hoovesgalore
Ridin' The Range
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That's what I just said.
that's what I just said.
Goats off of craigslist
- Thread starter HopeGoats
- Start date
Alaskan
Herd Master
Nothing wrong with Craigslist... but I would make sure the goats are disease free.
Margali
Herd Master
Also be careful on Facebook. I've made a personal decision if they don't have a farm website/facebook/BYC/youtube where I can see some farm history, I'm not buying from them.
- Thread starter
- #14
hoovesgalore
Ridin' The Range
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there not all especially if you raise them as bottle babies i had the sweetest weather
Dandy Hill Farm
Overrun with beasties
I'm guessing your friend had an intact buck and not a wether. Bucks can be very mean and nasty, but wethers aren't.
I think either does (females) or wethers (neutered males) would be a great choice for you! Either two of the same gender or one of each will work.
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2goatgal
Chillin' with the herd
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If you don't want the hassle of breeding and feeding for proper nutrition in does, get bottle fed whethers. They'll be cheaper to keep .
Ridgetop
Herd Master
Some good smaller breeders don't always have farm web sites. It depends if they know how to set them up and keep them current. LOL I have excellent sheep but don't know how to set up a website so just sell my lambs at the auction. Once we get to our larger premises in Texas, I will have to pay someone to set up a farm website. On the other hand, a lot of big breeders with websites are advertising their registered show animals or run registered cattle as well. Knowing the questions to ask sellers and breeders is more important than a farm website which may not be entirely truthful.
Don't discount some 4-H breeders who are very into the project. Many 4-H youth breeders have excellent bloodlines, blood test for diseases, do milk test for quantity and quality, keep good records, and follow good health practices.
Do as much reading as possible about the species you intend to keep before buying anything. Use books, articles, etc. from as many sources as you can. Knowing current farm practices is also helpful even though you only plan to have a couple animals. When planning to buy animals you want to know as much as you can about the species, breed, and science of keeping the animals healthy. Better to have that knowledge already when you start shopping. Knowledge will help you know that someone is not truthful when they tell you "We don't test because our animals don't have that problem". Or "You can make a lot of money selling offspring from this rare breed". What may be rare in one part of the country may be a dime a dozen in another. Don't be afraid not to buy from people. Reputable breeders will tell you to look around if you are not certain. Go to some livestock shows or Fairs to look at the animals and talk to the exhibitors. You will get introductions and referrals to good breeders there. However, you don't have to buy expensive registered animals. As long as you know what to ask about, you can get nice animals privately.
Ignore the articles and websites that talk about "being one with nature" or raising their animals organically or holistically. Those websites may be sweet, but have little usable material relating to realistic health, housing, medical care, and feeding of the animals. If you choose to raise your own animals holistically or organically, you can do so once you have them. There is not really any benefit to paying "organic" prices for an animal.
