# 1st meeting with new Boer buckling!



## minibarn (Jul 20, 2010)

I'm just starting this meat goat adventure! Last week I brought home 6 young Boer-cross doelings. Tomorrow I'm planning to visit a farm where they raise purebred Boers. Just a few weeks ago at the local sale barn I struck up a conversation with the older lady sitting next to me and turns out she raises Boers and she always disbuds her babies. I mentioned that I'm hoping to someday get some meat goats and that I really don't want horns so maybe I'll need to look her up again once I get serious. Well, now that I have my does, I'm looking for a purebred buck to breed them by summer/fall. So I found her phone # & address online (all she had told me was her name & area she's from) and gave her a call, and she's thrilled to have me come and visit her farm! The day I met her, I saw her little group of boer bucks go thru the auction ring and they were very nice-looking! I was afraid she might not have more to sell but she's just had a couple new babies born in the past week and I might be buying one of them in a few months. I'm excited to go visit her farm and meet these new little Boer bucklings tomorrow!


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## caprine crazy (Jun 12, 2012)

Yay! New goats is always a good adventure! I hope that she will have something you like!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Just to let you know, just in case. A Purebred isn't Fullblood boer, never will be, a purebred starts out with another breed, that is bred to a Fullblood boer buck. 

May I ask why, you don't want horns on boers? It is your choice to make, but, I am curious to know.

Horns by nature are a radiator and keeps them warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. With the Does, it is easier to catch and handle the horns, when you need to do the little things needed to them. Without horns they cannot protect themselves from a dangerous situation. I love the horns on boers, they are beautiful with them and look kinda weird to me without them.  But I do know, and am not saying, it it wrong, it is a personal preference. I find that all my buyers here, want horned boers. Never been asked for dehorned goats.

Glad you found a breeder you can connect with. It is up to you, if you want horns or not. Just thought I'd give a little food for thought, before you decide for sure.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Sounds great! You'll have to keep us updated on what you decide!

I am with Pam, kind of wondering why you only want dehorned goats? I know for dairy goats many want them dehorned, but I've never met anyone who raised meat goats and dehorned. 
I have to agree with Pam on the heat radiation thing, because our only dehorned doe has a very hard time in summer heat, I have to really watch her if it gets extremely hot & humid.
But also, if she weren't friendly and easy to catch, then we would have a heck of a time doing anything like feet & vaccinations. We always have to put a collar on her. Whereas, I can have one of the kids grab the horns, and do whatever I need to do out in the pen quickly and have more control over them.
ESPECIALLY bucks. If the past 2 boer bucks we've had didn't have horns there is NO WAY we could have controlled them. The 2nd one was friendly, but when he was in rut, he didn't want to co operate when it came to hoof trimming, or when I'd treat him monthly for external bugs <Permectrin II spray>. If he didn't have horns, he'd have gotten the collar off for sure. When he was being a 'butt' I was able to wrap a leash around his hornset and that helped secure him so he didn't accidently hurt me. He wasn't mean, just a...brat lol But being a brat can hurt you badly. 
So I thought I'd toss that out there, JMO with the experience of having 2 Boer Bucks - 1 wasn't tame and I tamed him down, the other was stuck to my hip most days lol


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## minibarn (Jul 20, 2010)

I've had 12 adult pygmy goats all with horns in the last 4 yrs and have come to the conclusion they would be easier to keep without horns. They have never been aggressive to me with their horns but I've had many bruises from horns when I got into the wrong place at the wrong time. Or if we need to restrain them for something and they swing their head the wrong way and the horns hit my face...OW! They get the horns stuck at times in feeders or fencing. And I've watched too many babies get thrown intentionally by another does' horns. All these reasons are why I've decided I'd rather have only dehorned goats at my farm. I guess time will tell whether I change my mind on that again or not. I DO like the look of a nice set of horns but I really think they look ok without them too. I'll let you know how my visit goes tomorrow and maybe I'll have pics to share.


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## minibarn (Jul 20, 2010)

So disappointed! my plans are postponed today because of the weather....we're in the middle of a snow/wind storm with very poor visibility so school's been cancelled and we're not going anywhere today!  I'll have to plan to go another day.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I hear ya Carolyn, thanks for letting us know why. Completely understand, it is your choice. 


Sorry the weather is being difficult for you,hope you can go see them soon. Sounds cold there


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

I totally understand about the horns, too, I was just curious 

Sorry the weather is being lousy your way, it hasn't been great here either. Tonight is just so nasty, cold, windy and trying to snow. 

I hope your able to go look at the buck soon, maybe the weather will lighten up for you this weekend?


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## minibarn (Jul 20, 2010)

This morning I was out to visit Marg's farm and came away quite impressed with her stock! She's been breeding boers for over 20 yrs and looks to me like she's got some great quality! Got some pics (not very good) of the 2 little newborn bucks she has. They're too young yet to know for sure which will be the better choice but I'm leaning toward Buckling #2. Buckling #1 is barely a week old now and is a little smaller than his twin sis. He is pic 1-2, his mom & sis are in pic 3. Buckling #2 in pics 4-6 is just over 2 wks old and was very lively & bouncy! He had a stillborn twin. He seems much thicker built than buckling #1 but maybe that's just because of the difference in age. pic 7 is mom of buckling #2. The sire of both has been sold so I didn't get to see him but with seeing the rest of the herd including another full-grown son of his, I have full confidence he was a great buck. I'm so pleased to have made this connection with Marg and her herd! And I look forward to choosing one of her babies in a couple months to be my herdsire!


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