Frustratedearthmother's 2025 Kidding Thread

[Baymule]

Bring your problems and frustrations to BYH and throw it out there. We will give you answers!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Started disbudding yesterday. Still hate it as much as I've always hated it - maybe even more. Plus, I stink!

 

[Ridgetop]

Are you selling the buck kids at th auction for meat? If so, don't bother disbudding them. We found they sell better to ethnic markets if they are not disbudded and if you are selling them by 2 months old, the horns are barely starting. We only disbudded the doe kids. Since we were selling the buck kids aroud 2 months old, we didn't band them either.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Are you selling the buck kids at th auction for meat?

No auction near me so I always try to sell privately. However, if selling is slow, I do have a guy who will buy any young goats (and some mature) that don't sell. He comes here, pays me cash, and takes them away. Easier than any auction and I don't pay a commission, lol.

For private sales I have found that a lot of people starting with goats don't want horns. Also, some of the folks that have had goats for a few years discover that they don't like horned goats after all, lol. It has been a good selling feature for me. Also, I have two bucklings, so far, that I'm watching for a possible keeper for myself.

If I have bucklings that I know I won't keep, I'll sometimes leave them horned and intact.

 

[Baymule]

Auctions in East Texas tend to be mainly for cattle. The closer to Houston, the worse they are for sheep and goats. Nearest auctions to me are Crockett only cows, Livingston, if they have more than 10, it’s a bunch, they suck. Then Nacogdoches, they suck too, Navasota, a little better, but still for cows, but they do run a live feed of the auction on Saturday. Going towards Louisiana, it doesn’t get any better. West Texas has bodacious auctions for only sheep and goats. But that’s a LONG ways away. 5-8 hour drive. Waco is 3 hours, but their web site is down, wondering if they shut down.

So yeah, if you can do private sales with Mr. I’ll take them all, you are doing good.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

So yeah, if you can do private sales with Mr. I’ll take them all, you are doing good.

Yep - I hope he continues! He already contacted me in December looking for babies. Last year he bought about 6 (I disremember the exact number) bucklings and a mature doe. I smiled!

 

[Mini Horses]

Sometimes they buy from several to get a trailer load for marketing. Even buy for use or prev buyers. If they pay me, it's fine as to what/why.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

From what I understand, he and his brother supply cabrito to quite a few of their friends/acquaintance. He keeps a few around, but most are destined for the BBQ pit. I always try to sell privately first, but he's never failed to come and pick up what I have for him.

Disbudded two more today.

 

[Ridgetop]

For private sales I have found that a lot of people starting with goats don't want horns. Also, some of the folks that have had goats for a few years discover that they don't like horned goats after all, lol. It has been a good selling feature for me.

Disbudding is the best way to go. Horned goats are destructive and get caught in feeders and fences. I try to convince people that it is not cruel to disbud.

Once you become skilled at disbudding you never lose the knack. When we lerned to disbud we learned fro an older man who had been doing it for years. He said to make sure yo get all the horn since that is what causes scurs. I bought his disbudding iron and box when he retired. I had it repaired about 20 years ago and the company offered to buy it for their museum and send me a new one. I refused so they repaired it and sent it back. Mine heats to a higher temperature than the new ones. That makes it a faster job to disbud. I taught DS2 how to disbud and he did all the disbudding for our 4-H project kids. Since we bred for shows we only had kids once a year. We practised on the buck kids first. LOL