Selling our goats :(

Sherrynboo · #1 05/21/06, 05:47 PM

We have found a buyer for two of our three does. We initially bought the three which was probably a bad idea. Two were twins and the third is a 1/2 sister, all about 12 weeks old at the time. The twins are so mean to Daisy and she is pregnant now so we decided to sell the twins. I know it is the best thing to do for all concerned but it still breaks my heart to see them go. I am really afraid they will kill the babies once they are here.

Sherry in GA

Dee · #2 05/21/06, 06:43 PM

Sherry, I hope you have twin doelings that you can keep

When I decided to sell some of my stock, I had to consider who would get along with whom. The best looking doe, who was kidding for the first time at 2 years old (I like to wait a year) was the most picked on by my husband's bottle baby (no way could I get rid of his bottle baby, did get her pregnant though) I watched to see who was the nicest to her and didn't let personal feelings get in the way. At first the buyer was upset because he thought he was getting younger stock but I assured him that she was only 4 and never had any trouble kidding in the past. She gave him triplets, two girls and a boy. The other had twin girls. He was thrilled. He wants more and I need to do some more cleaning because bottle baby had twin girls and hubby wants to keep them...sigh...

Sherrynboo · #3 05/21/06, 08:12 PM

Thanks Dee! I don't like "getting rid' of my animals. I usually plan to keep them for life when I get them. The original plan was to get one to breed so we chould have goat milk then we learned they needed company so we decided to get two. Then the girl I was getting them from asked me if we wanted another one and my husband said yes. The lady who is buying them wants them to clear brush so they should be happy doing that! I know Daisy will be lonely out there by herself until hers are born in July so I am thinking of putting one of the St. Bernard pups in with her for company unless she is mean to it. She can be quite fiesty at times!

Sherry in GA

**mygoat** · #4 05/21/06, 08:55 PM

Hmm, I don't think the others were being 'mean' to her, it was just the goat pecking order. Now every time you get new goats or new ones are born on the farm you will have this problem again. A mother goat will start to hate her last year kids when new ones are born, and you will have the same problem. Then when they kid the dominant baby will attack the lesser babies' kids. All does will attack other doe's kids to keep them away from thier milk supply and to better thier own or thier kid's places in the herd. It's natural. Twin doelings will do it. Just separate each doe from the herd as she kids for a while in sight of the other does, and they should be fine again after the kid is accepted back into the herd.