Your herd numbers

KimM · #21 07/24/11, 10:55 PM

1. What breed(s) do you have? Nigerian Dwarf
2. How many? Does? 14 (2 are leaving soon) Bucks? 2 Wethers? 2
3. How many do you breed a year? Last year 8 were bred to kid this year. This year I'm planning to breed 7.
4. How many do you sell vs retain? This year I've retained 3 doelings and sold 24 kids and 7 adults (well one adult was placed for free). I also bought one doeling.
5. Where do most of your buyers come from? Within 2-3 hour's drive.
6. Where are you located? SE Ohio
7. Have you seen recent changes in your market? Not really. I usually have more people wanting wethers for pets than anything.
8. Do you show or LA? I show a little but I want to start doing LA as well as milk test.
9. How long have you been held captive by goats? 6 years
10. Why do you allow them to keep you captive? To know a goat, is to love a goat!

goto10 · #22 07/25/11, 09:28 AM

1. What breed(s) do you have? Nigerian Dwarf. I may end up getting a Saanen or Lamancha doe for more milk.
2. How many? Does (4) Bucks (2)
3. How many do you breed a year? I generally breed all the does that are a good age/weight/size to breed. Last year it was 1, this year it was 3, next year it will be 2 to 4.
4. How many do you sell vs retain? My mindset is to sell all and keep the best doeling out of the best dam. I'm trying to keep a closed herd eventually I may be doing some 'conservation breeding' and keeping a buck.
5. Where do most of your buyers come from? Craigslist and from my own county
6. Where are you located? Southeastern PA
7. Have you seen recent changes in your market? I'm always worried about selling all of them since I am mostly selling for pets. I've only been selling for 2 years and have sold out each year.
8. Do you show or LA? I initially intended to show but I don't have the time. I could do LA I suppose but set-up for that also takes more time than I have.
9. How long have you been held captive by goats? 2 years
10. Why do you allow them to keep you captive? I love their milk, they have nice personalities(well most of them) and they are also eye candy for me.

saanengirl · #23 07/25/11, 12:12 PM

1. What breed(s) do you have? ADGA registered American Saanen and BGS registered Guernsey dairy goats

2. How many? Does? Bucks? Wethers? 5 Saanen does, 2 Guernsey does, 2 Saanen bucks, 1 Guernsey buck, 3 crossbred buck kids headed for the freezer...

3. How many do you breed a year? The past few years I have been breeding 3-4 does per year. I have decided to expand my herd since I plan to go commercial in a few years, so will be breeding all the does.

4. How many do you sell vs retain? I try to keep all doe kids until they have freshened at least once so I can evaluate them more thoroughly. I am also trying to expand the herd, so will be keeping all doe kids for that purpose. Most buck kids are sold either as breeding stock or for meat. I will retain the occasional buck kid for use in the herd, but often will sell him after he has been used.

5. Where do most of your buyers come from? I have sold breeding stock to people throughout the Southeast. I have also exported bucks to the Dominican Republic and Mexico. My meat buyers are local.

6. Where are you located? Middle Georgia

7. Have you seen recent changes in your market?The market for commercial goats for meat production has gone through the roof. Sale barn prices in my state have increased dramatically. There has been a strong market for Saanens in Georgia as well, but this is not new. There is high demand from daries for Saanen does. I also export Saanen bucks for breeding purposes.

8. Do you show or LA? I used to show extensively, but cut back to 2-3 shows per year the past couple of years. I hope to show more extensively in the future. I have participated in LA in the past, and plan to participate again next year. My goats are on DHI test.

9. How long have you been held captive by goats? I have always loved goats, but first got involved with registered goats in 1999.

10. Why do you allow them to keep you captive? I love working with the goats and seeing improvements in my breeding program from one year to the next. I love the challenge of breeding better and better goats.

T.Miller · #24 07/25/11, 12:18 PM

1. What breed(s) do you have?
Purebred LaManchas
2. How many? Does? Bucks? Wethers?
4 Does in milk, 1 Dry doe, 4 Doelings, 1 Buck,
3 Bucklings (2 of these are for sale)
3. How many do you breed a year?
This year I will be breeding 8
4. How many do you sell vs retain?
I usually try to keep one doeling from each breeding. I've only ever kept 1 buckling.
5. Where do most of your buyers come from?
Local
6. Where are you located?
Georgia
7. Have you seen recent changes in your market?
No
8. Do you show or LA?
Both
9. How long have you been held captive by goats?
6 years
10. Why do you allow them to keep you captive?
They keep me sane

coso · #25 07/25/11, 12:41 PM

1. What breed(s) do you have? LaManchas and Saanen
2. How many? Does? Bucks? Wethers? 6 Sr. Does 6 doelings, 1 sr buck, 3 bucklings
3. How many do you breed a year? I will breed 11 this year.
4. How many do you sell vs retain? I will probably sell down to 8 milkers.
5. Where do most of your buyers come from? local, mostly 1-6 hours away
6. Where are you located? South Central Missouri
7. Have you seen recent changes in your market? No
8. Do you show or LA? Three or four shows a year, have LA'd twice
9. How long have you been held captive by goats? Eight years, but we had them when I was at home as a kid forever seemed like.
10. Why do you allow them to keep you captive? I don't know !!! I have tried to get out twice in the last eight years, but have missed them so bad, couldn't stay that way ! Just don't keep too many and overload !!!

Hollowdweller · #26 07/25/11, 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jagerland Ranch

I'm researching starting our herd and brainstorming a business plan, I would love to hear what kind of numbers you guys have.

1. What breed(s) do you have? SAANENS
2. How many? Does? Bucks? Wethers? 3 bucks 7 does
3. How many do you breed a year? 4 to 6
4. How many do you sell vs retain? Kids? Usually keep 1 kid a year and sell any milkers to offset
5. Where do most of your buyers come from? USA
6. Where are you located? Appalachia
7. Have you seen recent changes in your market? Yes, more local
8. Do you show or LA? Yes LA, show not for a long time
9 . How long have you been held captive by goats? 23 "year"
10. Why do you allow them to keep you captive? Nuts

I hope this is not too personal, but inquiring minds what to know.

Please & Thank You

There you go

bwanaswan · #27 07/25/11, 07:07 PM

1. What breed(s) do you have? Boer, Alpine, Toggenburg, Saanen, Nigerian/Pigmy
2. How many? Does? Bucks? Wethers?(15 does mostly boers)(4 intact males already spoken for this fall) (1 stinkin billy that my wife won't let me get rid of)(No wethers at this time)
3. How many do you breed a year?( will try to breed about 12 boer nannies)
4. How many do you sell vs retain? (will retain about 15 this winter)
5. Where do most of your buyers come from? (word of mouth)
6. Where are you located?(Eastern Iowa)
7. Have you seen recent changes in your market?(No)
8. Do you show or LA? (Nope)
9. How long have you been held captive by goats?( about 6 years)
10. Why do you allow them to keep you captive? ( They are amusing, loving, frustrating, crazy, smart. They have made me cry, they have caused me to use swear

words that would make a sailor blush, they keep me learning and growing and questioning my sanity. Some days I wonder how I lived without them and other days I want to load them all in the truck and take them to freezer camp. Most days are good. I hope they find most days with me good.
We have sheep also. Sheep will not help you prepare yourself for goats except that they are nothing like goats and are boring. They are too well mannered and act like they would like to set for tea and say nice things about you.
Goats don't play that game. Goats are honest. You could have a beer with a goat.

-Chris