# Just starting out, bought at sale barn auction...



## SpruceCreek (Mar 27, 2013)

Yes, I know, everything tells you not to do that, buy from reputable dealers, etc, but... Well, they were just so darn cute! Actually, a friend behind the scenes at the auction pointed me in the direction of doelings that came from a reputable farm and were healthy, etc. Problem with buying at auction, I know is that I have no information on the two little girls now in my care.

My questions are the following:

I was told by goat breeders at the auction they felt the doelings I bought were approximately three months old. The 7 doelings they were with were older but all had little horns, my two have none. At what age do the horns start protruding? Would it be highly unusual for a December 30 kidding or is that fairly common?

The girls, Ethyl and Lily, are fat and healthy, I am working on taming them somewhat so common procedures will not be so upsetting to them. I don't have a weight yet, as I don't have a scale, but hope to have one soon. Does any one have a rough estimate on what a three month old Boer doe could weigh?

I am officially in love! :lovey:


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## goatgirlzCA (Mar 9, 2011)

Congratulations! I have boers and I love all of them! I believe that a 3 month old would weigh around 35 to 45 lbs. I am basing this on wethers we buy at this age - smaller ones are in the 30's but some of the bigger ones can even be in the 50's. Easy way to weigh them at this age is on a bathroom scale in your arms. Weigh yourself, then pick one up and weigh again, subtracting your weight. It would give you an idea anyway!

I don't remember exactly when the doe horns start really protruding, because we have to dehorn the wethers. These might have been dehorned also?


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## imthegrt1 (Jan 13, 2013)

Right around 3 weeks


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

I find it odd that someone would go through all the trouble to dehorn them if they were going to send them to auction.

 Maybe they are polled? 

 I do not think all the goats that go to Auction are bad goats. It is sad that so many people believe that. I know a lot of people that have to send them there just because they can not afford to feed them. With the hay prices here that is what people do instead of letting them starve. 

 Good for you and I would love to see pictures of the goats.


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Usually at the end of her first week I can feel Boer horns comin up.
It is as Lori has said, not everyone can afford the feed bill so they go.
We have done this.
Absolutely nothing wrong with them we just cant keep everyone.
Pics please!?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Do you have a human scale? You could weigh yourself and then weigh yourself with a goat and then subtract your weight.

At this point, I would want to know their weight. No horns could be polled but also could be a very young goat of 1 to 2 weeks old depending on size. If they are that young, then they would need to be bottle fed. Since we can't physically see them, please find a way to weigh them. Even pictures won't tell us how big they actually are.

Congrats on your new goats. We just want to help you out as best as we can and we need to know critical information like a weight on them.


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

You should see horn buds within the first 2-3 weeks. They could be disbudded or polled. :shrug:


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## clearwtrbeach (May 10, 2012)

My girl (boer) who is 4 weeks has about 3/4 to an inch of horns. Kylee is right they may have been disbudded you may be able to really move the hair around and see if you can see where they were disbudded. You mention they were from a reputable farm, if that's the case they very well could have done the horns. I don't know how many boers are polled- someone else may though.


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## loggyacreslivestock (Mar 5, 2013)

My 10 week old doelings weigh 39 and 38 pounds right now. My buckling weighs 49 pounds.

I felt their horn buds around 1.5 weeks, and by 3 weeks, they were hitting me in the face and bruising me with them when I would love on them.


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## SpruceCreek (Mar 27, 2013)

To me they feel like they weigh about the same as a 40 lb bag of dog food, more or less. They are about as easy to hold as a 40 lb water balloon too! I don't currently have a human scale, but am getting one this weekend.

I guess from what I have read polled is definitely undesirable. I have been trying to let the girls, Lily with the brown ears, and Ethyl with the freckled ears, get to know me on their own terms. I have manhandled them a couple times but wanted to try and tame them now. I did an initial body check, but did not think to check for scars from disbudding. I guess the girls are going to be unhappy with me tonight, maybe I will give them an extra treat to soothe their feelings afterwards...


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## Used2bmimi (Oct 3, 2012)

Wow! A nice couple of girls!


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## SpruceCreek (Mar 27, 2013)

Thanks, I am in love. Spent most of my free time sitting with them reading on Saturday and Sunday... My husband laughs at me.


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## peggy (Aug 11, 2010)

They are cute, indeed. I don't know about boers but being polled is a bonus in dairy goats, as far as I am concerned. The only thing that people get concerned about it when you breed polled to polled. Sometimes you can end of with problems. I love my polled girls.


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## Frosty1 (Jul 12, 2011)

Congrats on the new girls!!! I got my very first goat from an auction, and she is a treasure!!! She has given me a set of twin doelings, and a set of triplet bucklings since I've had her, and they are always absolutely gorgeous!!


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## SpruceCreek (Mar 27, 2013)

Checked the girls heads last night, there "appears" to be no scar from disbudding.


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

They look very much polled to me. Polled isn't a bad thing, in my opinion.


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## imthegrt1 (Jan 13, 2013)

Give us a picture of the top of the head.

Sounds like polled which is great


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## Jigglypuff598 (Jan 9, 2013)

Polled boers are rare, they look to me like they were disbudded. If they were disbudded at the right age by someone that knew what they were doing they won't have scars that you can see, the hair grows back over where they burned the horn buds off. Most breeders only disbud wethers but I do know some that disbud all sexes.
40 lbs give or take 10 lbs depending on condition and bone size is a normal weight for 3 month old boers.


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## summerdreamer71 (Jan 25, 2013)

I would say they were disbudded. They look really cute! My boers horns start popping through at about a week to a weel and a half. Polled Boer goats are REALLY RARE! If they are polled you, have really special goats!


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## imthegrt1 (Jan 13, 2013)

Here is a polled boer at couple months old


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

If they were disbudded, you'd be able to feel it on their heads. You can clearly see they have the bumps where the horns would be that polled goats get as well as their hair lays differently than a disbudded goat.


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## SpruceCreek (Mar 27, 2013)

imthegrt1 said:


> Give us a picture of the top of the head.
> 
> Sounds like polled which is great


Here is a picture of the tops of their heads this morning as they were sharing their grain. Hope it helps.


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## imthegrt1 (Jan 13, 2013)

Looks polled to me .

Only one swirl in the middle.


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

I think you ave some very nice looking girls there.

I do not disbud so i have nothing to add about the Polled or not, just that they are so sweet looking.
Be patient with them. Keep up the chir and reading. Maybe have some grain or treats in your hand and just hold your hand out and don't even look at them, just hold it out and let them come get a treat. Do that so they get use to you.


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## Di (Jan 29, 2008)

When I got my first goats they were WILD babies. I went out and had my lunch with a good book and just ignored them. Pretty soon their curiosity got the better of them and they came over. If you can get them to eat a raisin, they are your best buddies for life! Very pretty girls. 

While we don't direct "newbies" to auctions. It sounds like yours was a good one. And, you had a friend to direct you, so, good job! Since they came from a breeder near you, maybe you could find them and ask them about your kids. Most folks like to talk about their goats so I would give it a try.


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## christinajh (Jan 24, 2013)

They don't look disbudded. You'd be able to see it


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