



## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Yep...intentional...ND...Does dam was horned, sire polled...Bucks dam was polled, sire horned and I got 2 polled bucklings and a horned doeling from the breeding.

BTW...This polled doe NEVER gave me a polled kid before this breeding.


----------



## goatnutty (Oct 9, 2007)

I have always heard that it was a bad idea to breed polled woth polled?


----------



## RMADairyGoats (Jun 20, 2011)

goatnutty said:


> I have always heard that it was a bad idea to breed polled woth polled?


I have heard that as well. They can be born without legs, and extra leg, ect.


----------



## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

Polled to polled won't do that lost prairie! 

the popular belief is that you have a higher chance of hermaphrodite with a polled to polled breeding.


----------



## Breezy-Trail (Sep 16, 2011)

The doe I got from a breeder is polled and she said to always breed to a horned buck because the offspring can get a M..... something disease.
Can someone help me out? it started with M I believe. Something to do with the kids not worth anything with this disease.


----------



## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

Hermaphrodite - there is an emphasis on the m when I hear people say it so maybe that's why you thought it began with an m


----------



## goatnutty (Oct 9, 2007)

Maybe that is what I was thinking of, I knew it was some genetic defect..


----------



## GotmygoatMTJ (Apr 25, 2009)

I have been considering doing polledxpolled breedings....I have a few does that are polled, and also a buck kid thats polled...and I just keep thinking how pretty their babies would be. :laugh:
Never done it.
Do have a result of it.
Her name is Lucielle 
She is a fainter
And a hermaphrodite.


----------



## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

Polled x polled has been *said* to give you a greater chance of hermaphrodite offspring. From what research i've done and from what i've heard from some breeders who've been crossing polled goats for years, I think it's pretty inaccurate. 

You can believe it or not. I don't think there is a for sure yes or no answer on this because there has not been any concrete research done that I know of. I personally have NO problem at all buying, selling, breeding, owning polled goats. I personally see this whole polled, hermaphrodite thing as an old wives tale. 

I also think there is a lot of false information being spread about polled goats without research or documentation to back up the claim and some people just roll with it. There was a study done on the polled x polled breedings causing hermaphrodites, but the study was not correctly done because they used a line of goats known for throwing hermaphrodites and didn't research horned goats in the study.


----------



## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

The breeder I bought my polled goat from has a result of an accidental polled x polled breeding. He (a Nigerian) is not a hermaphrodite; he is (sort of) a buckling, but his "parts" look funny, and he is incapable of breeding does.
I have also heard of other problems that can result - spermiostasis & cystic ovaries.
I don't think it's anything to worry about as long as you always breed polled to horned.
I just think it would be cool to find a polled gene that doesn't carry defects - and from it develop a pure-for-poll line of goats!


----------



## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

There is nothing proven to accurately say that the polled gene in fact carries defects. :shrug:


----------



## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

I think (no evidence just personal observation) that there are some lines of polled goats that have the hermaphrodite gene and because there are few polled lines if bred together it can express itself more because just like with the extra teat its less likely to happen if bred to another goat without the recessive gene then with another goat with that recessive gene. 

No there isnt enough research done on it and its sad because polled goats would be so cool!

the hard part of determining which lines are carrying the hermaphrodite gene is that we cant bring in new blood in the nigerian dwarf herd book so we are stuck with what we have in the gene pool already


----------



## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

If I had the money, I would try to develop a pure-poll line that didn't carry any birth defects. But then I have always been a dreamer...


----------



## luvmyherd (Apr 9, 2011)

I think a lot of what we read in books and such has not had enough research to back up such claims. What it will take is someone determined enough to really give it a try. I have never even had one polled goat.
It would be so nice not having to disbud.


----------



## WhisperingWillowNDG (Jul 20, 2011)

If anyone is interested in info on polled goats of all breeds check out the yahoo group polled goat genetics. These people frequently breed polled to polled with nigh on any problems. Some even clain they get more hermies fromfrom thier horned x horned bredings than thier polled x polled breedings


----------



## Red Mare (Aug 17, 2011)

I have polled goats here, but all are the offspring of one sire. 
I have heard that it's the homozygous (as in you get nothing But polled) polled goats that have a higher risk of producing the intersex kids. 
All my polled goats have been crossed with horned goats, and I have had a 75% of polled kids. 

I would be happy to try a polled on polled if I got an outside line in, as I do believe it's a linked trait to certain lines.


----------



## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

Wow! Cool info! I will definitely check out that yahoo group, Willow!
@Red Mare - 75% polled?! That's pretty good!
I'm pretty sure my doe is related to "Dribbles" (the sort-of buckling) which means her line carries the gene.  But I'll ask the breeder. Maybe she isn't!


----------



## Red Mare (Aug 17, 2011)

Yup! I was very happy about the results on my kid crop that year. I sold the buck with an older doe that I really loved, but had retained many of her offspring from. 
I did keep one son back who is also black and white, polled with blue eyes, from my best doe. 

I gave him one of my best doe's (my Baywatch grandaughter) but she was the one who got hit by the tree branch.  
So I will have to wait one more year to see what I get next fall sadly.


----------



## myfainters (Oct 30, 2009)

I frequently breed Polled X Polled together. (I raise fainters and Mini Silkies) To date there has not been a PROVEN homozygous polled goat introduced into a study so after reading the studies performed in 1940 I'd say they are pretty bogus. From my experience it runs in certain lines....as I know of one genetic line in particular with fainters that produces hermies whether they are polled X Polled breedings or horned X horned breedings...sometimes it just pops up. (usually very inconsistant...you can breed the same pair together 10 times and only get 1 hermie or the same pair 10 times and get 10 hermies.) Also have seen this amongst some nigerian dwarf lines. 

Then there is the fact that a hermaphrodite can be a birth defect as well and have absolutely nothing to do with genetics but of pregnancy circumstances. 

Basically....if you have a superior polled animal that would best pair with another polled goat in your herd...breed them...better the breed, don't worry about hermies. Worst case scenario you get one....it either sells for meat or can be someones pet just like a wether can.  Best case scenario you get a top producing, quality animal that you didn't have to disbud!!!!!


----------



## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

Jess you had posted a chart before - do you have that handy? Could you email it to me if you can't post it.


----------



## kelebek (Oct 5, 2007)

I have only bred polled to polled once - and it was myos - both polled both blue eyed - I got 1 brown eyed pollled, 1 blue eyed horned, and one blue eyed polled HERMIE! I have pics of the disfiguration. he never grew right and when butchered out at 6 months - I only received 11 pounds of meat out of bone.


----------



## Amos (Oct 2, 2008)

Supposed 1 in 8 polledxpolled breedings will be intersex, of course chance plays a part in that.
There are a few polled PB Nubians out there, and I was hoping to incorporate polled lines into my herd, but I don't want to sacrifice my current quality.. Maybe someday...


----------

