So I've been looking for a buckling for awhile and found this farm a few hours away that had some nice boys for sale with good genetics. I ended up meeting the owner about halfway to make the exchange for the buckling. Well it turns out he is seriously underweight... tiny in fact. He doesn't have any parasites (I did a fecal) and is very active and bucky-like but at 5 months old he is only 16 pounds!! Yes, you read that right! My other 5 month old buckling is 40 pounds! This guy is much lighter than my 3 month old doeling who is about 25 lbs. His little legs are skinny and his belly seems to big for him. He eats fine and poop is good too. The breeder said this "line" grows slowly and he will be a normal buck in size but I have my doubts. He was a triplet so I'm thinking he never got enough to eat. What do you think? Will he likely grow up to be normal? He's cute as can be but I'm looking for a quality breeding buck...
You need to be a member of Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Goats to add comments!
Replies
Julia, I don't mean to disagree with you, but, unless it is a genetic type of cancer, it is not true that if your parents have had it that it is more likely you will have it. That is dependent on the type of cancer. In the case of my sister, the doctor said the odds were a million to one that no one else in the family would ever have it because it was a random cancer (it started independently in her body then spreading to organs when it wasn't diagnosed); however, in the case of my granddaughter, she had her eye removed due to cancer which came down her mother's birth line, a genetic cancer which her mother also has (and both eyes removed as an infant). Because my sister had the cancer when she was pregnant (as near as they could tell), we worried a lot about her son as you can imagine and more so every time he got sick. I am mentioning this because, though I think the members here would be aware of genetic vs environmental vs random, I would not want *anyone* to be unduly concerned that because a parent had a cancer that they think they should making funeral preparations; caution and education, not fear. The type of cancer this doe had would certainly be a factor so I would ask first what type it was. I totally understand your concerns, and they would be mine as well. Frankly, if he is that behind for his age, I am surprised he was sold as a breeding buck until he rebounded.
Do they have a blood test, like a PSA or blood cell count, that can indicate certain types of cancer as in humans? This is all so very sad. It would also be a shame to get rid of him if this is just a worm load issue (though there is no "just a" about it). For me, I think in this case with the amount of money invested, I would take a fecal sample to three different vets or labs to be certain about that aspect of it. I think I might speak the feelings for many of us in saying that I hope that this has a happy ending for both your little buck and for you.
Julia @Woody Glen Farm said:
I can't afford to wether him after what I paid for him. I think I'm going to take him back. I don't need any more companions for my bucks as it is I have too many and one is for sale.
The thing about cancer is if one or both of your parents has had it, you are far more likely to have cancer than someone without cancer in the family. It just seems like too great a risk to breed this guy and potentially pass a cancer gene on to unsuspecting future owners. Even if the risk is low, it's too much for my comfort level.
His mother dying of cancer the same year he is born is a concern. However, it does not mean he inherited anything from her; my sister died of cancer at 20 years old in November after her son was born in February with him now being 42 and no sign of cancer.
More of a concern is if he doesn't "turn around" and catch up, do you really want him to have the extra stress that being a buck would bring versus him being a wether? Though you must have purchased him for breeding, my thought would be that you would be better to purchase a much healthier-starting-out buckling. If you wether him and he thrives, then you have a companion for your new buck.
So to add to this discussion and your opinions, this buckling's dam died this month from CANCER. Although cancer has not shown up in any of her offspring so far (she had 6 or 7 litters), it seems possible this buckling has it, and even if he doesn't, I'm wondering if I should breed him at all since he may pass a genetic defect on to his progeny. Reminder: this buckling weighs 16 lbs at 5 months old, skin and bones and biggish belly. Thoughts?
For a comparison, when Summer's doelings went to their new home at four months old, the oldest weighed only 20 lbs. She has a setback at three weeks old when she got the infection in her disbudding wound. Until then, the middle girl and she were within an ounce of each other in weight though the oldest has always been significantly bigger. It appears that now, in their new home, with lots of pasture (and browse), that she is finally catching up, but, frankly, I sold the three of them for less because I felt she might not be as good to breed as her sisters will be if the new owners decide after all that they do want to eventually breed. They have been there three weeks and she has put on 2.5 pounds, gaining a bit faster then her sisters. I am telling you this so you know that he might very well start really thriving now he is with you and the dynamics are different in his new home. I wish you the very best with him as well as all your foot-footed loves.
Yes, and I'd start feeding him some grain and alfalfa too, if you aren't already. Poor baby needs to gain some weight. I'd probably also treat for coccidia since you saw some in the fecal.
If it were you, would you just go ahead and de-worm even if you can't find the eggs?
That looks like hay belly, which they get when they have a heavy load of parasites. Yes, bankrupt worm should show up in a fecal, but they may not always be shedding eggs.
Here's another pic showing my two 5 month old bucklings. The little guy "Cha Ching" is about two weeks older than my buckling Wasabi and weighs about a third of him. See how his little belly is distended but the rest of him is skinny skinny.
She said she used sulfadimethoxine as a cocci preventative.
If he has this Bankrupt worm, wouldn't it show up on the fecal? I'll try doing another fecal just in case.
-
1
-
2
of 2 Next