Pygmys crossed with a Boar!!???

[Four Winds Ranch]

Hi!
I was just recently given 4 Pygmy does, which are bred to a big Boar buck! Should I be worried?? I have sheep, but this is my first experience with goats while kidding!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I've been raising pygmy goats for nigh on to 25 years now and I'd be totally panicked! But, a lot will depend on the doe. My pygmies are former show goats and are itty, bitty things. Not sure about your does. Many, many years ago before I got into registered, show type goats I had bigger pygmies that probably had some crosses way back in their lineage somewhere. Those does may have handled it - but I dunno....

My pygmy babies are small at birth... the biggest single I've ever had was 7 lbs and he was delivered by C-section. Average twins may be only a couple of lbs and triplets less than that.

Cross your fingers and pray for multiples - or - talk to your vet about aborting the pregnancy. A pregnancy can be aborted with Lutalyse or Dexamethasone. Definitely ask your vet before attempting this if that's the route you decide.

Maybe there are other folks out there who've had experience with this - sorry I'm just projecting my own fears.

 

[Goat Whisperer]

How far along are they? I would be very concerned about this! I have seen small does get bred boers and come out ok. Others not so much. Have they kidded before, it so what were they bred to?

I would talk to your vet. We had a Nigerian doe get bred by a kiko buck (got thru fencing), the vet gave gave us a shot Lutalyse for the doe. Vet said being bred to a buck that big would likely kill the doe.

Congrats on the goats! You will love them! Hopefully you can get everything sorted out with your girls!

 

[AshleyFishy]

I wouldn't worry to much. Down here you see that cross alot or with a nubian buck. Just be mindful of when they are going to kid and be there to help if needed. Pygmy goats are kinda like roaches and cacti, very hard to kill.

Edited to add.....

In fact two of my girls were by a giant knob headed nubian out of a teeny pygmy/nigerian doe. She was a ff with twin girls!

That is them at about three months I think. Most crosses I've see inherited the wedge head of the mom.

 

[jodief100]

I used to worry about such things.... Then I read some research being done in England. They found baby size is determined by the mother. They will almost always be born as small as the mother was but will grow much bigger overall.

The research paper had pictures- it was hilarious. There were baby Percheon/Shetland pony cross babies nursing their Shetland mommies. When they were little it was fine but very quickly the baby was almost as big as the mom and still nursing!

Just make sure they gets lots of good grain AFTER they kid and not too much before. Lots of grain in the last month of gestation will give you big babies no matter what the breed.

 

[HeatherL]

My doe is a Pygmy/Oberhassi cross. I figured the Pygmy part was the dad...nope. Pygmy was momma and she delivered twin does just fine.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

And, if they don't get enough nutrition the last month you can easily lose the doe before she ever gets to kidding time. It is a balancing act that gets dicier if a little doe is carrying a whole lot of baby weight.

Again - I will express my fears. In horses - baby size IS determined by mother My experience with goats has been otherwise... I've had baby pygmies be too big for their mothers when they were bred to another pygmy. I do a Nubian/Pygmy cross but it's always small buck to bigger doe - NOT the other way around.

It's not just the delivery you have to worry about either. Have you ever seen a doe with a prolapsed vagina or rectum? If that doe doesn't have enough room in the uterus for those baby(ies) - things can start falling out. It's not a pretty sight nor is it fun to deal with.

And, while being there to help is always good advice -if that baby is simply too large to fit through the birth canal - it's not going to matter how much you try to help unless you want to pay for a C-section and can find a vet to do one.

I'm not saying it can't be done - because the evidence has been posted by others. What it would boil down to in my eyes is do you want to take that chance? If they were mine, I would Lutalyse them and find a pygmy buck or other like-sized buck to breed them to.

Whatever your choice - I'll be sending prayers and good luck wishes!

 

[Four Winds Ranch]

Thanks for all the info and different exmples!!! I believe I will stand by and let them have a go of it! I will make sure I am around at the time and notify the Vet and have him on stand by! 2 of the Pygmy does have had kids before from a Pygmy buck and the other 2,it is their first time kidding! I don't know how far along they are , the guy I got them from said he had the Boar buck running with them since last April!
Another question, do goat does come into heat year around or are they seasonal?

 

[AshleyFishy]

Year round

 

[rebelINny]

Some come into heat year round and some seasonal. Dairy breeds such as alpine, and lamancha and so on are seasonal breeders whereas Boer, Nubian, Nigerian and I do believe Pygmy are all year round breeders.