# Nubian/Alpine Cross Buckling Critique and advice



## badgercreekfarm (Nov 17, 2011)

So, three months ago I bought 3 alpine does. When she brought them, the lady offered me 3 nubian/alpine cross doe kids (from Iris, Ebony, and Iris's sister(I don't have her), bred to a nubian buck). So I took them.
Then she offered me her bucks, and 3 male 'wether' kids. Then she told me they were still intact when I went to get them. So I am trying to decide if I should keep one, to breed back to my cross doelings, or not. 

Two of them are from my other doe Aquila(who didn't have a doe kid, but is a direct sister to Ebony, who did have a doeling). The other is from Iris's sister(who had a doe and buck)

So without telling who is who in the photos yet (I bet you could probably guess..) which of these little guys looks the best? What would you do if you were me? 

Anyone else have any alpine/nubian cross goats?

Thanks!


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## Dreamchaser (Oct 30, 2008)

I like the last one best. I do have some alpine/nubian crosses. Here is one photo, though not the best. I'll have to get some other photos. I have a really pretty one that is brown with a black rear end, and has the nubian moon spots. Really cool-looking goat. I think I saw one of the ones in the photos have some spots?


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## RPC (Nov 6, 2009)

I like the last one the best also but if I were you I would sell them all and get a new one to breed to the kids next year so you can get new and different blood in there.


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## badgercreekfarm (Nov 17, 2011)

Out of curiosity, why do you like this one best? He has a very funny monotone baa (more like beeh) that he does. 

He is Iris's sisters, I have his sister doeling too. Would it be better to choose one of the others from Aquila, even though I have a doeling from her sister. Also, I think Aquila has a better pedigree, although I don't have a copy of her actual registration, so I can't see if she has stars behind her. She is my best milker.


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## Dreamchaser (Oct 30, 2008)

Didn't realize that they were males, duh! If it was a female I'd say keep one. He seems longer than the others, but I don't know if it's the position they are in. I agree with RPC though. I try to stick to one breed. I have found it is easier to sell a goat of one breed rather than a mix. I have nothing against cross breeds, as I have a few, but it seems that the cross breeds sell best as meat goats in the present economy. If that does not bother you, I say go for it. They look very sturdy.


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## JessaLynn (Aug 30, 2009)

I wouln't keep any as an intact buck but if you need to then sell the offspring as meat only and make sure all bucks are wethered.Just my :2cents:


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## badgercreekfarm (Nov 17, 2011)

I guess I'm just feeling like since I have 3 cross doelings, and Alpine does and Nubain bucks that will throw the same crosses this spring, and there are no alpine studs within reasonable distance...
That I will have 6+ or so of these doelings by spring and I am setup to continue to produce more later. There isn't really anyone else breeding (full size) dairy goats within 1-200 miles of me, so if anyone wants to buy a milker, I can probably sell them whatever I have. So I'm torn on whether I should go with what I'm setup for now and breed up a herd of Nubain/Alpine crosses, or try to sell my nubian bucks and get alpines, either now or after this season.
From a dairy standpoint, if I could get sweeter milk than alpines, and more quantity than nubains that would be great. I understand that purebred kids of either breed would be more valuable, but if I can get a better quality milk, that might outweigh them being purebred for me. 
Hard decision to make without breeding one of the doelings, milking her, weighing it and tasting her milk...


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## JessaLynn (Aug 30, 2009)

I can understand for milk reasons but from a breeders perspective I don't see many qualities in these bucks worth keeping and breeding.I could be wrong and just observing from the pictures is all.As far as breeding for sweeter milk...that's a project you will never know what you'll get and could waist your time on or stumble on to something you really like  Good luck whatever you decide on..hope it works out for you!


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## lissablack (Nov 30, 2009)

The first four look very short bodied to me. The last one is not as short bodied. I am really paranoid about that, I had a c-section experience this year because of short body, it is not okay. I don't have much experience with full size dairy goats. but short bodied is not good. It is too many bucks anyway. Keep the last one if you have to keep any intact, and neuter the rest.


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## Di (Jan 29, 2008)

Ok, now this is just my opinion. I'm wondering what is this ladies motivation...is she selling out? Are you her only buyer? What is the market for goats in your location? 

With any large breed goat, your market for "pet" wethers is going to be very limited. Most of the bucklings produced are going to be for the "meat" trade. Are you OK with that? One reason I decided to reduce my Cashmere herd was because most of my boys went to the "meat market", which is OK, but, I did get a little tired of it. 

In my experience, a buckling will tell you he is buck material (assuming his genetics are good, of course)...he will "strut" around while the other boys are playing or wailing about something. He just exudes that macho that makes you think "WOW". I don't see that with these kids. But, of course I don't know them, lol. 

If it were me, I'd feed these guys up and sell them before they cost you a fortune. Don't get too attached to boys...as far as I'm concerned the more boys I have the less I can breed...and that is unacceptable. :hi5:


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## badgercreekfarm (Nov 17, 2011)

> Ok, now this is just my opinion. I'm wondering what is this ladies motivation...is she selling out? Are you her only buyer? What is the market for goats in your location?


From what she told me, she had been working on building up a 'hobby scale grade A dairy" (Huh!), and that her and her husband would be moving in the next year for a new job. I believe one or two other people bought some of her goats, but I have most of them. (I paid for the three does, she gave me the bucks). I don't think there is much more than a meat market for goats here, although if I had a purebred Alpine buck, I could sell the kids to folks from pretty far away probably. I'm not sure why she bought the Nubian bucks, to try to get sweeter, higher butterfat milk? The second one she bought shortly before I got the does? She did also have a nubian doe that someone else bought, so she could have been switching over. 
I'm fine with selling kids for meat, esp. boys.



> In my experience, a buckling will tell you he is buck material (assuming his genetics are good, of course)...he will "strut" around while the other boys are playing or wailing about something. He just exudes that macho that makes you think "WOW". I don't see that with these kids. But, of course I don't know them, lol.


That makes sense to me. I totally saw that with my chickens this year. I had one rooster that hatched larger than the others, with his comb on his head. He stayed around.

Haven't seen that so much with the bucklings, None of them seem 'extra' special. They just act like kid goats. I've only had them a week, plan is to eat them. Just somewhat tempting to keep one to breed back, although I would probably be worlds ahead to start bring in different genetics if I am going to make a experimental breed.

I could probably buy an alpine buck now for close to what I would earn off of the sale of one or two good alpine kids this spring.

Weigh that against the fact that Nubians would sell better here, although I bet most people are reluctant to buy a cross bred when it comes down to it, but maybe....


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