Hey everyone. I have two young twin does (Mini Nubians) that I’d love for a more experienced goat keeper to look at. I need some conformation-related advice.
I DEFINITELY have a favorite and am leaning towards keeping and breeding her, but my favoritism is based mostly on personality and she-just-has-a-face-that-I-really-like. Lol. So I’d love for you guys to compare them just based on their conformation and tell me what you think.
I will put pictures of one in one comment and pictures of the other in another comment (I’m not sure how to separate them if I try to add them here). I know very little about what makes a sturdy, healthy goat, so any advice or information is welcome!
Better pics of the second. Thanks for telling me how to get better pics for conformation! I'm pretty new to goats still and I've never done this before.
Oh, yay! She's my favorite - and has been since she was like half a day old, lol! Such a sweetheart and so curious and playful, right from the beginning. What do you think I should look for in a buck for her? I don't know much about what makes a sturdy healthy goat. Is there a good website you can recommend I read for conformation stuff?
I'm no expert at conformation. But, I am a rump girl. Lol. Both of those goats have steep rumps so if it were me and I definitely wanted to keep one, I would be looking for a buck that is really super level. Make sure you look back at his dam, sire, and granddams if possible. The other thing I always look at is udder attachments when I'm looking for a buck.
Great! Thank you so much for the advice. Thanks again to everyone else too. I really appreciate you guys so much. I'm learning tons here. This forum is wonderful.
Wonderful! I appreciate this so much. So I should look for a buck with a not-steep rump and maybe taller in the front? I will have to look up what an escutcheon is, heh.
I do like his levelness across the top but would like to see more length of rump and more level. He is an improvement and a step in the right direction so I would go for it if its a good deal
Lada, what is a good example of a great rump? I'd love a picture if you have one. I'm trying to learn all I can. What makes the steep slope bad and the more level rump better?
This fella is also available. He is first generation, and his ears stick out, but his body looks longer to me. What do you guys think? How does he compare to the moonspotted F4?
I think some of it is just cosmetic. They just look nicer. However, a steep rump in a doe can lead to problems kidding. Does with level rumps also have better udder attachment, which keeps their udder nice and high even after several kiddings, and they can support a larger udder without waddling.
I really like the second dude. It depends on what your goal is. He has some alpine in him which accounts for the airplane ears (super cute in my opinion). Alpine x Nubian are fantastic crosses I think. I have a few lamancha x alpine (elf ears -- also super cute) and they are some of my favorite goats. That said, depending on his percentage, sometimes registration is an issue with buck kids. And you have to ask if you want percentage or experimental stock or if you want to stick with purebred.
Both of those bucklings are going to improve your doe and you can go from there. Do you just have one doe or are you looking to expand? If it's just one or 2 does to start then I wouldn't want to spend a ton of money on a buck as you will have to replace him in a couple of years anyway if you are going to retain your doe kids. That's the part of the goat journey that I think is most fun - trying to improve your line each season. Then you can keep the ones who exhibit the qualities you're looking for and sell the older ones as you go on.
The second one is supposed to be an F1 Mini Nubian so the kids should register as F2 if I understand right. I have the one sixth generation doe that I’m planning to keep. I intend to sell her mother and sister and retain her as I think she’s the best of the three purebreds I have. I also have an almost Alpine doe (with a little Kiko), and her daughter who is half Mini Nubian (and adorable, but kind of a bully).
I was really curious to see what would happen with the Alpine/Mini Nubian mix and follow that line a bit, but because of her personality I may end up selling her and buying a really good MN doeling. I can’t have more than five adult goats here so it really limits my options.
The second kid is $100 less than the first because he’s first gen. I really like the coat pattern on the first buckling and I think he’s super cute, but I like the second one too and if he has superior conformation I may go that route.
Some tough decisions with these goats!! Thanks again for all the information - it really helps. I will definitely try to work toward less sloping bums for my herd. Easier kidding sold me on that one.
Good advice I got was shop for goats like you are color blind. Unlike other species, all goat conformation guidelines have a purpose and function so they can have a long productive life.
Something that you didn't mention is why you are breeding them? If you are just looking at pets, then it's not as important. But if you are looking to sell them as milkers you need to evaluate udders from the dams and sires. Udders makes or breaks a milk goat as well as production.
Looking to sell milkers and improve my herd. I sold one wether as a pet, got promises of "I'll take great care of him," and "I'll send pics" and "if I ever can't keep him I'll sell him back to you" and then heard he escaped the yard the evening she got him home and never heard another word. I'm hoping if I breed more desirable milk goats I will be able to find better homes for the kids.
You don't want cow level rumps. Even ADGA says that. You want "nearly level". The slightest angle. Cow straight will give kidding problems. My steep rumped doe actually has the easiest births. The steepness affects the udder, however her udder is very nice regardless.
In my experience, the 50/50 F1 bucks do not get as big as Nubians. A higher gen is usually 50-60% Nubian and they aren't near full size Nubian. A 75%/25% Nubian F1 will be much larger.
Really take a look at the udders and genetics on the buck's dam and sire. This will help you with production. Unfortunately most mini wethers do go to pet homes. Sometimes you can find a 4-H family - but classes for these guys are few and far between. Not much else to do with them besides meat.
Im not a mini person, but I've heard Kessel Run has some nice animals. Doe looks like she has nice capacity and decent sized teats! Good luck with your little man!
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