Descented Bucks

[Genipher]

Familiarize myself! Haha! I know what you meant but it does come out a little funny!

I like the idea of selling bucklings to the auction...I'll have to add that to my "list of things to research" and find out what's in my area. Though I'd probably sell doelings, which means I'd still need to disbud. Though I read females are easier to disbudding and are less likely to get scurs...?

 

[Ridgetop]

Depending on what goats you have, breed, registered, showing, bloodlines, etc, you can sell the doelings for breeding so yes, you want to disbud them, and they are worth a lot more. Remember in the dairy industry (and even one milker counts) females are good while males are pretty much a liability. Females produce milk and are valuable, males are only good for meat. Good dairy animals do not put a lot of meat on their frame in ratio to the feed they must consume, that is why you want to sell the buck kids early at the auction without putting a lot of feed into them. That gives you more milk for raising the doe kids which are worth more. Of course, doelings will BBQ as well as bucklings.

While your goats will be mostly pets, always try to look at your operation in a cost effective way. The bottom line counts. That is why I recommend you weigh your milk each time (8 lbs. = 1 ga.) Keep a record of how much is produced. At the end of the year figure out how much your milk costs you per gallon. Whether it is more expensive to keep the goat or buy the milk doesn't really matter if you want fresh natural milk for your family BUT it is so great to add up the columns at the end of the year and see how many 100s of gallons your herd produces. Goat milk at the natural food store is expensive so don't figure the standard store cow milk price, use the natural goat milk price. like vs like