# Buck or doe



## jac-k (Nov 10, 2013)

Who decides on the size and the color I have never been able to get a straight answer on this yet... Genetics who makes what?


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

I took a clinic class on that once and they said there that it was the Buck. I am not 100% convinced of that. I do believe I have heard that it is more of a 50/50.


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

Each contribute. 

Color varies because some genes are dominant, some are recessive. If a goat is homozygous for a certain color, for instance, then it's kids will always inherit that certain color. 

Size varies as well. 

There are some traits that are really strong in some goats and they will regularly pass a certain trait onto their kids. Other goats sometimes don't produce consistently. It's never that a buck always determines this and a doe always determines that...unless we're talking about homozygous colors, otherwise, both contribute.


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## jac-k (Nov 10, 2013)

Just so I can be sure of what you're saying there is a way to determine or semi determine what the color might be?


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

jac-k said:


> Just so I can be sure of what you're saying there is a way to determine or semi determine what the color might be?


 Well, kind of. I had a solid black buck breed to a solid black doe. Guess what I got?

:laugh: White twins. The father had white in him a few generations back. mom had only black, she was born on my place and so was her family. :sleeping:


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

jac-k said:


> Just so I can be sure of what you're saying there is a way to determine or semi determine what the color might be?


Sadly there are no coat color tests out there for goats. You might start to realize a pattern or color could be homozygous if your buck or doe are throwing kids of the same pattern or color every time.

I know someone with a blue eyed buck who has sired a lot of kids...all have been blue eyed. So though there is no test for this...it's fairly safe to assume the buck is homozygous for blue eyes. But like I said, no way to know for certain. You can only assume.


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## robin4 (Oct 12, 2013)

sweetgoats said:


> Well, kind of. I had a solid black buck breed to a solid black doe. Guess what I got?
> 
> :laugh: White twins. The father had white in him a few generations back. mom had only black, she was born on my place and so was her family. :sleeping:


 That is similar to two people I know. The both had dark, dark brown eyes and they had a child with sky blue eyes.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I look at it this way, it is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get, LOL.

It is random and as mentioned, you get totally different colors then expected or even different patterns, color genetics plays more of a role, if you know the bloodlines and colors, you are better apt to get what you seek, but even then?


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

jac-k said:


> Who decides on the size and the color I have never been able to get a straight answer on this yet... Genetics who makes what?


The male always determines the sex of the offspring. The female's vaginal ph balance plays a role through alkalinity or acidity, but only the male carries both X and Y chromosones. Color is determined by both parents, grandparents, great grandparents, etc.


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## Wild Hearts Ranch (Dec 26, 2011)

While there aren't color tests available there is some information available regarding color genetics; what's dominant, recessive, etc. If you know a bit about genetics you can get an idea of what the possibilities are.

Certain traits can be sex linked, meaning either the male or female is responsible for passing that trait on, but I don't know of any that have been identified in goats.


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## bessmiller (Jan 23, 2012)

I would love to learn more about all of this. Can anyone recommend a good source of information/book/website/etc?


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## spidy1 (Jan 9, 2014)

Try this one
http://rfaintingfarm.com/genetics.html
or this one http://minifluffsrabbitry.weebly.com/goat-color-genetics-101.html


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