# polled goat



## poorboys (Nov 16, 2010)

I got a 3 day old baby buck,who was refused by his mother after 2 days, he is one of triplets, he is now a week old and I'm yet to feel any horn buds, Have I gotten LUCKY,?? Could he be polled?? He is doing great, thanks to my frozen milk supply. I just figured I should have felt buds by now. He weights 9#


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## Hollywood Goats (Nov 16, 2010)

I have read that you can tell by the hair growth on the top of the head, if they are polled then the hair doesn't grow circular to make room for horns.


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## ksalvagno (Nov 16, 2010)

What breed is he? I would just keep watching for them. Maybe you won't feel any until 2 weeks old.


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## poorboys (Nov 16, 2010)

he is full blooded nubian, he also has wattles,.tried to download his pic from my uploads, but can't figure it out.


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## warthog (Nov 16, 2010)

I could feel the horn buds on mine as soon as he was born and he was only 3lbs in weight.  He is now 3 weeks old and they are about 1/2inch long.

Maybe you got lucky


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## ThornyRidge (Nov 16, 2010)

do you know anything about the lines?  there would need to be some polled blood in there somewhere.. like is dam or buck polled?  if you know this-that one is polled there is strong likelihood he is.. if you are unsure with him being a week old you should be able to feel bumps.. and at this point bumps may even have points on them.. most horned bucklings seem to be born with noticeable bumps in my experience.. I have had a few does that were questionable and one that was disbudded as a precaution because her bumps were out of the ordinary.    typically in my experience ( and I raise nigerians) and have had several polled goats/kids and a polled dominant buck who ends up with polled kids.. within the first day or two after they are completely dried off and soft.. the polled kids seem to have a large central swirl in the center of their forehead... more like a swoop if you will.. and then what I notice is the hair eventually smooths out in these swoops above each eyebrow area and looks glossier.. eventually a button smooth bump may be felt and some polled kids tend to develop larger polled bumps then others and may even have a point on them.  My polled crew constantly rub those poll areas as I imagine they must itch!  I would keep an eye on him in case he is a late bloomer, but would guess he could be polled if you truly are not feeling anything on top of his head at this time.  horn buds can seemingly pop up overnight so if you catch this early enough and can still get bud in iron you can disbud but may be more prone to scurs rather than actual disbudding at a few days old.


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## poorboys (Nov 17, 2010)

he does have a swoop as you call it. can't feel anything there, all my bucks here, always was born with their buds and disbudded within the week. I can try to find out if they had any polled goats. yes this would be a great gene to have with a buck. he sure dosen't like me rubbing his head try
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





ing to feel for them.!!!! the area above his eyebrows are slick and glossy.


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## ksalvagno (Nov 17, 2010)

He sure is a cutie. I'm not an expert on polled so I can't tell from the picture. I would think if you aren't feeling horns by now that he is probably polled.


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## warthog (Nov 17, 2010)

I don't know either, but what real cute boy, he is wonderful


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## Kenneth Flippen (Nov 17, 2010)

I don't have any polled goats but I have been told that the skin on top of the bump will move if its polled if its attached and won't move if its horned this is on the very tip of the bump where the horn would break the skin like I said I have no idea if this is right maybe somebody with polled goats can verify this


                                       Kenneth Flippen


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## ThornyRidge (Nov 17, 2010)

it is hard to really guage by that photo.. but you do have definitive central swirl.. and the swoops tend to go over the eyebrows (think somewhat similar to the Nike emblem but turned a bit) and the hair is glossier and thinner in these areas..  I have read that in books where supposedly the skin moves over the polled areas if kid is polled.  I have several polled goats and most I have born and raised here and have not found this to be true with any of them.. my tell tale sign was the central forehead swirl and the swoops of thinner hair over the eyes.. He is a beauty and trust me I love love love my polled goats!  save so much for disbudding.. and no scurs!  ever!!!  I currently have 2 polled bucks, and a polled doe and polled doeling.  Have sold several polled kids over the past couple years too!


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## dhansen (Nov 19, 2010)

I would just keep feeling for the nubs rather than trying to figure it out from the hair swirls.  Just seems easier to me.  Wow, is he cute!!!


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## jodief100 (Nov 22, 2010)

I have a naturally polled doe and her head looks very similar.  I would keep feeling for bumps just in case,  but I think you have a polled goat.


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## poorboys (Nov 22, 2010)

I just started to feel small nubs, no points and they are not sticking out, just when I rub his head do I feel the little nubs, dh wants me to take to vet next week and have him disbudded, I did them last year and had quite a few scrus, only because I did'nt leave the burner on long enough, FIRST TIMER!!! But if they are gonna stay nubs, I don't feel like he should be disbudded.  Guess we will see. Patty.


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## SDGsoap&dairy (Nov 22, 2010)

He's stinkin' cute, I know that much!


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## LollingontheFarm (Dec 2, 2010)

My polled pygmys usually have all the described symptoms but I've had a couple of "late budding" does who waited til their third week to "bud" their horns.
I was reading earlier posts on polled goats and found it interesting that it is a dominate gene not recessive as I thought!  Makes sense as I breed polled to horned and get 75% polled!  I even had triplets and only 1 had horns!


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