I was going to wait on this question until we kidded in March but now I am curious. One of the new bucks I used to breed this fall is polled. Since he has buds that I can feel on the top of his head, how will I tell on the newborn kids?
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Deborah- I am almost positive that my new mini mancha doeling is polled. I had thought so looking at her little egg head with the monk-cap hair, and reading your description I think I am correct. Brother has swirls and horn buds, she has no swirls. Hope I'm right!!
There are a lot of discussion (and I think, pictures) on this topic in the archives, and there is info and a picture of a newborn horned kid's head in my book. Basically, a buckling has horn buds about 99% of the time when they are born, if they are horned. If you can't feel anything for a few days, he is most likely polled. Does are more challenging. However, horned kids have swirls around the horn buds, whereas polled kids do not. Polled kid have hair that just grows straight from the middle of their head towards their eyes. Polled kids also have an egghead. Poll bumps are smooth; horn buds feel like pencil points.