Nubian kids Archives - GoatKeepers Press

It’s supposed to be fifty fifty, the ratio of boys to girls. My Nubian does didn’t get the memo and gave me a Nubian buck bonanza this year.

When High Reaches Pamela had twin bucks, that was all right. Then High Reaches Valerie delivered two buck and a doe. Finally High Reaches Lydia and High Reaches Rose added a buck each. That made six bucks and a doe.

Smallest of Nubian doe High Reaches Valerie’s triplets and the only doe out of seven kids, this bottle baby doe kid keeps up. Even so, a nap is nice until everyone moves on. then it’s time to stretch and run to catch up.

Six Bucks!

In the livestock world, girls rule. Hens lay eggs, not roosters. Cows have calves and a herd only needs one bull. Likewise for goats.

Extra stallions can be gelded and make good saddle mounts. Extra bull calves get fixed and become steers that end up as hamburger and steak. What about extra buck goats?

Nubian doe High Reaches Rose is very proud and very attached to this little polled buck kid. She will even let the herd leave her behind to stay with him. He takes full advantage of this as he stops to explore any and every thing that looks interesting and totally ignores her calls to hurry up and join her.

Looking Back

When I started raising goats, there was no market for extra buck goats. Many goat owners destroyed their extra buck kids.

This seemed strange to me as the U.S. imported goat meat for Jewish and Muslim communities. Gradually domestic goat raisers invaded this market. The big barrier was the type of goat.

In the U.S. then most people raised dairy goats. Like with dairy cattle, these are not as good as meat animals. Once meat goats became popular, goat meat had a market.

What About My Nubian Buck Bonanza?

I have a small herd. My goats never go to shows. They don’t have any famous pedigrees. Although I have kept a wether (a fixed buck) and raised him for meat in the past, I no longer do.

Most of my extra bucks will be sold in the meat market. That makes me a bit sad, but I have few other choices.

Nubian doe High Reaches Lydia is a casual mother assuming her spotted buck kid is busy amusing himself playing with the other kids. He finds this great until he gets hungry. Then Lydia better be around.

Other Choices

High Reaches Rose’s buck is polled, born without horns. This makes him special. Perhaps someone wants a lovely polled American Nubian polled buck.

High Reaches Lydia’s buck is now disbudded so his horns shouldn’t grow. He is black with lots of spots. Perhaps someone wants a showy spotted American Nuban buck.

And I was asked about a wether as a companion for a buck. My bottle baby buck will do nicely, although I am normally hesitant about being in the pet market as so many people know nothing about goats. Goats are not like dogs.

Perhaps some members of my Nubian buck bonanza will live long lives. I hope so.

Five months have rolled by since my girls entertained Augustus. Doe goats have little use for buck goats unless they are in season much to his disappointment. Now is the time for new little goats.

Getting Ready for Kids

The does get ready by eating well and getting fat. Their udders swell with colostrum. The kids settle leaving space under backbones and tailbones.

I get ready by having old towels, clean kidding pen, clipped fingernails and plain soap. A bottle with nipple is waiting. Although I don’t normally bottle raise kids, it’s so much easier to milk colostrum into the bottle and feed the kid than to try to get them on a teat.

Then We Wait

Spring, Juliette and Natasha waddled out to pasture and back in. They laid around chewing their cuds. They showed all the signs their kids were due any time.

The new little goats were in no hurry. Days went by. We continued to wait on these already spoiled brats.

High Reaches Spring had this adorable little Nubian doe kid early in the morning. By the time I was done milking, this little kid was out enjoying the sunshine.

New Little Goats Arrive

Spring’s kid came first. Surprisingly, she had a single doe kid. I’d expected twins. We accept what arrives.

This new mother, although she’s had kids before, is a nervous doe. She was not going to stand still to nurse her kid or let me milk into a bottle. At least she didn’t bite me as one did once. Milk stands insist on obedience.

One is Not Enough

This little doe is up and walking around. She eats well and will have nursing down pat by her second night. Spring has settled down and is enjoying motherhood.

But one kid has no one to play with.

Juliette indicates she is willing to add some new little goats to the play group. Are they? We’re all waiting. And the little doe has a little buck kid as a playmate.

Bittersweet Time

Those new little goats are so cute. They grow up so fast. For years I would look them over deciding which ones to keep.

Now I watch them grow, pet them, play with them. And let them go. Age catches up with everyone including me. No new goats will join my herd. But I will still enjoy those little spoiled brats for a few months.