Flat collar or slip lead for bringing home kids?

[Miranda Kurucz]

I think your choice of getting wethers is a good one. Especially given the cost of animals in your location as well as not having vet care anywhere near.

Not that these guys aren't going to be just as loved and cared for but let's face reality. Learning curves can be costly and best to learn on animals with lower investment.

@Latestarter $200 is not unreasonable. First look at the region second, for those of us that breed quality animals and go through the expense of testing and keeping a clean herd it is reasonable.

Caring for, kidding, bottle feeding, vaccinating, CAE, CL, Johnes testing, Cocci Prevention all adds up. Castration costs as well. The only reason you see wethers going for less is so people can minimize their expenses especially in a buck year. It also sometimes separates the chaff from the wheat so to speak. People that won't spend money on a goat generally won't take care of the goat.

Some regions there are so many goats you can get a top of the line goat for 300-400 other areas 600+.

Absolutely! I thought for all things considered that this pricing was more than reasonable. For does and bucks it depends on their lines etc but the pricing is more in the $450 - $600 range. You don't want the animals to be a disposable price and attract the wrong buyers but that is also weeded out by asking questions and making a relationship with buyers. This breeder has lines with some champion milkers but to wether a buck from those lines would be crazy! From what I understand most of the wethers come from goats who are either a. Less proven as milk producing (with Hazel being smaller she falls into this category as she is so petite) or b. First kidding to an unproven doe.

I think that's how I understand it?? I am so excited!

 

[Miranda Kurucz]

This handsome buck.

 

[NH homesteader]

I think that is a reasonable price. And I completely respect the breeder, it sounds like they are making wise decisions regarding selling bucks vs. Wethers, and they care about their goats enough to take good care of all of them and give you help along the way. This is a good start to goat ownership!

 

[Latestarter]

I didn't say $200 was expensive or unreasonable... I had no idea what the price was. It just makes no sense paying the price of a pound of gold for a pound of silver... I completely understand there are costs associated with raising animals. That still doesn't justify selling a wether for the same value as a breeding buckling or doeling. I just warned to beware those selling wethers for more than they're worth... I think most folks who sell their wethers do so at a monetary loss as they make up the difference on their sales of breeder bucks and doelings. Most reputable breeders won't wether a high quality potential herd sire in any case. The bucks that get wethered are the ones the breeder doesn't want producing offspring. They aren't high/good enough quality. I also recommended not getting a wether registered as it's a waste of money...

Many folks start out with wethers, and then several years later get rid of them as they are a mouth to feed that produces nothing of value. Many on this site have commented about the folks who do this. Some folks doing this consider the animals as pets and can't bring themselves to butcher them and eat them, so they sell them to someone else who considers them livestock, and will. Or they simply can't afford to keep feeding a mouth that provides nothing back. Others will only sell them to another who will let them live out their lives as pets. And then there are some who will keep their wethers for as long as they live. IMHO, none of these choices is "wrong". To each their own.

So if it's the "expensive learning curve" we're worried about, why bother spending big(er) bucks to buy wethers from a high quality registered herd... Find someone who has a decent/healthy non registered herd with decent animals and buy a couple of wethers from them to learn on. Far cheaper and after you've "learned" on them for a year or so, gift/sell/eat or keep them, and then go get the high quality animals to start your real breeding herd/program with. IMHO a person doesn't learn it all in a year anyway, and learning about birthing and all involved there isn't even possible until you have breed-able animals... The learning will (should) be a continuous and ongoing thing regardless.

I agree that you've hooked up with a very good breeder to work with. The mentoring and support they can offer you will most likely prove priceless. Love their pictures and all that luscious green grass! May your journey begin and proceed with success!

 

[Miranda Kurucz]

I didn't say $200 was expensive or unreasonable... I had no idea what the price was. It just makes no sense paying the price of a pound of gold for a pound of silver... I completely understand there are costs associated with raising animals. That still doesn't justify selling a wether for the same value as a breeding buckling or doeling. I just warned to beware those selling wethers for more than they're worth... I think most folks who sell their wethers do so at a monetary loss as they make up the difference on their sales of breeder bucks and doelings. Most reputable breeders won't wether a high quality potential herd sire in any case. The bucks that get wethered are the ones the breeder doesn't want producing offspring. They aren't high/good enough quality. I also recommended not getting a wether registered as it's a waste of money...

Many folks start out with wethers, and then several years later get rid of them as they are a mouth to feed that produces nothing of value. Many on this site have commented about the folks who do this. Some folks doing this consider the animals as pets and can't bring themselves to butcher them and eat them, so they sell them to someone else who considers them livestock, and will. Or they simply can't afford to keep feeding a mouth that provides nothing back. Others will only sell them to another who will let them live out their lives as pets. And then there are some who will keep their wethers for as long as they live. IMHO, none of these choices is "wrong". To each their own.

So if it's the "expensive learning curve" we're worried about, why bother spending big(er) bucks to buy wethers from a high quality registered herd... Find someone who has a decent/healthy non registered herd with decent animals and buy a couple of wethers from them to learn on. Far cheaper and after you've "learned" on them for a year or so, gift/sell/eat or keep them, and then go get the high quality animals to start your real breeding herd/program with. IMHO a person doesn't learn it all in a year anyway, and learning about birthing and all involved there isn't even possible until you have breed-able animals... The learning will (should) be a continuous and ongoing thing regardless.

I agree that you've hooked up with a very good breeder to work with. The mentoring and support they can offer you will most likely prove priceless. Love their pictures and all that luscious green grass! May your journey begin and proceed with success!

Bahaha I knew what you meant and that when you wrote your response you hadn't seen the price yet I liked your goat math! Definitely hard to not just start with 6.... My practical side is fickle.

All pets will be lifers here unless some extreme unforeseen health issue in the people here came about--- then rehomed to a nutter like me. Lol

Thank you for all your responses, and shares!! I can't wait till they get here... At least I'll have pen Renos coming up to keep me busy!

 

[NH homesteader]

I love my wether. I had two, one I had to rehome because he was my only horned goat. He was fine when I just had the two boys but started beating the snot out of my does. So he went to a pet home with one other goat and is fine. The wether I kept is my biggest goat by far but he gets to stay... It is true that wethers don't always get a fair shake but sounds like this is the best wether home they could ask for!

 

[Goat Whisperer]

So if it's the "expensive learning curve" we're worried about, why bother spending big(er) bucks to buy wethers from a high quality registered herd... Find someone who has a decent/healthy non registered herd with decent animals and buy a couple of wethers from them to learn on. Far cheaper and after you've "learned" on them for a year or so, gift/sell/eat or keep them, and then go get the high quality animals to start your real breeding herd/program with. IMHO a person doesn't learn it all in a year anyway, and learning about birthing and all involved there isn't even possible until you have breed-able animals... The learning will (should) be a continuous and ongoing thing regardless.

I think Miranda is very wise in how she is planning in getting into goats.
You have to remember, there really aren't many ND breeders up her way anyway. Even if there is another herd with cheaper wethers, buying from this breeder will help build a relationship and will give the breeder a "feel" for her. She will be a lot more likely to get some good breeding stock.

Learning will happen as long as you are in goats, that could be five years or 30 years.

You need to remember that you've been in this site since the end of 2014. You have had the time to read everyone's knowledge posted, visited farms, and read up on the popular goat sites for years now. When you don't or haven't raised goats and things look so much different.

I have seen more people flop when they don't know what they are doing and decide to get all these breeding animals but don't know how to handle particular situations. Starting small, especially when you don't have a good goat vet, is one of the smartest things a person can do.

Having two wethers will be sufficient when learning fecal analysis, parasites/cocci, FAMACHA, hoof trimming, diet, housing, fencing, possible sickness, and just the general learning about goats.

Most reputable breeders won't wether a high quality potential herd sire in any case. The bucks that get wethered are the ones the breeder doesn't want producing offspring.

This isn't necessary true. I know many people who have wethered very nice bucks because they didn't find the proper breeding home. Some would rather wether a great buck than sell him to a herd where he will be used on unregistered/terrible uddered/mediocre (or worse) does.

Sometimes you have to wether a great buck because you already have 10 other great bucklings that need to be sold.

 

[Bruce]

...
All pets will be lifers here unless some extreme unforeseen health issue in the people here came about--- then renamed to a nutter like me. Lol
...

You can start your own field clearing business with the non breeders

 

[Miranda Kurucz]

You can start your own field clearing business with the non breeders

Hahah perfect! Or train them into little trick goats and do goat shows!

 

[Bruce]

Will perform for hay ... or weeds ... or brush ... or getting a good brushing!