Your first goat(s)

I found my first goat, Daisy, through an ad in the paper. I was 11 or 12 years old myself at the time, and all I knew is that one of my friends had some fainting goats and I wanted a goat!

Knowing what I know now, It is unlikely I'd ever find disease tested, quality goats through an ad in our local paper. I didn't know anything about CL/CAE/Johnes, so it's pure luck that she was negative.

I don't think one source is particularly better than others - people list quality, disease tested goats on CL all the time.

I still have Daisy. She'll be here till she kicks the bucket. I'm now 23, and she's nearly 11 years old. She survived all my learning curves and is still a tiny little spitfire, despite loosing most of one horn last year.

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Dona Barski

"Breed the best, eat the rest"

Caprice Acres

French and American Alpines. CAE, Johnes neg herd. Abscess free. LA, DHIR.

Contacted ADGA and got a list of members/breeders within 100 miles of me. Started contacting them, visited their farms, and talked to them about what they do with their animals. Do they show, milk, raise for meat, the care of, disease prevention program, etc. I looked at their animals, which narrowed my search greatly. A healthy vigorous animal is easy to spot. And probably the 2nd priority on the list, after the overall health & quality of the animals, is to buy from someone with the heart of a teacher. The person we bought our first goats from taught us willingly, how to best care for our goats. At the first kidding, she was on the phone on "stand-by" in case we needed her. She also became a good friend. Luckily, she lived close by, and we helped each other find good deals on hay, and took care of each other's animals in a pinch, which is a real valuable thing, as we never know when "life" is going to knock us for a loop. Would I do it again that way? Absolutely! Having someone willingly share their knowledge is invaluable.

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Pro Libertate!

I was 17, my mom decided we were going to get dairy goats. Since she is a veterinarian, she knew what diseases to avoid and started checking the Georgia Farmers and Consumers Market Bulletin for clean, registered dairy goats. We looked at several different herds, met ADGA breeders, were introduced to the Georgia Dairy Goat Breeders Association, and ended up purchasing a Saanen doe and her doe kid. Prior to the purchase, I applied for the Kudzu Kids for Kids program and received a Nubian doeling. I was required to attend a couple of meetings of the GDGBA and to show the doeling at least once. This turned into us being very active members and showing our Saanens. A couple of months after we purchased the initial Saanen and doeling, the breeder called us and offered us a deal on a yearling milker that she needed to sell fast. We bought her, and since we now had 3 does, bought a buckling out of a yearling milker who grew up to be one of the breeder's best does. These 3 does and the buck turned out to be the foundation of our herd, and every Saanen I have is descended from them. The Nubians lasted a few years and were then sold because I preferred working with the Saanens. I talked my parents into participating in DHI testing and Linear Appraisal, and the rest is history.

We did everything ALL WRONG : ) And of course had great beginners luck!
Here's a pic of my first goat...pic taken about 1983 I think.

We wanted a goat to keep our race horses company and as a pet. So off we went to the livestock auction, DH picked out this doe. And we called her "Mama." She lived well into her teens and was a wonderful pet. She only had horses for friends but seemed quite happy. I hate to say she never had any vaccines and only an occaisional worming. She was bred once and produced quads exactly 5 months later. Three girls and one boy, and she raised three of them. I bottle fed one little girl who gave me not an ounce of trouble. But like I said, we did everything wrong.

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I got my first goat from the Humane Society. DH worked there on the weekend and they had found a pygmy goat running loose, couldn't find who she belonged to so he brought her home, Nana.
Cant have one goat, so we got Bananas.
Then got others from ads in paper. Not the best way, but like someone said beginners luck and everyone was healthy and fun.
Would I do it that way again?? No I am smarter now!! LOL
Alice in Virginia

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There is nothing any worse than an angry little old lady, they've had a lifetime to learn all the dirty tricks and people get upset if you hit them!

This time around (had a few Nubians when children were little) found someone clear across state for Boers.
She had more questions for me than I her. She graciously accepted being my mentor.
We got our foundation does and a Nubian from her as well as some breeding by her bucks over a few years. It got to a point where she offered to lease me one & I was so honored!
By then I had gotten around enough to know who's who around here. A couple years of "Hey can we stash our buck? All you have to do is feed him."
We bought one of those. When he died last July I got on the phone with that breeder & bought our current buck.

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Bob and Nancy Dickey
Laughing Stock Boer Goats
"Seriously Great Bloodlines"
and the meat goes on....
Near Seattle