# Would you buy a buckling out of a first fresher?



## daisymay (Feb 13, 2017)

Pedigree below. I am seriously considering trying to sell Danae:’s buckling as a buckling and now a wether.
She is a first fresher with a promising udder. The bucklings sire has produced quite a few nice kids.

I have sold a limited amount of bucklings since I started breeding. I don’t show and have not been on milk test. I do a lot of research. This doe was not even my first pick when I picked her up as a kid. I got her because I liked her pedigree and you know you can’t just bring one kid home. Ever since then I have liked her every time I look at her. She always stands square, has nice width in the rear. She is nice to look at and I’m super excited to see her udder. Her prefreshing is very promising.

The buckling is brown eyes so likely won’t have anyone interested but I believe if his kids look like mom then I wouldn’t mind using him.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Price him right and someone might be interested.


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## Jubillee (Dec 22, 2017)

I personally do not sell or keep (it would be super-duper rare and I would have to hands-on know the line) bucks from FF. I have seen some FF look promising then go downhill with subsequent freshenings. The 2 bucks I am keeping this year (if they have them) will be from very established does. One on her 5th freshening and the other on her 7th. I kept one from my main doe that was from her 3rd fresh. Udders and production don't fully mature until 3-4 years. We can make educated guesses on how the doe will do in the future but it's not always a given.

So on our farm, I don't. I give time to assess production and udder strength and then may consider it with 2F depending on how they are then and taking into account their first lactation. I like to have more history of the doe herself before keeping them. But that is what I do. I try to be very very picky who stays a buck.


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## daisymay (Feb 13, 2017)

Thank you for your feedback. I know longer have the sire. The six does that he bred before leaving I have 5 bucklings and 3 doelings so far with one more to kid who I wouldn’t keep buckling out of her. Sold the two doelings together, three bucklings are sold as wethers so far.


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## daisymay (Feb 13, 2017)

Here he is less then 24 hrs old. Poor guy was so scared and moma was worried about him.


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## CrazyDogLady (Aug 9, 2014)

Well he'll certainly have a star studded pedigree. List him and see if you get any bites. If his dam's udder turns out as you hope.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Cute!


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## thefarmgirl (Jul 13, 2021)

He is adorable!


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

The buck in my avatar was out of a ff. We won him in a raffle at the herd jewels buck show. 
He passed on some good traits but also, a crappy immune system. 
I had to cull pretty hard when I was using him.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)




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## brigieboo (Apr 8, 2021)

Jubillee said:


> I personally do not sell or keep (it would be super-duper rare and I would have to hands-on know the line) bucks from FF. I have seen some FF look promising then go downhill with subsequent freshenings. The 2 bucks I am keeping this year (if they have them) will be from very established does. One on her 5th freshening and the other on her 7th. I kept one from my main doe that was from her 3rd fresh. Udders and production don't fully mature until 3-4 years. We can make educated guesses on how the doe will do in the future but it's not always a given.
> 
> So on our farm, I don't. I give time to assess production and udder strength and then may consider it with 2F depending on how they are then and taking into account their first lactation. I like to have more history of the doe herself before keeping them. But that is what I do. I try to be very very picky who stays a buck.


Out of curiosity, whats wrong with bucklings from FF's?


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## Jubillee (Dec 22, 2017)

Because when one breeds, they should strive to breed to improve the next generation. In dairy breeds (I don't know how meat breeds would be concerning this and pets...) you don't know how that FF doeling will really turn out udder and production-wise. So you could be passing on unknown issues. A FF could look ok the first year but later reveal poor udder structure and attachments. They could also show other conformation issues that weaken over time. I have a doe that milks a lot and really nicely and her udder was pretty ok when I got her, but over the 3 years, her udder is slowly loosening and her fore-udder pocket getting more pronounced. I don't think her udder will hold up over time as well. Had I kept a buckling out of her before knowing all that, I would have bred that into a bunch of kids and would not have found out until years later.

So theoretically, you only want to keep a buck out of a doe that has held up well over time and you would want to recreate over and over. No doe is perfect but you should only keep bucks from does that exhibit the traits needed.


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## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

I have, in the past, bought a buckling from a FF. I really liked the doe and the sire had died and I really wanted a buckling son of his. My little guy turned out to be everything that I hoped he would be and then some. 

I have sold a couple also. I had them advertised as wethers to be when a bit older, but the buyers wanted them as bucks because of the pedigree and what they saw of mom and dad at that point.


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## CrazyDogLady (Aug 9, 2014)

I did keep one for myself this year out of a FF, and sold his brother. Dam appraised with an E mammary with a 47 rear udder height. I could certainly use some RUH in some of my goats, hopefully he passes that along. I also know his lines like the back of my hand. My friend who has his brother was happy to take the chance as well.


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