# Buckling weight - normal?



## whitepackgoats (Jun 8, 2020)

Hi,
I have a 3wk5d old alpine buckling who weighs 18.9 pounds and is 17.5" at the withers. I'm not concerned about growth rate, because that seems fine (.51lb ADG over the past 2 weeks), but I am concerned that this little guy might be stunted because he was a twin and his brother was underformed and stillborn, possibly due to his dam getting into some moldy hay about three weeks before kidding. His sire is 37" and 260lbs in rut, and his dam is 34" and 190lbs, so I was expecting this buckling to be large. He is my first alpine though so I am unsure what "normal" is... I also have another alpine buckling who is 10 weeks old, but I didn't have him until he was 8 weeks so I'm not sure what size he was when he was younger. Let me know what you think!









Little Leo waking up from his nap


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

That is small for a Nigerian Dwarf. So it is definitely too small for an Alpine.
He is cute!


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## MadHouse (Oct 3, 2019)

@Damfino Don't you have alpines?


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## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

19 lbs. at four weeks doesn't sound stunted to me, particularly if he's bottle-raised. Mine are usually around 25 lbs. at 4 weeks, but they are dam-raised. There is no reason to think that being twins with a stillborn would harm this guy's growth. Feed him well and give him plenty of sunshine and exercise with good mates to play with and he should live up to his genetic potential. Parasites, cocci, and poor nutrition are the biggest reasons for stunted growth, and even if he's smaller than the others now, a goat his age will always catch up if given the proper care. I've seen a few "runts" grow to astonishing sizes, including my own packgoat, Sputnik.


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