# Ruckus has triplets!



## minibarn (Jul 20, 2010)

Big Ruckus finally kidded yesterday! triplet boys! I'm terribly disappointed no girls!:GAAH: But she's being a great first time mom and all are doing well and they're off to a good start! One of the triplets has a parrot mouth. Haven't had one here before but think that's what you call it. See 2nd pic. Is it genetic? These are my first kids out of the Sugarfield buck. If it IS genetic I don't know if it's his fault or her's. 
I was really counting on getting a doeling so I could rehome Ruckus since her horns are not a good fit with my dehorned herd. Now I'll need to decide whether to keep her around till she kids again and hope for a girl next time. I was afraid this might happen!


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

They sure are cute!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

They are adorable.

The parrot mouth is hereditary.


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## minibarn (Jul 20, 2010)

toth boer goats said:


> They are adorable.
> 
> The parrot mouth is hereditary.


Thanks. I was afraid of that. I guess next kidding season with my other does, if there's more like this we'll know it comes from the buck. If there's no more out of 6 does, is it safe to assume it came from Ruckus' side?


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

It may be in both lines when bred it made it appear. Hard to tell. But if you have never had the issue before it may very well be the bucks lines.


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

ha! I just can't believe her throwing triplet bucks when she was the only doe you really needed a doeling from!!! 

Well congratulations on live triplets and good mothering instinct despite the lack of does! 

I can't offer any insight on the parrot mouth issues but would guess that each parent is a recessive "carrier" and that there is some percentage of chance that it occurs in the breeding of the two. Has the little chap had any difficult latching on? I can imagine creep feeding and grazing may become difficult for him quickly.


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

Aww, they're adorable!


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## minibarn (Jul 20, 2010)

SalteyLove said:


> ha! I just can't believe her throwing triplet bucks when she was the only doe you really needed a doeling from!!!
> 
> Well congratulations on live triplets and good mothering instinct despite the lack of does!
> 
> I can't offer any insight on the parrot mouth issues but would guess that each parent is a recessive "carrier" and that there is some percentage of chance that it occurs in the breeding of the two. Has the little chap had any difficult latching on? I can imagine creep feeding and grazing may become difficult for him quickly.


I know right? Honestly, I caught a whiff of bucky smell a few times when I'd pass by Ruckus before she kidded which had me wondering if she's gonna have bucklings! I thought that's just a myth but I can almost believe it now!
The kid with the parrot mouth is having no trouble nursing. He was the first one born and is Ruckus's favourite so she lets him nurse as much and often as he wants. Yeah, I wonder if eating grain and grass will be difficult.
Ruckus has also been acting like she doesn't like the darker headed kid. He sneaks in to nurse when he can, but if she catches on that it's him, she'll butt him out. I keep checking his tummy and it always seems full though, so keeping an eye on that.:worried:


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

Carolyn - has Ruckus continued to mother all 3 bucklings?


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## minibarn (Jul 20, 2010)

Actually No! She has rejected 2 of them. And the parrot mouth kid is the one she loves! they keep sneaking a drink when they can but I'm supplementing the other 2 kids with bottles morning and night. 
And if you saw my other post in 'meat market' section, these kids' sire, my prized Sugarfield buck, got an abscess, probably CL because of where it's located just under his ear! We took him to market last night for the sale today. I'm so bummed! 3 buck kids when I wanted does....Ruckus only looking after one....one has parrot mouth....and now my big buck had to go cuz of CL. Not at all the way this story was supposed to go!:shock:


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

Oh dear... what a bummer. I know it's tough/expensive/impossible for you to get the disease testing done in Canada. I'll have to go read the thread. 

The 2nd half of the year is sure to go more smoothly for your herd!


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## Summersun (Apr 24, 2014)

Can you keep one of the boys to replace their sire. Although that could possibly pass on the parrot mouth. Humm


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## minibarn (Jul 20, 2010)

Summersun said:


> Can you keep one of the boys to replace their sire. Although that could possibly pass on the parrot mouth. Humm


I've been tempted to do just that! But I'm concerned about the parrot mouth trait being passed on as well. These 3 bucklings are really nice thick boys that if it wasn't for the parrot mouth, I'd definitely keep one of them.
Anyone else wanna give an opinion on this idea? Is it a terrible one? Or might this parrot mouth be a one-time fluke that won't easily be passed on by his brothers?


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

I'm sorry you're having a hard time 
I think maybe I'd just risk it and retain one that doesn't have parrot mouth and hope for the best.


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

boy, I just don't know. Are you mostly breeding for meat or do you try to focus on breeding animals? I would probably keep one as a sire if your focus is meat and only retain breeding does for your own herd and see if it crops up again.


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## minibarn (Jul 20, 2010)

I'm thinking I don't want to take the risk. I sell doelings as breeding stock and most of the bucklings go for meat. I'm keeping doelings myself this year (see 'junior doelings' in meat market section) so the next few years I plan to sell most again. There's a good boer breeder a few hours from here that has a crop of kids weaning end of july. I'm considering maybe going for a buckling from her. :greengrin:


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## minibarn (Jul 20, 2010)

Here's a pic of the triplets today! Can you guess which one is dam raised? The big one! They are now 9 wks old. The 2 bottle boys are still getting a bottle each per day and the big kid is still nursing mom. I think i'll pull her out soon. I have a buyer for her an one other horned doe I have. Then I'll raise these boys to send to market in a few months. I've gotten a little attached to the bottle boys so not looking forward to that!


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Wow! What a difference!


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

What kind of milk are the bottle kids getting? That's a very big difference!!


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## minibarn (Jul 20, 2010)

Suzanne_Tyler said:


> What kind of milk are the bottle kids getting? That's a very big difference!!


It's called Grober KidGro. They've been perfectly healthy since birth but definitely haven't grown like their brother! I'm amazed at the difference! The small one in the middle was also smallest at birth but the other 2 started out about the same size.


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## JK_Farms (Nov 12, 2016)

wow what a difference! I've heard of does rejecting kids that have defaults and keeping the normal one but not the other way around that is so interesting! sorry you didn't get any doelings! cute babies tho!


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