A bit concerned :/

[LadyIsabelle2011]

Is is possible for a Nigerian/Boer or Nigerian/nubian cross buck to have floppy ears just like a boer/.nubian but be the same size as a Nigerian?

I ask because I scheduled a date with one my girls with a Nigerian cross buck. I'm worried because although he is the exact same size as my girls and looks about like what a full grown buck should look like he is colored like a boer and has the characteristic floppy ears. She mentioned he was young and that she had gotten him recently though I didn't really think about what that could mean till latter. Of course I'm going to ask her those questions myself tomorrow but I wanted to hear from you guys first. Is it possible that this young buck could really be a full boer that somebody sold to here as a Nigerian cross ( I know it sounds silly but that's what I'm worried about ) and how would I know for sure that I'm not breeding my little Nigerian girl to a buck that looks perfect now (and I mean beautiful ) but will out grow by a lot sometime in the future.
I know you can't give me any sure answers but I'd like to here your opinions on the matter. I want to be prepared with the right information tomorrow, this girl was my first and is very special to me

 

[lilhill]

I'd be looking around for a Nigerian/Pygmy cross buck for your doe. With those bigger breed crosses, the kids could be too big for her to deliver safely. JMO

 

[daisychick]

I just had a batch of 4 kids from my Nubian does who were bred to a Nigerian buck. All the kids have floppy ears and range in size. One of the bucklings got really big and at 8 weeks is already as tall as the Nigerian dad and one is a little peanut and I don't think he will get near as big, they are full brothers. So the crosses like that are going to range so much in size that you won't know their full grown size until they are older. Being a cross you also never know if the bigger breed in their genes will influence the kid size and make the babies too big for a little momma.

 

[LadyIsabelle2011]

Thank you for the advise guys. I ended up missing her heat and will have to try again in a month. I got a good look at the buck and the other doe who was with him. She and him had the same ear set and horn set and where around the same size only she was a mature doe with a kid (may have even been this buck's mother) so I am not so concerned about him out growing her by a mile anymore and since I am waiting a month I will get a chance to see if he grows in that time period. I am still a little nervous since I do not know the buck's fatherand like daisychick said you never know what size genetics are in him, so I am keeping an eye open for a buck with that I can be certain of but if no other is found I will go ahead with him.

Again, thanks for the advise guys!

 

[Pearce Pastures]

If there is even a chance that he is a cross with a larger breed, there is a chance that you could lose your doe or need a C-section. I would keep looking for another buck and not take the risk.

 

[drdoolittle]

I would find a buck that you know for sure is a full ND or a ND/Pygmy cross----jut like someone else stated. I bought a very small ND buck (his parents are both registered) for the very reason that I didn't want any of my girls to have a large baby and possibly die during kidding. I also have 2 bucks that I don't really know the parentage of----they look like NDs, but I am starting to think they may be ND/Boer cross----they are already larger than my pure ND buck (he is over a year and they are 8 mos. old).

 

[manybirds]

I'd be looking around for a Nigerian/Pygmy cross buck for your doe. With those bigger breed crosses, the kids could be too big for her to deliver safely. JMO

x2

 

[Stacykins]

While this isn't the norm, accidental breedings between a large breed sire and a small breed doe doesn't always result in disaster. A local breeder had an accidental breeding where one of her massive purebred boer bucks bred a Nigerian doe. She actually had no idea it happened until surprise kids arrived! But the kids had airplane ears, and the boers are the only flop eared breed she keeps. It could have been a bad situation, but thankfully the doe had an uneventful delivery and three healthy kids.