Advice on Craigslist Nubian Milker

[Sweet Cheeks]

http://seattle.craigslist.org/oly/grd/1567029400.html

LillyWhites - ADGA# N1274984 is an almost seven year old Nubian doe. She is currently giving milk. If we were into showing, she is a winner. Excellent milk and extremely amazing temperament. Very sociable. Gets along with children, dogs, goats, people. Any questions, reply to this ad. $250.00

Background: I'm new to goats with my first two in October 09 - Two ADGA registered nubian brother and sister - wether and doeling that will be a year old in April.

I am considering having Honey, my doeling bred this fall to a registered Pigmy for an F1 Kinder.

My question regarding the above ad: I'm considering getting an older experienced milker to practice on so I won't be a green milker with a green goat (my doeling Honey) when the time comes to breed and milk her next spring.

What do you all think of the above ad?

I called the guy who's selling who lives within 3 miles of me and found out he has had the goat only 6 months. He bought her from an older breeder who was down-sizing who sold this girl because 'she has long teets' otherwise she would or could be show quality. The guy paid $300.00 for her as she was bred and giving milk. He dried her off in Oct. and she kidded Dec 9,09. They let the doeling nurse for 6 wks and just sold the kid for $150.00.

He said he went on vacation and the goat didn't get milked so now is only giving 1/2 cup twice a day. He said she is thin and has patches where she lost a little hair. He believes it's from just having kidded.

He has been feeding free choice alfalfa and 1/2 can grain which he said she's really not interested in.

He said he hasn't wormed since the purchase 6 months ago.

I'm planning to go look at her tomorrow.

What do you all think?

 

[Roll farms]

I've never had a doe lose her hair from kidding...but since he's new, he may genuinely believe that or have been told that by the breeder.

If he knows she was sold for having "long teats" (wth?) then he shouldn't be advertising her as a "winner"....JMHO.

My guess would be she has parasite issues / possible mineral deficiency at minimum, and could have other 'hidden' health issues. CAE? CL? Test status?

My gut says, if your 2 kids are clean, don't risk exposing them to her...

If you go see her and fall in love.....then I'd bring her home, ISOLATE her, and have a vet check her out thoroughly. Leave her isolated until she checks out clean.

IMHO, that's way more than a 7 yr old, "long-teated" doe w/ bare patches and who's already drying off 2 mos into her lactation is worth....reg. papers or not.
( Registration papers don't make milk OR win shows...).

I agree an older, experienced doe to practice on is a great idea. Maybe find a breeder through the ADGA directory who could help you out.

 

[samplekasi]

I know that I am a bit weird about things going from another perspective so to say looked up on ADGA and found that this coming 7 year old only has 2 registered kids ( both bucks) on the ground which could be a number of things. If you are wanting this does for show it will matter and in some cases of justa milker it will matter. I have had the wonderful experience of dealing with a couple of breeders/ sellers that I can compare to used car salesmen not a great experience if your goat say maybe not then probably not. What you have said so far this guy sounds like the used car salesman type, WINNER, except for this little issue of the teats, The udder is important in showing and milking, or the losing hair frombirthing, sounds like he is looking for a reason to give someone. By any chance did you tell him you were new to goats?

1. Buyers of kids did not register but if she is that great you would thing her kids would also be used for show.

2. Not an easy to catch (pregnancy wise) doe.

3. She is not all she is cracked up to be so her offspring are not good enough to be registered.

4. The lack of female offspring registered did the previous breeder not want this udder connected to his name?

5. Out of the 2 bucks registered 1 had 1 registered progeny the other has none. This makes one think the genetics are not all that great.

6. Previous breeder knew her doelings would not do well in the ring were sold as family milkers only.

7. Any number of other reasons.

I worry that she was dried off so soon after freshening. Has this been the norm has she kidded and always dam raised then dried off. I see that she is producing 1 cup a day between 2 milkings I do not feel that anything less than a miracle would get this girls milk increasing for this year. I would also google bottle teats, blown teats before you go look. I am not trying to talk you out of her just want you to look at every angle before you look into those wonderful brown pleading eyes ( I know my girls all have them).

And to beat the TEST issue to death you will want absolute RECENT tests on this girl and possibly the entire herd!!! for CAE CL etc. I hate buying and getting them home only to find out they were positive. waste of my time energy money and emotion.

OFF my soap box now

OK had to edit and say the hair thing either Zinc issue or parasite. Goats can get mange not pretty. I have also NEVER heard of a goat losing hair due to birthing.

 

[ThornyRidge]

Based on your background information I would pass. Something seems suspicious about this.. appears maybe a case of false advertising.. my first clue is he is getting rid of her after only 6 months.. I am thinking he may know something about her that he is not telling you ( disease, bad habits, etc.) Not sure what the going rate for nubian does in your area is.. but I would think you maybe should shop around a bit more and might even find a better price for an older/experienced milker who would be healthy and ok to bring in your growing herd. Check around with 4H kids in the area or if you have a farm extension office that knows of folks with milk goats in area.. then you may check the farms out to see what's happening before purchasing blind on Craig's list. good luck in whatever you decide.

 

[michickenwrangler]

If you go look at her, take a knowledgeable friend/vet with you. It could be that she just needs worming, vaccinations and some mineral salt and this guy is an idiot.

I got a "Not show quality" doe with an underbite and lopsided udders (not terribly but noticeable since she had a single birth last time and the kid only nursed on one side). She is bred to a very high quality buck so hopefully babies will turn out better. She at least had her feet trimmed and her owners gave me her vaccination history and we've kept in contact since the purchase.

I would call him, you can get a better "feel" of the goat and sale from talking than merely emailing.

Good luck, keep us updated

 

[Sweet Cheeks]

Thank you all for your thoughtful replies. I have decided not to go look at her for reasons you all expressed and I was already feeling.

I did talk to the guy last night for over 45 minutes.

Found out he had never owned prior to this purchase 6 months ago. He's in a rental house that's being sold and won't be moving to another property to house goats.

The goat was sold to him alone. The seller was aware this guy was new to goats and didn't have any others. (I can't believe any breeder would sell a single goat to someone). The seller brought him a buddy goat to keep her company till she kidded because she wasn't happy being alone.

After she kidded, the seller came and got the buddy goat back and gave shots to momma and little one. For what, he doesn't know nor does he know the testing status of this doe or the herd she came from. Since he sold the kid, this goat is once again alone until he finds a home for her. I recommended he get some minerals for her as that may be the reason for the hair loss. He said he hadn't researched or questioned what goats need because the breeder who sold the goat to him told him 'the grain and alfalfa has all the vitamins and minerals the goat needs in it already".

My two came from a 4-H family who has tested their negative herd yearly.

I paid $125.00 for my doeling and $50.00 for the wether. They were selling bred yearlings for $150.00. Being new, I opted not to go with a bred doe to start with.

I'm going to look for a local breeders with proven negative herds.

Thanks again everyone and great day.

 

[jlbpooh]

You know, that is what I like about this forum. I am not in the market for more goats right now, I have 2 reserved already that are due to be born next month. BUT, I feel that I have learned a lot just from the wonderful responses that people have given Sweet Cheeks and others who have asked about what to watch for when buying goats. Keep up the great advice. I read every post whether it pertains to my situation or now, because someday, that one piece of information that I read MAY pertain to me and I will be better prepared to handle the situation.

 

[Sweet Cheeks]

You know, that is what I like about this forum. I am not in the market for more goats right now, I have 2 reserved already that are due to be born next month. BUT, I feel that I have learned a lot just from the wonderful responses that people have given Sweet Cheeks and others who have asked about what to watch for when buying goats. Keep up the great advice. I read every post whether it pertains to my situation or now, because someday, that one piece of information that I read MAY pertain to me and I will be better prepared to handle the situation.

Well said jbpooh - My thoughts exactly.

 

[KinderKorner]

As a warning...

Two months ago I just bought a goat from an ad close to that.

'7 year old, Purebred Nubian. Super sweet. Big udder, good milker'

I feel in love, and drove 14 hours to get her.

Brought her home, she was everything I ever wanted.

Got her tested for CAE.

The results came back... Positive!?

What the heck, she is 7 and shows no signs.

Luckily she has been in quarrentine the entire time. So the owner is taking her back. And we get to keep and bottle feed her babies. But I was so sad. It freaked me out to have the diease near my herd.

And after I had gotten attached to her, I have to give her back or eat her,

Watch yourself. I would buy from a reliable, tested, proven breeder only. No more backyard herd buying for me.

 

[RockyToggRanch]

I bought a doe recently from a CL ad. The woman said this goat was registered but she never had her transferred when she bought her. I paid $65. when I got her and was to pay another $65. when I get the paperwork from her. She told me this doe is 3 yrs old.

I have tried to contact her and she doesn't respond. I'm hoping I can go to the original breeder and take care of the paperwork myself. I'm betting I'll find out that she's older than 3.

She has been bred to my registered buck and I was hoping to sell her kids.

I'm worried now about anything this woman told me being the truth. I trusted her when she told me the doe was tested for CAE.

buyer beware..some people have no morals.