Don't Get Mad

I'm sure the knife would be a good method for kids. I always use a bullet to the correct point in the back of the head, angled toward the front of the lower jaw. One bullet, they go right down, dead. 15-20 every year, most of those 3-6 month old butcher kids. Only a few newborns over the years.

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Emily Dixon
Ozark Jewels
Nubians & Lamanchas
www.ozarkjewels.net

"Remember, no man is a failure, who has friends" -Clarence

I agree with Emily about the drowning. I see that mentioned in a lot of these forums as a "humane" way to dispose of unwanted animals and, personally, I see nothing "humane" about it.

A bullet to the brain would certainly have to be a better choice.

I have a friend who has raised goats for many, many years and I remember being horrified when she told me she disposed of unwanted bucklings at birth with a 22-pistol. Later, when I became more "grown up" about things, although I preferred to sell my extra bottle bucklings/wethers to approved homes as pets, I certainly understood the necessity to find a (humane) way to solve the problem of too many boys.

That same friend, in more recent years, has developed a fairly profitable meat business and now, instead of disposing of the babies at birth, raises them up for meat. She even insists the butchering be done on her own place so she can make sure it's done as humanely as possible.

Janis

The drowning is very, very fast if you do it right at birth. I don't know that it's particularly inhumane. Certainly it's less traumatic than castrating bucks or dehorning, later on when their nervous system is more developed. So there's a bit of hypocrisy going on there if someone is willing to do those things but not willing to drown the infant they don't have the ability to take care of.

I don't like the knife as I find the drowning to be equally as quick and more humane. No blood scent to upset the other animals, beyond what they may already be smelling from the birth. Never a bullet. That's just too loud, noisy, and traumatic.

My personal preference is to leave unwanted babies on for a week or two to put on some weight, then eat them. Out of a 2 week old kid you'll get about 2-3 meals and the meat is very high quality. The only time I've ever had to resort to drowning was with deformed lambs.

It can take WEEKS to sell a bottle baby. I hate wasting the animal, but whatever decision you make is your own decision. Often times this goat forum becomes the pet goat forum and those who raise pet goats overwhelm those of us who make a business out of it. They forget that they also rely on our advice when their pet goats get sick or they have a problem.

Blood smell does not upset the animals. Thats a misconception.
Its the smell of fear that upsets animals. A bullet or knife is instant death. Instant death=No Fear. No smell to upset the animals. I butcher right in the pasture with all the goats hanging around chewing their cud. Lots of blood, never had a single animal spooked by it.
We drop and gut the cows in the pasture with their herd. One bullet, instant death. No one spooked.
I feed my LGDs raw bloody meat(sometimes still warm), it does not spook the goats.
Blood doesn't spook, fear does.
Do whatever you can live with. I cannot live with drowning anything.

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Emily Dixon
Ozark Jewels
Nubians & Lamanchas
www.ozarkjewels.net

"Remember, no man is a failure, who has friends" -Clarence

This is why I stress to advertise *before* kids are born. Having a waiting list is a very good thing. Get that kid its first colostrum feedings, make a call, and its gone.
Of course having dairy goats, selling bottle babies is routine. I sell all my extra doelings and a few good bucklings every year. This is bread and butter sellings, not a few bucks per kid.
The few cheapy extra wethers that I sell for $15-$20 at a day or two old every year......they all go to homes where they eventually get eaten. I have knowingly sold *two* "pet" wethers in the past 8 years. I'd much rather see them get eaten, than see them neglected or starved which sadly is common for goat kids bought to be "pets".
So do not automatically equate "bottle baby" with "pet".

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Emily Dixon
Ozark Jewels
Nubians & Lamanchas
www.ozarkjewels.net

"Remember, no man is a failure, who has friends" -Clarence

There is a huge difference in suffocating and pain in one area of the body like banding.

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The 7th Day is still God's Sabbath
ICOG7.ORG
Layton Hollow ADGA Nubians
Taking Reservation for 2015!

I'm sure impressed with everyone's civility in this thread. That has not always been the case.

I am not a good farmer because I have not gotten to the point I can put economic reality before my own squeemishness. I hope to be able to if the time comes. All you who are good farmers, consider yourselves applauded.

Ozark - I agree with you 100%

I always start my bottle babies off before I send them to a new home. I also give strict guidelines and my Phone #. I have never had any issues with it. ( i just started with my own but have helped a friend with bottle babies for years)