# Thoughts on these guys and buying a buck...



## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

I am never good at making decisions, haha. But really need to start making decisions on getting a new buck. We sold our buck back in the fall after our does were bred. He was a very nice buck with a very good personality. My daughter showed no interest in him and doesn't want to show an adult buck so that was the only reason we sold him. 

We had planned to buck shop in Feb for a late summer buckling, but things were way too crazy for that between trying to finish up a barn, then some crazy kidding issues a month ago. In that time, a couple of our Dec boys have caught my eye. Below is a video, sorry it's not the greatest, their pen is temporarily smaller so it's hard to get away from them - they think they need to be attached to me at the hip. 
Goal for traditional would be showing and possibly using on a few unrelated does, goal for dapple paint would probably just be showing as he is related to most of our does and we have a small herd. I'm hoping if we kept both my son or my daughters friend will help her show 1. Also a buddy system for the boys.
These guys just turned 14 weeks old yesterday, they were born at the exact same time, both from sets of triplets and dam raised (raised as twins). 






We haven't finished that run in shelter in the buck pen, but it works great in the summer. If we keep the 2 Dec boys I mentioned above, they will move into that run in shelter. New buck would be quarantined in old barn, then hopefully put out with the Dec boys, or kept with March boys when we wean, or... have his own area & pen as I will be able to use that entire old barn pretty much just for bucks once we get a summer doe shelter set up.

So here is my great headache debate as time is running out to buy & prep one for summer shows...

1. Keeping the 2 Dec boys and see how they grow out, while adding a new buck that is slightly older than ours.

2. Get a new buck, sell the dapple paint, keep new buck and traditional together (hopefully) then separate use them both for breeding this fall while keeping a couple of March boys just for showing.

3. Keep these 2 Dec boys, and see what the March boys mature into and keep a couple of those for showing. Breed a few does to the traditional buck and see if we can find an outside buck to breed the other does to? 

My husband and daughter have no idea what we should do. With all of this in mind we always want to try and improve so bringing in a new buck no matter how much of a headache it may be getting everyone situated would be ideal IMO.
I really like that dapple paint boy for showing though...

For reference, here is the sire of all our 2021 kids. This was June of last year. He is a very nice buck IMO and has had a really laid back personality. I miss him very much. His traditional boy reminds me of him but has a deeper, wider barrel and is already bigger than his sire at this age. We got this buck at 5mo and he was around 85lbs. That's how big this Dec kid is at 3mo. 
In this video the sire is over 300lbs at 1 1/2 years old.





Thanks for any feedback. I have just been so swamped with working a part time job, goats, new barn, and started my super busy spring job last weekend (photographing horse racing/horse stuff).


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## CountyLineAcres (Jan 22, 2014)

I would definitely do option 1 or 2.

Option 3 just leaves too many “maybes” out there that could inconvenience you if something goes wrong. Bringing in new blood would guarantee a backup option for all your does.

Since you really like the dappled paint, I think option 1 is the best bet. You can add a new buck, keep those two, and you could always sell one later if you change your mind.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

All those boys look really nice!


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## Moers kiko boars (Apr 23, 2018)

Are all your bucks from the same Sire? If so..I would do option 1. Getting outside of your bloodlines gives you more options than similar bllodlines. I can see why its hard to make a choice though. All your boys look really nice.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

1 or 2


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Thanks so much I greatly appreciate it! It's definitely tough as we love our boys this year! Yes all the kids are by the buck this year and I'm pleased with his babies. To give you an idea of their size, they were weighed yesterday at 14 1/2 weeks and the bigger buckling weighed 95.2lbs, and the Dapple paint weighed 75.2lbs. They have grown very consistently.
My daughter has a bottle buckling that is 4 1/2 weeks old that weighed 31lbs.and she is excited about him too. At this point she might just show bucks this year unless we find room on the trailer lol Just joking! We'll see but this young guy has surprised us with how big and fast he has grown. He was a quad and is bred along the same lines as the bigger Dec buckling (their dams are from same sire). I told her he can change a lot but for now he is on our radar as well as 2-3 others lol


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Video of the brats today... 





The lighter traditional headed buckling is the big bucklings brother (bottle raised), he's growing very well and starting to get a buck head on him, he's a lot more lean built/framed than his brother. I worry about his barrel being too deep? Or should I stop worrying? It's crazy how we want to knit pick. 

Another video of the bottle buckling. The smaller dappled boy behind him recently was sick with what we believe was selenium deficiency, thankfully he is doing really good now, but lost a ton of muscle and condition  Hoping we can get him back in shape and find him a good home soon, he was also a bottle baby. I am loving this light headed boy, he has always been leaner than his brother from day 1. But I think he's going to be really nice, I love how he has been changing and developing.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Looking good to me.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Well we still haven't sold any and still can't decide what we want to do lol. Especially for showing. We are excited that our county fairs will have breeding classes this summer and planning to attend 1-2 ABGA shows later this summer. Still debating buying a buck or sending to a friends bucks. 

Our Dec boys will be 4 months old on Friday. Today I weighed them:
Renegade 111.8lbs (biggest buckling)
Danny Boy 94.0lbs (Renegades triplet brother who my daughter bottle raised - blonde head).
Maverick 88.6lbs (dapple paint)
Eli 84.6lbs (dapple head - this guy was really sick a couple of weeks ago, not sure if he had selenium deficiency or wondering if he had stepped on some wire and injured himself, but he was really lame and looking awful - got cocci no doubt from stress and has been treated for that, he is looking really good now!) - my daughter bottle raised him as well.
These guys were all born on the same day and were all triplets, but Renegade and Danny were about 3lbs. bigger at birth than the other 2.

I feel like Danny is really coming on now. He's developing such a beautiful head, he's stall but not real wide and could use more cover on him. I literally had him listed for sale and my husband and kids said no don't sell him. UGH. lol. 

Here are the boys on Sunday. with my daughter Again the only thing I don't particularly care about on Ren is how deep his belly is, but maybe that won't hurt him in the show ring? He is a solid buck otherwise.

Don't mind the dog barking in this video, she tries so hard to get Maverick to play with her - he's the only one that won't ignore her or try to butt her into the next millennium lol










Then for the March group we have 3 maybe 4 I am keeping my eyes on. We thought about buying a March buckling and keeping 1 of ours with him so we'd have 2 Dec and 2 Mar bucklings - buddy system and keeping my daughters friend in mind so she can show 1. 

Thor - Bottle baby buckling just turned 7 weeks today, weighs 46.6lbs (before he got his milk), quad with 3 sisters, mom is raising 2 of them. We adore this guy.





Here Thor fussing with one of his dam raised sisters. 
Then there is a red buckling, no name yet, and while he isn't anything special right now I keep thinking when he hits a growth spurt he may take off and be nice. He is right at 6 weeks old and 38.8lbs. He was a triplet, but being raised as a single as mom had a stillborn that made them all sick and mom just had no milk for about 4-5 days. So this guy had a rough start and his sister who was 4lbs. at birth is a bottle baby (31.8lbs today!). His sister, Emma is the red doe next to him with white socks - their dam is the red doe.





One more video... Emma, and Cookie (Thor's smallest sister who is bottle raised), the red buckling mentioned above (Emma's brother), and then there is a white buckling with a spot on his leg. He is one I am watching as well. He is a dam raised triplet, born same day as Emma and her brother. This guy has no name yet, weights 37.6lbs again dam raising all 3 his brothers are 37.0lbs and 41.6lbs. right at 6 weeks old. The bigger brother is very nice but his bite is slightly off (teeth are flared a bit), smaller brother is pretty cool. 





So... that's where I am at. Decisions stink when you are attached to them and want them to all be a somebody. Makes it hard to know who you should keep.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I feel for you, all are nice and I am not much help as I too have a hard time deciding for you.


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## Moers kiko boars (Apr 23, 2018)

Thats a rough choice. Very nice bucklings.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Thanks so much, it's definitely been a tough decision. I'm working a big event the next 2 days, then life quiets down and just have my part time job, which will be very few hours this time of year so I'm really hoping weather cooperates next week so I can try to get some of these guys washed and clipped and see where we're at. 
I'm so attached to these kids, it's tough. My daughter too, especially to her bottle babies. It will be very hard for her to part with the dapple headed and blond headed boys.


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