# Goat Buying--How To



## FarmerChick (Jan 11, 2010)

Lets start a thread about what to look for when buying.


Tip 1 from me is check those knees if buying an older goat.

If the knee is heavily calloused, then check the hooves very very carefully.   Good chance that goat had laminitis/founder and walking on the knees to relieve pain is a sure sign of a past founder.

In my herd literally all goats have hair on their knees.  I never had a laminitis case.   

So those super bald, callous knees tell a story definitely.  And check those feet for signs of trouble.

Without good hooves you have nothing.




OK---someone else add a tip on what to check before buying.......


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## freemotion (Jan 11, 2010)

Do NOT buy a goat because you feel sorry for it and just want to get it out of it's bad situation!!!!    Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt, too!

Sorry, FC, couldn't resist.  I thought that hair-covered knees were NOT a good thing, though?   Is there a happy medium?  Or did I misunderstand something I read somewhere once upon a time?


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## mavrick (Jan 11, 2010)

Never buy a goat from an auction barn, Although people do sell very good healthy goats at auctions, This don't hold true for everyone, and the healthy ones are only as healthy as the sick ones that's there or has been there before.


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## ksalvagno (Jan 11, 2010)

Take a look around the farm. Does the general herd look healthy. See any runny eyes or noses, anyone coughing, underweight etc. Are the goats living in filth. Do they have nice hay and fresh water.

Ask the farmer about his worming protocol and vaccination protocol.

If you are buying registered goats, ask to see the registration of the goat you are buying. Make sure the registration is in the person's name you are buying from.


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## ThornyRidge (Jan 11, 2010)

Do your homework.. don't impulse buy!  this may mean looking back at lines/farms and talking to people who have had these lines through the years.  I also like to ask lots of questions.. I typically have an idea but like to hear what is being told to me by the breeder.. a. it is a good way to weed out someone who may be totally clueless and could end up causing and costing you a lot of heartache in the end and b. you may pick up a new piece of info to store away for future reference!!  networking is great!  I am reading on here more and more about people picking up goats from breeders who are not even sure what breed they have or created.. this would be a big red flag.. if someone doesn't know exactly what breed of goat they have (at least they could narrow it down to a cross) then I would avoid.

One other thing.. I provide a large ziplock baggie of grain and minerals to all my buyers to assist in food transitioning... heck I have even went so far as throwing in a bale of hay..


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## Roll farms (Jan 11, 2010)

FWIW, half my goats, young and old, have calluses on their knees, and these does run, jump, etc...the only goats who don't have any, are those less than 2 yrs old.
I've never had a case of laminitis, either....

If you want a goat to provide milk for your family, ask about their dam's production records, ask to see udders of her dam and siblings, etc.
Don't be fooled if they brag on their show records.....show goats who also milk really well are few and far between.  (Not impossible, but it is improbable). 
Pretty show udders are sometimes not easy to milk by hand, teats are smallish.
A lot of people I know have been snookered into paying a lot because of a goat's show record (or their parents show records) but they end up w/ a very nice animal (conformationally) who can't produce 5# in the bucket.

If you're buying boers, ask to see the teats...a boer SHOULD have no more than 4, and they should be seperated, not "fish teats".   2 is ideal, 4 is accepted, but 5, 6, or 7 should be culled or sold as pets only.


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## FarmerChick (Jan 11, 2010)

freemotion said:
			
		

> Do NOT buy a goat because you feel sorry for it and just want to get it out of it's bad situation!!!!    Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt, too!
> 
> Sorry, FC, couldn't resist.  I thought that hair-covered knees were NOT a good thing, though?   Is there a happy medium?  Or did I misunderstand something I read somewhere once upon a time?


I never heard hair on the knees was bad...LOL..they are supposed to have hair there...HAHA

only thing with callous knees it is an indicator for me to check the hooves very carefully.   If they foundered in the past, they sometimes crawl on their knees to relieve the pain in the hoof.

not always obviously....many goats have callous and yes in many instances it is normal.  for me, my goats were never on hard surfaces, pasture all the way etc. and never had to crawl.   

when I see callous knees, I always check the hoof.  just a possible is all.


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## no nonsense (Jan 11, 2010)

Do not bring home any animals that you do not have appropriate facilities and/or room for, no matter how good the deal.

Don't waste your money on mutts. Purebreds cost just the same to keep, are worth more, and there's more pride in ownership. Show goats often ARE good milkers, and their breeders usually more sophisticated about the true facts of how to care for goats.

Don't bring home anything with lumps, bumps or abscesses. Make sure that they have been tested for TB and Brucellosis.

Forget about "rescues". Let some other sucker save the world. You just might be bringing something onto your property which will remain there forever, and I don't mean the animal, affecting any other goats you bring home for as long as you live there.


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## cmjust0 (Jan 12, 2010)

FarmerChick said:
			
		

> I never heard hair on the knees was bad...LOL..they are supposed to have hair there...HAHA
> 
> only thing with callous knees it is an indicator for me to check the hooves very carefully.   If they foundered in the past, they sometimes crawl on their knees to relieve the pain in the hoof.


If a goat has hair on it's knees, it could be an indication of CAE..  A goat with CAE may be more reluctant to get on its knees -- especially if the surface underneath it is hard, like rocks or hard packed dirt.  

Our goats routinely get down on their knees to lay down on rocks, especially during the spring and fall when the temperature drops after a warm, sunny day..  The sun warms the rocks, so when it gets cool, they go find a warm rock to lay on.  

As you might imagine, a goat with arthritic knees probably wouldn't find that very comfortable.


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## ksalvagno (Jan 12, 2010)

Since this is a general thread about goat buying, does it really matter if the goat has hair on their knees or not? Sounds to me like either way doesn't necessarily say they are sick or well.

If you question the knees, then I would have the goat tested for CAE, CL and Johnes before purchasing or just not buy that goat.


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## freemotion (Jan 12, 2010)

In trying to wrap my brain around the "hairy vs hairless" knees debate,  this is what I came up with.  Feel free to opine on this.

Healthy goat who has hard ground to sleep on (here my goats prefer the sandy, pebbly soil in summer over bedded areas I provide) will lose hair on their knees.  If they get uncomfortable due to CAE or founder, they will be reluctant to lie down and avoid getting onto their knees and the hair will grow back.  If/when the painful condition worsens, the hair will wear off and callouses will form as the goat walks on their knees a lot to avoid bending to eat???  or to avoid getting up and down?

I like to observe an animal (any species!) from a short distance for a while before buying it.  My favorite and very healthy goat was purchased when I went to look at a different one that was advertised, and after spending an hour in the stalls and paddock with the herd, chatting with the owner and getting mobbed by kids, I inquired about a different goat that I liked much better, and brought her home instead.  She is a real darling.  Can't wait to see her first kids.


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