| Author | Message | ||
     Gary Pfalzbot Board Administrator Username: admin Post Number: 73 Registered: 07-2005 Posted From: 66.82.9.71  Rating: N/A |
Hi, I now have a total of five naturally polled goats. I think what Maggie related about the swirls is correct. I've never really noticed this on mine for lack of not looking. But how I know that they are naturally polled from the start is from when they are born. I rub my hand over the kids head and if it is smooth, they won't have horns. If there is even the smalled of nubs, they will grow horns. An interesting note here is that even if the kids are going to grow horns, for whatever reason, not all horns on all goats will develop as quickly as one might expect. Kids from different nannies will be born within days of each other; one kid will grow horns rapidly, another kid will grow horns slowly. But from my experience, just about any goat that has the gene to grow horns will show at least some horn growth within the first few weeks. Best regards, GP Gary Pfalzbot, GoatWorld | ||
| Lisa McCord New member Username: lisa_mac Post Number: 3 Registered: 10-2006 Posted From: 74.227.152.77 Rating: N/A |
Thanks, Dawn. I won't do anything until I know for sure. We'll just keep watching and see if those "bumps" continue to grow. I appreciate the help with this issue. Lisa | ||
| Dawn Summers New member Username: sweetcedarfarm Post Number: 35 Registered: 05-2006 Posted From: 172.144.79.183 Rating: N/A |
I have a polled buck and he has bumps where the horns would be. You might want to make sure what you are feeling are horn buds and not the "bumps", for lack of a better word. Good Luck Dawn | ||
| Lisa McCord New member Username: lisa_mac Post Number: 2 Registered: 10-2006 Posted From: 74.227.152.239 Rating: N/A |
Thanks, Maggie. I don't think any of mine have any "swirls", so, I guess we are going have to disbudd after all. I hate that! I was thrilled at the thought of not having to disbudd. I'll keep checking on them. I appreciate your help. Lisa | ||
| Maggie Leman Moderator Username: maggieleman Post Number: 1370 Registered: 07-2005 Posted From: 71.111.230.109  Rating: N/A |
Just keep checking, you'll be sure in a few days. I have always heard polled goats will have a single swirl of hair on top of their heads between where horns would normally grow. Horned goats have a double swirl one over each horn bud. I have had some pygmies not show much horn growth until they were 4 to 5 weeks old (does of course!) and ALL of my pygmies grow horns. Maggie Leman Goat 911 Capri Medic | ||
| Lisa McCord New member Username: lisa_mac Post Number: 1 Registered: 10-2006 Posted From: 72.146.147.114 Rating: N/A |
I have a polled Nigerian Dwarf buck that was bred to two of my Nigerian Dwarf does. They had five babies between them that are, now, 4 weeks old. We have been checking their heads since they were a week old with plans to disbudd them when we felt something growing. There have been no signs of anything until yesterday and I felt very small bumps on them all. We usually disbudd very early and we had just assumed that they were all going to be polled after this length of time. Is it normal for a polled goat to have small buds where the horns should be or did the horns just start growing later because of the polled buck? This is the first time we have dealt with this, so I just don't know. If anyone could share some information about this, I would appreciate it, so much! Thanks. Lisa |