- Thread starter
- #11
Ebers
Loving the herd life
What is a reasonable price for 2 young billys or wethers?
Considering goats?
- Thread starter Ebers
- Start date
OneFineAcre
Herd Master
I have always sold my Nigerian wethers for 75 but I think I'm going to go up to 100
- Thread starter
- #13
Ebers
Loving the herd life
Do you band your goats to castrate them or just cut em? I've castrated countless beef calves & show pigs but I have never messed with a goat before
OneFineAcre
Herd Master
I band mine. If I'm selling a wether, I'm going to band before they leave here.
You can probably find wethers that are already done.
You can probably find wethers that are already done.
Goat Whisperer
Herd Master
The other posters are correct, goats tend to browse and sheep tend to graze.... BUT goats will eat pasture and sheep will eat browse. If you never ever want to mow, sheep may be a better choice.
I would have to strongly disagree with that the idea that goats are harder to fence. Let me tell you from experience, this is NOT TRUE! I have dealt with many many goats, never had a problem of them getting out. The sheep? They were getting out constantly! You have no idea how many time I had to rescue them off the road
Another member who isn't on here very often anymore said the same thing. If I remember right she had ~60 sheep? and a few goats. Goats never got out but again the sheep were always trying to get out. I know other folks that say the same thing.
I have found that goats can be made into more of a "pet" then sheep. I know there are friendly sheep out there, but those seem to be few and far between.
Wethers are great starter goats, but many progress over a short time from wanting lawn mowers to wanting to breed once or twice and try milking. Unless you are absolutely sure that you never ever want to breed or milk, I'd get at least one doe. You will then have the option of breeding or milking without having to add in more does at a later time. If you have children, consider if they would be interested in showing at some of the fairs etc.
Just a tip, be cautious when buying from folks who call does/bucks "billies" & "nannies". In the goat world, this is more of a negative term. Folks who say billy/nanny are generally uneducated when it comes to goats and aren't able to mentor new goat owners. Not trying to be mean, just something I've noticed. Doesn't mean ALL people are like this...
I would have to strongly disagree with that the idea that goats are harder to fence. Let me tell you from experience, this is NOT TRUE! I have dealt with many many goats, never had a problem of them getting out. The sheep? They were getting out constantly! You have no idea how many time I had to rescue them off the road
Another member who isn't on here very often anymore said the same thing. If I remember right she had ~60 sheep? and a few goats. Goats never got out but again the sheep were always trying to get out. I know other folks that say the same thing.
I have found that goats can be made into more of a "pet" then sheep. I know there are friendly sheep out there, but those seem to be few and far between.
Wethers are great starter goats, but many progress over a short time from wanting lawn mowers to wanting to breed once or twice and try milking. Unless you are absolutely sure that you never ever want to breed or milk, I'd get at least one doe. You will then have the option of breeding or milking without having to add in more does at a later time. If you have children, consider if they would be interested in showing at some of the fairs etc.
Just a tip, be cautious when buying from folks who call does/bucks "billies" & "nannies". In the goat world, this is more of a negative term. Folks who say billy/nanny are generally uneducated when it comes to goats and aren't able to mentor new goat owners. Not trying to be mean, just something I've noticed. Doesn't mean ALL people are like this...
Southern by choice
Herd Master
LOL often our older generation refers to goats as nannies & billies... but @Goat Whisperer does have a point.
I skimmed all the responses so forgive me if I have this wrong... but if it is grass eating them sheep are better for this BUT I will tell you they can eat ALOT of grass. 1 acre should be ok for 2 SMALL sheep. Just keep in mind the off season you will need to provide HAY.
If you get goats they will not take it all the way down like sheep. They are also selective... you will have big clumps where goats like to just get what they like. You will need to provide hay.
Our wethers are cut. No banding here.
I skimmed all the responses so forgive me if I have this wrong... but if it is grass eating them sheep are better for this BUT I will tell you they can eat ALOT of grass. 1 acre should be ok for 2 SMALL sheep. Just keep in mind the off season you will need to provide HAY.
If you get goats they will not take it all the way down like sheep. They are also selective... you will have big clumps where goats like to just get what they like. You will need to provide hay.
Our wethers are cut. No banding here.
- Thread starter
- #17
Ebers
Loving the herd life
What breeds would be good in my situation wether it's goats or sheep?
Ponker
Loving the herd life
Breeds are a personal choice. It depends on the amount of space and quality of the pasture. I have Nigerian Dwarf Milk Goats. I bought 7 at once from a breeder only 4 hours away. They have health records and registration papers from 3 different registries. Since I paid full price for the 5 milk goat does, I paid $100 for the buck and wether combo. The wether was castrated by a vet before I brought him home. They are so incredibly tiny that I can't even see a difference in the pasture. I'm going to mow it after the rain stops.
A different breed would eat the pasture down a lot faster. I heard that Boer goats and some of the Spanish goats are great for understory brush clearing.
As others have mentioned, sheep are great lawn mowers. I have Finnsheep and they do a good job keeping the pastures down but I did have to mow the whole field because they can't keep up. Some of the miniature breeds can keep a backyard nicely mowed and gently fertilized. Larger animals will need more space and potentially cleanup to remove manure.
Start with at least two from a reputable breeder. A good breeder will be excited to show you test results and be very interested in the care their animals will receive at your home. They'll ask you questions to ensure they'll have a good home. Don't be offended, it means you're on the right track. A good breeder will offer to answer questions after you get the animals home. They'll be nervous about them getting settled in and want to know that they arrived safely and healthy. Any breeder that balks at health questions of tries to talk you out of seeing the test results... walk away. Some diseases get into your soil and your farm can be contaminated. It might cast a few extra dollars to buy good stock but that is to cover the cost of health testing, worming, vaccines, and quality care for each animal that has become a part of someone's family. Get friendly animals that aren't nervous and don't run away. when you go to look see if they're tethered. Ask for the breeder to give them a handful of grain or another treat. If the animal shies or fights to get away, it wasn't socialized. These animals can come around but it takes consistency and time and patience - did I mention patience? Patience
Until you get these unsocialized animals to trust you, any time you need to handle them, you'll need to catch them and wrangle them. if you have a bad back or knee, it can be difficult.
Get animals you can resell if life deals you something unforeseen. It happens and while we all say, "I'll never sell them." Sometimes for the welfare of the animal we must break our own hearts and give them a better home. We love them that much.
Choose an animal you like to look at. Make sure it's aesthetically pleasing to your eye. It makes a difference. it can be so ugly, it's cute, reminds you of someone or another pet that is gone, or just makes you smile to see.
Read a couple of books about care and welfare. Learn what makes them tick and why they behave the way they do. Learn what problems to watch for and when you interact always be conscious of feeling lumps or shaggy looking hair or parasites in wool.
Goats and sheep can have passive jobs along with mowing or grass clipping. Wool can be sold and goats can be milked. These small revenue streams can offset a portion of their care and upkeep expenses. Even getting a male and female can give you young to sell... and from a reputable breeder, your sheep/goat offspring can be valuable. If you are so inclined or if children are in your household, showing them can increase their value as well.
I probably missed some details but think about what I could remember off the top of my head.
A different breed would eat the pasture down a lot faster. I heard that Boer goats and some of the Spanish goats are great for understory brush clearing.
As others have mentioned, sheep are great lawn mowers. I have Finnsheep and they do a good job keeping the pastures down but I did have to mow the whole field because they can't keep up. Some of the miniature breeds can keep a backyard nicely mowed and gently fertilized. Larger animals will need more space and potentially cleanup to remove manure.
Start with at least two from a reputable breeder. A good breeder will be excited to show you test results and be very interested in the care their animals will receive at your home. They'll ask you questions to ensure they'll have a good home. Don't be offended, it means you're on the right track. A good breeder will offer to answer questions after you get the animals home. They'll be nervous about them getting settled in and want to know that they arrived safely and healthy. Any breeder that balks at health questions of tries to talk you out of seeing the test results... walk away. Some diseases get into your soil and your farm can be contaminated. It might cast a few extra dollars to buy good stock but that is to cover the cost of health testing, worming, vaccines, and quality care for each animal that has become a part of someone's family. Get friendly animals that aren't nervous and don't run away. when you go to look see if they're tethered. Ask for the breeder to give them a handful of grain or another treat. If the animal shies or fights to get away, it wasn't socialized. These animals can come around but it takes consistency and time and patience - did I mention patience? Patience
Until you get these unsocialized animals to trust you, any time you need to handle them, you'll need to catch them and wrangle them. if you have a bad back or knee, it can be difficult.
Get animals you can resell if life deals you something unforeseen. It happens and while we all say, "I'll never sell them." Sometimes for the welfare of the animal we must break our own hearts and give them a better home. We love them that much.
Choose an animal you like to look at. Make sure it's aesthetically pleasing to your eye. It makes a difference. it can be so ugly, it's cute, reminds you of someone or another pet that is gone, or just makes you smile to see.
Read a couple of books about care and welfare. Learn what makes them tick and why they behave the way they do. Learn what problems to watch for and when you interact always be conscious of feeling lumps or shaggy looking hair or parasites in wool.
Goats and sheep can have passive jobs along with mowing or grass clipping. Wool can be sold and goats can be milked. These small revenue streams can offset a portion of their care and upkeep expenses. Even getting a male and female can give you young to sell... and from a reputable breeder, your sheep/goat offspring can be valuable. If you are so inclined or if children are in your household, showing them can increase their value as well.
I probably missed some details but think about what I could remember off the top of my head.
