# How are my Kids weights?



## Cedar Point Kikos (Oct 16, 2013)

Just curious, how do these weights sound to you? Kids are 30 days old at these weights.

Twin bucklings: (Kiko/Boer)
17-18lbs
16lbs

Twin Bucklings: (Kiko/Nubian/Saanen)
18-20lbs
22lbs

Twin doeling/buckling: (Kikos)
D: 15lbs
B: 20lbs

Single buckling: (75% Kiko/Nubian/Saanen) Weighed at 29 days.
25lbs


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

What were their birth weights?


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## CountyLineAcres (Jan 22, 2014)

Without knowing their birth weights, it is hard to know their daily weight gain  

I have no experience with Kikos but for our average 8, 9, and 10 lb boer kids, we expect them to reach 30lbs by 30 days.


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

They all seem a little small, especially the last twin doe. My one month old Alpine kids are about 35-37lbs right now. My 2 month old eats like a dead bird ( 8-10oz 3x a day, just never wants more) and he's 54lbs.
The one month olds' were all between 9-11lbs birth weight, the 2 month old was 7lbs with an extremely rough start and on tubes the first day. 
Mine are not on grain yet, their gains are just from milk and the bit of hay they eat.


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## Cedar Point Kikos (Oct 16, 2013)

Right, I knew I forgetting something!

BIRTH WEIGHTS:

Twin bucklings: (Kiko/Boer) 
5lbs
7lbs

Twin Bucklings: (Kiko/Nubian/Saanen)
7lbs
8lbs

Twin doeling/buckling: (Kikos)
D:6.5lbs
B: 6lbs

Single buckling: (75% Kiko/Nubian/Saanen) 
9.5lbs


These kids are only eating grass/bush and milk. And minerals of course. No grains whatsoever. Dams the same.
I think they're heavier then last year's kids...I will try look that up though


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## CountyLineAcres (Jan 22, 2014)

I would say that with the birth weights included, they are growing pretty well.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I'd like to see more of a weight gain but don't have experience with no grain.


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## Cedar Point Kikos (Oct 16, 2013)

Okay, so here's last year's kids' weights: (note: it's done with heart girth-to-weight, not with a weigh scale, so they're probably off a bit, but I do remember these kids being rather light)


Single doeling (full sister to above single buckling)
DOB: 13/04/14: Birth weight 6.25lbs
Weight on 12/05/14: 14lbs

Single doeling (full sister to above Kiko/Boer bucklings)
DOB: 06/04/14: Birth Weight: 5lbs
Weight on 06/05/14: 12lbs

Twin bucklings: (full brothers to above Kiko/Nubian/Saanen bucklings)
DOB: 11/04/14: 6.25lbs, and 5.25lbs
Weight on 12/05/14: 18lbs, and 13lbs


Single Buckling (full brother to above PB Kiko twins)
DOB: 16/04/14: Birth weight: 4.6lbs
Weight on 15/05/14: 13.6lbs


Definitely an interesting comparison...considering it's the same does and buck. But management system is slightly different this year then last year.


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## Cedar Point Kikos (Oct 16, 2013)

Oh, and does anyone have any experience with no-grain weights?


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## CaprineDream (Aug 22, 2014)

Just curious, do Kikos tend to throw kids with a smaller birth weight? I bred my LaMancha doe to a Kiko buck last fall and she kidded with triplets. The first doe was about 4.5lbs, the second doe was about 5lbs, and the buckling was 8 or 8.5lbs. The does seemed a lot smaller than even the dairy goats I've heard about. Is the birth weight determined by the sire or dam? Or both?


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## Cedar Point Kikos (Oct 16, 2013)

CaprineDream said:


> Just curious, do Kikos tend to throw kids with a smaller birth weight? I bred my LaMancha doe to a Kiko buck last fall and she kidded with triplets. The first doe was about 4.5lbs, the second doe was about 5lbs, and the buckling was 8 or 8.5lbs. The does seemed a lot smaller than even the dairy goats I've heard about. Is the birth weight determined by the sire or dam? Or both?


Yes, Kikos throw small birth weights, I 'think' (not 100% sure) that they selected for that in the Kiko breed.
I think the sire influences birth weight, but I'm not certain 
Kikos I find are not a huge goat, there's a new improved kind of Kikos coming out called "Kikonui" and the does are small, 70-110lbs or so. And some big breeders up here find their most productive does to be around 100lbs as well


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## CaprineDream (Aug 22, 2014)

Okay that's what it seemed like. They were the smallest kids born on my farm this year except for a tiny less than 3lb purebred Alpine. But that was just weird. The other kids were all mostly Alpine or LaMancha and ranged from 6lbs to 9lbs. Even the quads were 6-7lbs each. I thought it probably was the Kiko. 

So if Kikos are so small, what makes them a good meat goat? Do they just grow fast or what? Sorry to hijack your thread.


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

The kids and weights I listed, are not on any grain. They are just getting milk and hay.


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## Cedar Point Kikos (Oct 16, 2013)

CaprineDream said:


> So if Kikos are so small, what makes them a good meat goat? Do they just grow fast or what? Sorry to hijack your thread.


They are smaller boned, grow faster, do better on low quality forage then Boers, and in general are cheaper to raise. i.e. don't need deworming, hoof trimming, kidding care, etc.

Sadly, a lot of those traits are being almost bred out, but folks disregarding or not fully comprehending (nothing against those people at all) that fact when raising Kikos, and do deworm, feed grain, etc and in so doing cannot select for the basic traits Kikos were originally bred for. So sometimes you get disappointed when dealing with Kikos that aren't really what they are touted to be.


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## CaprineDream (Aug 22, 2014)

M'kay makes sense. If we had more land, we'd be getting a herd of Kikos. But right now all we have space for is a small herd of dairy goats. Hopefully sometime in the future we can get some.


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## Cedar Point Kikos (Oct 16, 2013)

Little-Bits-N-Pieces said:


> The kids and weights I listed, are not on any grain. They are just getting milk and hay.


Hmmm, I guess my genetics aren't that good yet  The does are still average not at ALL special girls...hoping to fix that this year with some 100% New Zealand Kiko doelings and a buckling  Excited about getting those!

But how is the comparison between this year and last year in terms of weight?


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## Cedar Point Kikos (Oct 16, 2013)

CaprineDream said:


> M'kay makes sense. If we had more land, we'd be getting a herd of Kikos. But right now all we have space for is a small herd of dairy goats. Hopefully sometime in the future we can get some.


Yeah, I totally get that! I have trouble with room too....only have room for a couple does, a buck and then that year's kids  Makes it hard to improve a herd sometimes. But it does force you to cull ruthlessly!


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