About to start my herd, what are your thoughts?

[B&B Happy goats]

Are you looking for registered ADGA or pet quality goats? You can look online for breeder sites....there are professional breeders, purebreed pet breeders and some decent backyard breeders, ....I personally have two restered buckls, three ADGAregistered does, six purebred does and two ND rescues....While my purebreed does are my favorite ..because "they are not perfectly bred" . I CAN SEE THE health and finer qualities in my registered girls.... so it all depends on what you want...I let my doe's nurse their kids ...and have bottle fed due to the situations of either rescue or purchase at four weeks.....every situation has been diffrent for me....

Edit to add.....I have had good luck on craigslist also....you can also find registered ones there also...

 

[Latestarter]

@animalmom breeds Nigerian Dwarf goats and she's located SW of DFW. Really depends like B&B says, on what you're goals are and what you're specifically looking for. I breed Lamanchas and am located in Mount Pleasant. Mine are mostly pure bred and one line that started (with me) with a 75/25 lamancha/meat goat doe, so her kids are 87.5/12.5% lamancha/meat goat. None of mine are papered, but my buck IS registered, so the kids could be registered as grade animals if I wanted to spend the money to do so.

So are you looking for dairy or meat goats? standard sized or smaller? pets or something else? quantity?

ETA Oh, and when do you want them, and at what age? Mine will start kidding in March and though I "could" sell bottle babies, I prefer to let them be dam raised and wean at ~3-4 months. I have a couple of wethers right now, from last year that I could sell any time.

 

[Southern by choice]

Kidding season for most will start in Feb/March. You will see a bajillion ads for goats.
There are lots of FB groups, there is Craigslist as well.
A lot of people down craigslist but the reality is FB isn't much better. You get all kinds of people.
Good breeders do use CL they just don't like to admit it. LOL (We see it all the time) I guess there is a stigma to it.
Example- we have several FB groups in NC all with different titles so to speak but it make say something like East TX Farm & Livestock- or something like that. You can then post looking for ... The more specific you are then you will get responses. You will have to weed through.

You can find unregistered or registered healthy goats from good people, it just takes time.
Lots of inquiries.

From the other side (as a breeder)- most contact will be through message or e-mail, however we require a phone interview and then we proceed from there. If a person wants to do everything from a computer and can't handle a phone call... NO goats.
If a person is not ready and doesn't have facilities- No goats
If a person who has never owned goats is adamant about all natural only- NO goats.
If a person isn't willing to take our class (it's free with the purchase of the goat/s) -No goats. Of course people out of state cannot always do that.

IOW a breeder even if brand new should be willing to talk with you and will care where their goats are going.

It does take time. Be patient, make the calls/inquiries and wait for the right goats. You will be happy you did.

The great thing about Nigerians is they are truly easy keepers. Very low maintenance.

 

[B&B Happy goats]

@Southern by choice would you consider creating a permanent forum to cover and answer questions for a new goat person...i ask because you always take the time to answer this question...and we all know how busy you are.....if there was one place we could point people too for the basic information then it would save you time...... I know my goating experiences are diffrent than yours, mine are more towards pets and some for milking .... I also rescue goats and rehome them when back to good health...

 

[Southern by choice]

@Southern by choice would you consider creating a permanent forum to cover and answer questions for a new goat person...i ask because you always take the time to answer this question...and we all know how busy you are.....if there was one place we could point people too for the basic information then it would save you time...... I know my goating experiences are diffrent than yours, mine are more towards pets and some for milking .... I also rescue goats and rehome them when back to good health...

LOL I do think of putting a folder together so I can just copy paste sometimes. I do think that so many have so much to offer and different perspectives and IMO that is what makes it a great forum. But thank you for the vote of confidence.
B&B do you know that we still have some unregistered goats? We may do more with our goats now but for many years, and I still hold to this, a goats value isn't necessarily based on pedigree/papers/or cost! We started with unregistered goats. Pets, milking and that still stands. Loving and caring for goats is never contingent on cost of goat, pedigree of goat, or quality of goat.

It just breaks my heart to see so many goats milled out, not have care, people not testing and infecting others herds, people who give no support to their clients. I can honestly say 90% of our clients become more like family. I am going to see our "grandbaby kids" this weekend. I feel so blessed to be able to be a part of our clients life with goats. It is wonderful. I love seeing how well cared for our goats are, how loved. When they leave here there is a little part of us that goes with them and it is such a comfort to know our babies are spoiled, loved, and living a wonderful life. Goats have been a blessing to me, I have been blessed with the many people that I have met in the path of these amazing animals.

 

[B&B Happy goats]

I have to agree with you, registration is a piece of paper...but important if ones purpose is for breeding registered or showing or just because, lol...I love my unregistered purbreed girls, and even my messed up rescue goats....I love goats period ...That being said, we will never change the "mill" goats any quicker than we can end puppy Mills.... But we can promote conversation to explain the differences between them and hope intelligent decision's will be made.

 

[Ridgetop]

Don't forget to check out the various 4-H clubs and goat projects. Many youth breeders have excellent animals. If the leader (and parent) is knowledgeable he or she will encourage the kids to test, pasteurize, etc., and of course in 4-H they are required to keep records.

The more information you can read up on, about the different breeds, sizes, uses, etc. the better able you will be to choose the correct animals for your purpose.

At the risk of being a kill joy, or frightening you off, here is a list of my recommendations when shopping for livestock of any kind.

Be sure what you want the animals for:
If you want to eventually milk your goats and use the milk for home use, be sure to ask to taste the milk from the breeder's goats, and the mother of the kids you want to buy. Different breeds have different tasting milk. Different goats within the breed can have different tasting milk. We bought our first goat for milk from a breed with horrible tasting milk because we did not know this. And milk can taste different depending on what the goats are fed. If your family drinks a lot of milk daily, then you probably need one or two standard size dairy goats instead of trying to milk half a dozen minis. Just because they are smaller doesn't mean that your feed costs will be less. It depends in how much milk they give compared to how much it takes in feed to produce that milk. Ask for milk records. Milk is measured in lbs. not gallons or pints. You need to know the annual amount produced by the mother of your prospective milk producer. You will be buying kids and the mother's lactation is at its highest point between birth and 3 months old. Then it can drop to nothing, or continue at a nice level for the standard 10 months. If you want a milk producer, you need to know what the annual production is. If the breeder says "she is gives about a gallon" but has no milk records, walk away.

If milk is not your aim, you may have a larger choice. You can eat any goat, but if you want to raise meat goats for yourself or meat sales, again different breeds are better. Dairy breeds can be cross bred, but are built differently than a meat breed. Decide what you want before you buy. If meat is your object, you want weights from birth to butcher weight.

If you want to show your goats, and breed for the purebred show ring, you need to let the breeder know that too. Often people will tell the breeder that they just want a pet, hoping to get something cheap, then can't understand why their precious is at the end of the line in a show. Be honest and up front with the breeder and they can help you decide what would be best for you.

Most important are health tests. Good breeders will test for CAE, CL, and any other diseases that are specific to their area and goat varieties. Ask to see all test results on the entire herd before you buy. If the breeder says they haven't gotten them yet, ask to see the previous year's test results. If they don't have those either, find another breeder.

If all the sexes are running together, walk away. Kids can become sexually mature and breed at several months old. Don't take a chance. This site has heard too many horror stories about pregnant kids dying trying to give birth to kids of their own.

If the breeder offers you a newborn or week old kid, no matter how darling, walk away. Good breeders keep their kids for at least a month to make sure they are healthy. Since you want a kid that has been bottle fed, ignore any breeder who tells you that the cute dam raised kid they have for sale will "take to the bottle right away". It won't. Walk away.

If you want a wether (castrated buck) as a pet, make sure his dingleberries are no longer attached to his body. If the breeder offers to castrate it for you then and there so you can take him home, arrange to come back in a couple of weeks to pick him up after he is castrated. Otherwise, walk away.

Get the breeder to write down what vaccines were given and the dates. If they don't have records, walk away.

It won't cost you anything to thank the breeder, say you will consider it, and leave. No matter how long a trip you have made to reach the breeder, don't feel pressured to buy. AND DON'T BUY AN ANIMAL BECAUSE YOU FEEL SORRY FOR IT! You will feel sorrier for yourself after paying vet bills, medication bills, and disposal fees.

There are lots of good breeders out there who are happy to be your mentor and guide you through the first terrors of goat ownership. You only have to find them. The more you know before talking to people offering goats for sale, the better you will be able to choose a good breeder.

If it sounds like I am telling you to do a lot of walking away, it is because our BYH site is full of posting for help from people that have rushed out and bought unwisely. By asking for help ahead of time, the advice you will receive from knowledgeable people and those who learned through error, will keep you from making mistakes. In the end you will be able to enjoy your healthy goats.

 

[MiniSilkys]

Don't forget to check out the various 4-H clubs and goat projects. Many youth breeders have excellent animals. If the leader (and parent) is knowledgeable he or she will encourage the kids to test, pasteurize, etc., and of course in 4-H they are required to keep records.

The more information you can read up on, about the different breeds, sizes, uses, etc. the better able you will be to choose the correct animals for your purpose.

At the risk of being a kill joy, or frightening you off, here is a list of my recommendations when shopping for livestock of any kind.

Be sure what you want the animals for:
If you want to eventually milk your goats and use the milk for home use, be sure to ask to taste the milk from the breeder's goats, and the mother of the kids you want to buy. Different breeds have different tasting milk. Different goats within the breed can have different tasting milk. We bought our first goat for milk from a breed with horrible tasting milk because we did not know this. And milk can taste different depending on what the goats are fed. If your family drinks a lot of milk daily, then you probably need one or two standard size dairy goats instead of trying to milk half a dozen minis. Just because they are smaller doesn't mean that your feed costs will be less. It depends in how much milk they give compared to how much it takes in feed to produce that milk. Ask for milk records. Milk is measured in lbs. not gallons or pints. You need to know the annual amount produced by the mother of your prospective milk producer. You will be buying kids and the mother's lactation is at its highest point between birth and 3 months old. Then it can drop to nothing, or continue at a nice level for the standard 10 months. If you want a milk producer, you need to know what the annual production is. If the breeder says "she is gives about a gallon" but has no milk records, walk away.

If milk is not your aim, you may have a larger choice. You can eat any goat, but if you want to raise meat goats for yourself or meat sales, again different breeds are better. Dairy breeds can be cross bred, but are built differently than a meat breed. Decide what you want before you buy. If meat is your object, you want weights from birth to butcher weight.

If you want to show your goats, and breed for the purebred show ring, you need to let the breeder know that too. Often people will tell the breeder that they just want a pet, hoping to get something cheap, then can't understand why their precious is at the end of the line in a show. Be honest and up front with the breeder and they can help you decide what would be best for you.

Most important are health tests. Good breeders will test for CAE, CL, and any other diseases that are specific to their area and goat varieties. Ask to see all test results on the entire herd before you buy. If the breeder says they haven't gotten them yet, ask to see the previous year's test results. If they don't have those either, find another breeder.

If all the sexes are running together, walk away. Kids can become sexually mature and breed at several months old. Don't take a chance. This site has heard too many horror stories about pregnant kids dying trying to give birth to kids of their own.

If the breeder offers you a newborn or week old kid, no matter how darling, walk away. Good breeders keep their kids for at least a month to make sure they are healthy. Since you want a kid that has been bottle fed, ignore any breeder who tells you that the cute dam raised kid they have for sale will "take to the bottle right away". It won't. Walk away.

If you want a wether (castrated buck) as a pet, make sure his dingleberries are no longer attached to his body. If the breeder offers to castrate it for you then and there so you can take him home, arrange to come back in a couple of weeks to pick him up after he is castrated. Otherwise, walk away.

Get the breeder to write down what vaccines were given and the dates. If they don't have records, walk away.

It won't cost you anything to thank the breeder, say you will consider it, and leave. No matter how long a trip you have made to reach the breeder, don't feel pressured to buy. AND DON'T BUY AN ANIMAL BECAUSE YOU FEEL SORRY FOR IT! You will feel sorrier for yourself after paying vet bills, medication bills, and disposal fees.

There are lots of good breeders out there who are happy to be your mentor and guide you through the first terrors of goat ownership. You only have to find them. The more you know before talking to people offering goats for sale, the better you will be able to choose a good breeder.

If it sounds like I am telling you to do a lot of walking away, it is because our BYH site is full of posting for help from people that have rushed out and bought unwisely. By asking for help ahead of time, the advice you will receive from knowledgeable people and those who learned through error, will keep you from making mistakes. In the end you will be able to enjoy your healthy goats.

You have forgotten to include that pygmy buckling can breed as early as 3-4 months so intake boys should be separated from does.

 

[SonRise Acres]

I love seeing the relationship between breeder and buyer advice. When I sell if anything is off, even something I can’t pinpoint but the hair goes up on the back of my neck, that person doesn’t get a goat. BUT as a buyer, the same rule applies to me. I have expectations of sellers. These expectations help me know what kind of care the goats probably received before I came to their place. I’m picky, but it’s lead to me having repeat customers and me buying multiple goats from sellers. I even had a breeder I bought from buy goats from me. So know it’s a relationship and even as a buyer you need to know what things set your radar pinging.

 

[Ridgetop]

Buyers who sound great when they answer your add often turn out to be impossible when they show up. years ago we decided to sell my 12 year old daughter's pony and buy another one that she could compete on. The first pony was a sweet POA with excellent ground manners, but so barn sour that it would rear in an attempt to make the rider return to the barn. Since it was a pony, it probably had great success with this tactic. We put a tie down on him, but he still would rear. My daughter could handle him and once she was far enough out, he would behave but it was really annoying, and she couldn't go any farther with her plans to jump or do gymkhana. I put an ad in the paper and a lady made an appointment to come and see him. She loved POA's (pony Appaloosas) and went on and on about what a great home he would have. I was not impressed, but had her come out. When she arrived and we walked to the stall, I told my daughter to go in, halter the pony, and bring him out for her to look at. I always did this so people could see that the pony could be easily caught. I never trusted a seller who had the horse tied and waiting for us. LOL

Anyway, as DD walked through the stall gate the lady pushed past her squealing about how she had a bond with horses and could feel it with this one. Rushing at the pony the crazy lady tried to throw her arms around his neck and hug him. Surprised at the intrusion into his corral, poor Chips flung his head back, rolled his eyes, and backed into the corner. His expression was horror, outrage, and shock at this intrusion. DD and I told the lady to calm down and get out of the corral since she was upsetting the pony. DD, also shocked and outraged, haltered poor Chips, calmed him down and sweet talked him. I escorted the lady to her car, explaining that Mr. Chips really wasn't the pony for her. Embarrassed that Chips had made plain his lack of "bond" she accused the poor pony of being vicious!

I sold the pony to a lady for her 10 year old daughter with full disclosure about the rearing and sourness. My 3 and 5 year olds were playing in the yard when the pony was taken out of his stall by DD, bridled and saddled, feet picked up, etc. The 2 little boys were pushing their ride on cars around the yard and pushed one under Chips as he stood at the tie rail. He never moved. He was perfect with ground manners with small children. The lady told me she decided on the spot to buy him after seeing that. Since they trailered out to every trail, Chips never reared for her daughter, the child took him to ETI gymkhanas and shows and won a lot of ribbons on him. I had a good vibe about her and her daughter when they came, they were quiet, and well behaved to the pony. She called me a lot to tell me how pleased they were with him and how much they loved him. Great ending. I am sure they developed a "bond"! LOL