# Stunted growth Buck - Good for breeding?



## SarahFair (Apr 13, 2010)

I have a nubian buckling that is 8 months old. 
He came to me sick (unbeknownst to me) and has been just a sickly thing. 
...I think I have finally figured out what is going on with him and we are working to get him healthy. 




His growth is pretty much stunted. I dont ever think he will grow to full size.
Will he still be good for breeding?


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## 8566 (Jul 18, 2012)

I haven't seen your boy and have only worked with Nigies but .....

They will continue to grow up to 3 years. I've had stunted girls, quads, and sick boys that once given the right nutrients and recovered from sickness, they have caught up close enough with their height. Just took them a bit longer.

I don't know how short your boy is and how fast he will recover or what his issue is .... but maybe don't give up on him yet.

As for breeding him - if he's strong and healthy and you know he's short because of his illness - then I would consider breeding him to a few does and see what happens. If .... he's going to improve your girls.

my thoughts ... :greengrin:


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Most often kids are sickly because of cocci infections that go too long before treatment is started or because the treatment isn't the right one and it will cause a wealth of other issues because their immune systems have been compromised also being part of a large herd where one or 2 kids are left hungry more often can lead to low immunity and a weakened state, if thats the case with this boy, the right feed and minerals will get him on the right track but if it's because of something in his genetics that is making him unthrifty, you may want to rethink using him as a breeder as some things are passed along with those genetics.


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## SarahFair (Apr 13, 2010)

.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

What I meant by genetics was that if he was predisposed to being unthrifty..... those types of genetics can be just as likely as those that carry udders etc.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

:greengrin: Just because a buck is stunted... doesn't mean he won't produce well...if the Sire and Dam and close genetics are really nice... he may surprise you....I have seen beautiful bucks not produce well... in comparison to their sibling buck brother that isn't as nice...it is unbelievable sometimes.....
All I can say is...if you like him per say....give him a try..I would get a fecal though for cocci and worms to be sure he is healthy for breeding.... of course...the scary part is though.. being under weight....he will lose more during rut and breeding....  Do you have very many to breed?


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## Zarafia (Mar 25, 2012)

My young ND/pygmy buck, Sprite, came to me as a very stunted, underweight and wormy kid. He was 5 months old and weighed 17lbs. He was wormy as could be. Once he was treated for the worms he started thriving.
Now he is in rut. Not much taller than he was when I got him, he's a lot "beefier" now. Where he was nervous and incredibly submissive before, now he is bold and confident.
I know that he is a real survivor due to the care and conditions I got him from. All it took was worming and regular feeding to make him thrive. Now he thinks he's God's gift to all goats and people LOL. And, my goodness, he is into all those bucky things like drinking from his fountain and bathing himself in his cologne. He makes sure to sample my doe's urine every time she pees and he's just on top of everything these days LOL. But he's retained his sweet disposition.
I definitely intend to breed him to my ND doe, who is a good third larger than he is.
But, knowing that he is a stunted goat and that he hasn't reached the size his genes would have dictated under ideal circumstances, I will never breed him to a doe smaller than he is. Only does bigger. 
I am only breeding for pet goats, and for the milk that my ND doe will give me. Sprite wont be advertised at stud LOL.


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## SarahFair (Apr 13, 2010)

I only have 3 does.. And honestly hes so small compared to them and the lowest on the rung, I dont think theyll let him breed being Sr does
We are treating him for tapes and cocci as we speak


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

Will he be good for breeding? Well, he might be able to breed just fine. If he gets healthy then it won't matter too much if he's stunted or not. A healthy buck is usually a buck that can breed. Are his genetics good enough that I would recommend breeding him? I don't know. He may be from genetics that don't produce the hardiest animals and that right there, to me...is something I personally stay away from. I like hardy animals that don't get sick easily. I'm also not sure of your goals in breeding him. What are you hoping to produce or accomplish?


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## Dayna (Aug 16, 2012)

I'm curious about how much he weighs. I've got a stunted nubian buck that's about 4-6 months old and he only weighs 27#'s. I'm still trying to get him healthy but as I'm his 4th home I'm not sure what he was exposed to or what his life was like. I've had him a couple weeks and no weight gain.


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## ptgoats45 (Nov 28, 2011)

Being a Nubian, I would be worried about G6S. If he doesn't improve with what you are doing now, I would have him tested for G6S. Affected goats are typically stunted, don't grow well and just don't look thrifty.


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## SarahFair (Apr 13, 2010)

Im embarrassed to say but, hes 28lbs. 
He looks like a 3 month old kid. 
...I brought his brother home with him and he did the same thing. He died last month out of the blue.


Im already looking into trading a doe for another buck in case hes not going to work out


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## primal woman (Sep 17, 2011)

I agree with Liz and KW. If there is a propensity to be sickly with a weaker immune system that alone could harm your ‘get’. And ptgoat is also on spot. In fact I just learned about that G6S. And you can test for it. Send a sample in for DNA testing for it..gosh, just read it today. I think you send the sample to somewhere in Texas. Under the circumstances that may not be a bad idea. THEN there also are epigenetics at play! Let’s say he should have been ok and something environmentally got to him and made him sickly; environment can change DNA and it is called epigenetics and could affect his progeny. 
I have a buck here that throws extra teats now when he hadn't done that to start with. And he was bred to his daughter that had an extra teat and she did NOT have extra teated baby. Just goes to prove that epigenetics are at play. And I am in hopes to see if his better nutrition after purchasing him last summer helps to stop his teaty gene! 

Good luck and I’m sorry to hear you lost his brother.


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## SarahFair (Apr 13, 2010)

I read a thread (on another forum I found her on) about them when they were born. 
Set to quads for a first timer. 

They were ALL very weak and she was saying how one had jelly like hooves, but I guess all survived??
She also had to take them from their mom for some reason or another. The post went on to say how sick and weak they were for a week or so after birth 
Im wondering if this is reason??


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Having a rough start in life and not being mothered well during the first week can certainly cause nutritional as well as developmental issues.


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## SarahFair (Apr 13, 2010)

:sigh:
This little guy is having such a rough life


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## Stacykins (Mar 27, 2012)

Stunting can also be genetic. Has it happened to others from the same pairing? 

My boer wether Artie is a munchkin. He is really small. Not from being sick, his health needs were and are well met. He just...never grew much compared to all her other boers that year. The year he was born was the very last time his parents would ever be paired. The same pairing produced another stunted boer the year before. Obviously not a fluke if it happens twice in a row. He is about the size of a Nigerian dwarf, and he is a year and a half now.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

> Im embarrassed to say but, hes 28lbs.
> He looks like a 3 month old kid.


 oh wow... he is small....


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## SarahFair (Apr 13, 2010)

I kind of want to ask the lady who he came from but am too embarrassed because of his condition. 
All my other goats are healthy has hogs! It was just these two..


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## SarahFair (Apr 13, 2010)

I messaged her and asked...
did a little more reading and see that her bloodlines do carry the g6s. 
Saw where she was going to get a few of them tested but she never posted results.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

:hug: ray:


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## SarahFair (Apr 13, 2010)

I messaged her and she said she never tested as she didnt see the need to
One kid from the quads she still has and she said its normal :shrug: 
She said the linage themselves are slow developers.


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## Anna (Oct 17, 2007)

To be that small there has to be a little something else at play besides just coming from a slow developing line. I weight taped my kiddos (nubian and alpine) this year as they were growing and mine have steadily gained at least 10lbs. a month. I sold 2 bucklings as market kids around 45 lbs at 3.5 months when I sold them. Hmmm, I hope you get this little guy figured out. Is he filled out pretty well and in good condition besides the smaller stature? That would be a slow developer to me- pretty normal just small. lol.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

That is amazingly small ...even for a slow grower.... :chin:


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

He would be one to wether, in my opinion. :hug:


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## SarahFair (Apr 13, 2010)

I think that is what Im going to do. 
Currently Im trying to trade a doe for a buck so I will have one this season.. Then just wether him and keep him.


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

:thumb: I think that's a good plan.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

:thumbup:


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## Nubiandairy (Nov 26, 2013)

I just went to see some does and a buck that are seriously stunted. They are around 2 yrs old. I have goats and I'm sure its cocci and barber poll worms. At 2 years old would they grow to normal size if treated right??? They are like Nigerian size or smaller and 2 yrs old. They have papers so they r nubes. Any thought, knowledge or input?


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## mayia97420 (Apr 22, 2014)

I have a year old doe that looks stunted but not that bad - she does barely met breed standards- however she had poor nutrition and was bred at only 6 months and was below weight then- now she is nursing twins - going to not breed her this fall and see what reproduction rest and good nutrition will do for her .


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## rebelINny (Feb 7, 2014)

I highly doubt it is a reversible thing at this point and I would want goats with barber pole worms near my property!


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## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

If they have the genetics, and are appealing despair their current condition, by all means use em. I've seen magic happen from introducing fabulous genetics on bad husbandry farms switch owners with proper knowledge.


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