Nubian buck kids - opinions please :)

[RareBreedFancier]

Hi all,

I am looking at two kids, born October last year, both of whom I like and would love opinions. They are twins and I have a favorite but that's based solely on color.

I'm looking at them to put over high % Boer does so I can get some better milkers. I simply can't afford $600 PB Nubian does and think 1/2 Nubians would milk ok and bred back to Nubian 3/4 does should milk great. Would be weathering all bucklings for pets or freezer so color is nice if selling as pets and chunky is nice if they don't sell.

Any ideas what colors these would through from red/brown headed boer does? I have lots to learn about goat genetics.

Prospect 1 left & Prospect 2 right

 

[poorboys]

very nice bucks there, I would say it would depend on what their mother had as far as udder and production, with those colors you could get all kinds of colors, and around here people pay big bucks for spotted anything.

 

[helmstead]

Little I know about meat goat production...I'd pick #2 - he looks more meat goat than dairy already!

 

[RareBreedFancier]

I forgot to mention, their Grand Dam has Q*, I don't know if you use the same awards system as us but that means:

"Q* Award this is awarded to a doe who gives not less than 3 kilograms of milk and 3.5% butterfat in a 24 hour recorded period. The doe is also awarded time points for days in milk."

They're are from a stud breeder, papered or un-papered so I'd be really happy to get that quality in my herd.

Number 2 is my fave too, he looks as chunky as my boer buck kids who are the same age! I love, love, love the spots, I'm sure it would be a great selling point for pet weather kids.

Edit for spelling

 

[Roll farms]

I vote #2 as well...more meaty.

The kid in my avi pic is 12% nubian, 88% boer...his 12% Nubian was a black buck w/ one white spot who tended to throw spotted kids.
You could get spots...or you could get trad. looking boers...or you could end up w/ "nubian" looking kids...there's just no telling w/ genetics. Boer genes tend to be strong as far as appearances, but you do get the occasional fluke "Nubian" looking kids, too.

 

[RareBreedFancier]

Wow! I love the boy in your avatar but I would have never guessed he was that high % Boer, the color through me. If I got babies that looked like him I'd be over the moon.

I figured if I didn't get color and spots the first cross going back to Nubian would get it. Not that Boers aren't pretty, I like them too but I have two already and I love surprise colors.

I'm glad others like #2 better, I wanted to make sure I wasn't just being blinded by color.

 

[20kidsonhill]

We purchased 50/50 boer nubian does, and have used them now for 8 years to work our herd up to 88%boer/nubians, then the offspring would be sold for show whethers. It is amazing genetically how even full-sisters can consistantly have different traits in their offspring. One of the does always throw thinner boned more dairy like kids, always, has never mattered what buck we bred her too. The other sister has been wonderful producing exactly what we were hoping for. We only just recently kep one of the 75% kids out of the doe that has thinner kids and bred her back to a full-blood boer, same thing, thinner boned kids. We wouldh ave gotten rid of her, several years ago, except our son decided to call her nibbles and she decided to become super friendly and we haven't had the heart to sell her. She always has twins and triplets and raises them nicely, just isn't helping our future breeding plan.

As far as imporoving the milking, I am sure it depends on how well that nubian buck throws good quality udders, but I can really tell a difference between the 87.5% girls and the original 50% girls. The lower percentage certainly milk like dairy goats, even the 75% do pretty well, but I don't milk them so I am not sure how long they would stay in milk compared to a full-blood nubian.

This was a response to Roll commenting about you aren't sure at this point what you will get. I agree, After the first breeding you are going to have a much better idea. He may have the genetics to throw a lot of dairy, but he may not be able to override the boer in the doe to produce more of a dairy udder. Don't know until you try.

As far as the bucklings?? It looks like the darker one has a nicer front end and more bone mass in his legs. The darker one is standing with his head in a little different position, so perhaps that isn't the case, just a difference in position.

Good luck on your decision. We have been really happy with the growth rate of our boer/nubian crosses and the health of the kids.

They make really pretty kids. The crosses should sell pretty well. A boer/nubian cross is well known in the whether market, I get a lot of interest in ours. And we don't even have fancy colors.

 

[maggies.family]

I'm a total newbie so I have no advice to give. But I have to say, if they were mine I couldn't help but sit and play with those ears all day long!

 

[redtailgal]

.

 

[RareBreedFancier]

Ok, have an update. After a slightly award phone call I found out they are both still available. Apparently #1 is a little taller than # 2 and the breeder feels they both should be larger but I'm not terribly worried about that at this point. They are only babies so have plenty of time to finish growing out. Feeling like I made an idiot of myself as all the things I meant to ask went straight out of my head when I got on the phone.

Going to see them next Saturday, will have to ring up before then to ask all the things I should have asked the first time. Why do I seem to loose my marbles when I get on the phone? I'd so much rather meet in person to talk about things.

Any suggestions of what I should ask before I ring up again and make a fool of myself again? Gosh I hate talking to strangers on the phone!

Edit for spelling.