# Small kids VS. Runts -- Retainable?



## RedLotusNigerians (Dec 13, 2011)

Hi all,

Well my girl Snowy decided to surprise me on the 8th with labor, I was thinking she would go until her second due date which was the 14th. Because she was pen bred and short cycled, she ended up having 1 rather under-developed buckling that died at birth. She had one HUGE buckling and then another small buckling that while small, is not underdeveloped. Just small. Like 3x smaller than his big brother. 

The little one had to come in that first night to warm up. He's back out on his dam and doing just fine now. I was going to keep his bigger brother...

Now, is there anything really against keeping a small kid or a 'runt' for a breeding program? I really am seeing a nicer personality on the small boy as opposed to his bigger brother. I've handled him just as much as the little one (sans having to bottle-feed him through the night like his littler bro), but man he fights me on it. Usually by now kids are starting to show curiosity about investigating the person in their pen, but he'd rather keep his distance. His dam is unfortunately a flake too (not sure how I'm going to pull off showing her successfully). I'd like to keep one of the bucklings and ideally I want a buckling that's going to be easy to manage when he matures, I've had my fill of wild ones. 

I am going to give the boys both time to grow and mature, they're so SO new, that little guy got smooshed en utero and his front leg is slightly twisted, but I hate giving BoSe to newborns because of that fine margin of error on overdosing. I just really like that personality on the little guy... He already comes over to investigate me and everything. But I've heard conflicting things on keeping small kids or 'runts'. I've done it before and seen no difference in offspring they put put VS. a normal sized buckling that matured. I just know that some folks cull for personality, and I do know that personality can be passed on. Had some really sweet bucks have really sweet kids, and my wild bucks had some pretty flaky ones, with no variance in handling. 

Just curious what y'all have to say about the issue


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I would not hesitate to give .25 cc of BoSe. It just does amazing things. I give all my kids .25cc of BoSe the day after they are born or I will give it the day they are born if there are leg issues.

There is no reason to rule out the smaller buck. Just because he was born small doesn't mean that he will remain small. He will probably grow to be normal size.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

Oh I never rule out a "runt" Ive had some beautiful runts grow bigger then their siblings  

I second the BoSe 

I actually gave up to 1cc of BoSe to a kid who really needed it.


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## RedLotusNigerians (Dec 13, 2011)

Hmmmmm, the little guy might be the one that stays then... 

On the BoSe -- This boy is maybe all of 1.5 lbs if that, what would you say is the 'max' he could safely have? I do have some diabetic syringes, I just have the damnedest time getting the BoSe to draw through even a 22 gauge needle, it's so thick. I hate to use a big one on him =/ And is there any particular time range where he wouldn't benefit from BoSe?


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

Patti was a runt, very very small. She's grown up gorgeously!


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## keren (Oct 26, 2008)

I find the tiny kids might lag behind their siblings a little, especially if all feeding off mum, but by maturity they have caught up and are all the same size.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

you can give BoSe to any age goat with good results. but obviously sooner the better if there is a deficiency

rule of thumb is 1cc per 40lbs


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## Used2bmimi (Oct 3, 2012)

When I gave selenium to my kids (everyone got it because the first three were deficient) it came in paste form. I just drew it directly into a small syringe without the needle and put it on the back of their tounge. It was quick to help.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I would still give your little guy .25cc of BoSe. The smallest gauge needle I use is 20 and that works just fine on the BoSe.


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## 20kidsonhill (Feb 28, 2011)

We fed out two sybling wethers this summer, one was 6 lbs at birth the other 12 lbs. By show day the runt made the cut and the bigger one did not. Infact the runt was fantastic looking. He weighed in at 95 lbs for the fair, out growing his brother at just 6 months of age.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I agree with what was said.


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