Good breeders selling on Craigslist?

[Straw Hat Kikos]

I look at CL for several types of things, including critters. One of my "red flags" is a poorly written ad. If they cannot properly spell the breed of animal they are selling, they dont know enough about their own critters to sell to me. I've seen ad's for "bore" goats, "Dovermans", "Rockwellers" and one of my favorites was a "bore wethered buckling" when the picture CLEARLY showed a nubian(ish) doe in milk. Poor grammar is also a major turnoff for me..........I expect a well written ad, and an adequate picture or I just keep right on scrolling.

Exactly. If they ramble on, can't spell, don't have any idea what they are talking about, say things like "weathered" goat, "wether buck" etc. then I want nothing to do with them.

 

[jodief100]

I sell on Craigslist and we have some very nice stock. It is free and a good way to reach people locally. It can be difficult because you get buyers who don't know anything about the animals, just looking for a "goat" or "chicken" or "turkey". We have sold some nice animals to very knowledgeable people and have sold some nice animals to people who have no idea what they got.

I never sell culls anywhere but at a slaughter auction but not everyone is like me so be careful.

 

[RemudaOne]

I sell on Craigslist and we have some very nice stock. It is free and a good way to reach people locally. It can be difficult because you get buyers who don't know anything about the animals, just looking for a "goat" or "chicken" or "turkey". We have sold some nice animals to very knowledgeable people and have sold some nice animals to people who have no idea what they got.

I never sell culls anywhere but at a slaughter auction but not everyone is like me so be careful.

X2.

I've sold on CraigsList and made some lasting friendships in doing so. In my opinion, you will reach more people , IN and OUT of your area, in less time on Craigslist than any other method of advertising (paid or unpaid). Common sense is a must any time you deal with folks you don't know, whether those contacts come from newspaper ads, flyers, or whatever method of advertising you choose.

Although I've made some casual friendships through my egg sales (via CraigsList), none of my egg customers have ever been to my farm. I meet them in town.

As far as sheep, if I wouldn't be happy to have them in my own flock, they go to the sale. If I think they have quality, I will advertise on CL.

I've also bought quite a lot of equipment off of CL and was very pleased with the prices I paid on everything and with the quality of the item when I picked it up. I think it's a pretty valuable resource whether you're buying or selling.

 

[michickenwrangler]

I prefer www.bestfarmbuys.com More reputable breeders on there. Nevertheless, my purebred Saanen does I got as a package deal with their kids for an excellent price, I found on CL. They were owned by a dairy farmer whose college-age daughter wanted to get into the goat milk end of things but got bored with the goats. They were actually on there for a few weeks before I called on them and then got them. They turned out to be really nice goats and their half-Boer kids had Saanen height with Boer muscling and took "A" ribbons at the fair and the people that bought them for meat LOVED the taste of them.

Again, look at things with a grain of salt and look at what people tell you and figure out what they're NOT telling you.

 

[DonnaBelle]

Let me tell you guys a story about my Lenora. She was the 3rd goat I bought from a breeder. I had bought the first two as 5 month olds. I wanted experience about birthing a baby goat so I bought Lenora. she was 3 years old and bred and had kidded twice. I got her from a "reputable" dealer just outside of Tulsa. I paid $300.00 for her.

I posted photos of her on this website, and was it was immediately pointed out to me that she had large knees. Oh, and what did that mean? It meant she had CAE.

By then, I had become attached to her and didn't want to get rid of her. So I have kept her and not sold any of her doelings and have wethered and butchered her bucklings.

I have only gotten rid of her offspring to people who wanted butcher goats. She's been bred twice since, and is not going to be bred anymore. She has a hard time walking and I know her knees hurt her.

I called the breeder and asked him if he knew she had CAE and he wouldn't admit to anything. He asked me if I was going to bad mouth him to the other people in the NE Oklahoma goat club and I told him I wouldn't lie if someone asked me about him.

No one has asked me,but I see he still advertises in Oklahoma Living and Oklahoma Today magazines.

DonnaBelle

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

I know of several really nice goat breeders that use CL. I think you have to know what you are looking for and know what to ask. You can tell most of the time just by reading the ad what kind of people they are. So I don't think it's a waste of time but you have to be careful and know what to ask.

X2 here.

 

[Back to Nature]

So it seems we all agree that good animals can be found on CL, but you need to be careful. I'll make sure to learn about a breed from a breeder I know is reputable before I look at Craigslist. And I'll probably get the first couple animals of any breed from a known breeder so I can get the "feel" of them.

 

[Mamaboid]

We found our Eli and Elsie on CL. They are FB Fainters and we got a really good deal on them. The people that had them had to get rid of them in a hurry because of a conflict with the township laws. There are lots of reasons people use CL, and as long as you are careful and do your due diligence, you can get really lucky.

 

[SkyWarrior]

Most of my goats I found on Craigslist--BUT I knew the breeder beforehand! After I answered her ad (without knowing beforehand), she asked me if we were the only two people on CL!

That being said, in Montana you're probably going to find livestock on CL or at auction. The distances are so large that unless you travel to the shows, etc., that's where you'll find nice grade animals.

 

[that's*satyrical]

I found my Coco on craigslist and I love that goat. She's an awesome milker too, and what a deal I got But yeah, I agree, you have to be careful and ask questions.