Bucks As Pets

midkiffsjoy · #1 03/07/08, 02:08 PM

I was checking out craigslist for a trailer and tposts (like I always do) and I saw a post for lamanchas. Lamanchas are pretty hard to come by around my part of Texas so I took a look. Bottle babies....make GREAT pets the ad says. I emailed and asked the regular questions. Registered? Doelings or Wethers? Tested for CAE, CL?

They are ALL males (she apparently doesnt know the term bucklings). Not registered. Not tested but the mom and DADS are all tested. Now what goat keeper do you know keeps ONE doe and MULTIPLE bucks, and has them tested? If they dont even know the terms doeling, buckling, wether, would I believe they know what to have them tested for? I emailed back and asked for her to PLEASE run them through the ring for cabrito or BAND THEM before selling them as pets to the unsuspecting public. She replied that they would be "fixed" before being sold. Should I believe that she even knows HOW that would be done on a goat?

I HATE this time of year when people hand over big money for mutt rabbits and that CUTE bottle baby that will likely get ABS (if it doesn't starve to death first) and become VERY dangerous. They aren't even disbudding them.

And they are asking more than they are worth. I know something is worth what someone is willing to pay for it, and theres a sucker born every min, but REALLY!!!

http://houston.craigslist.org/grd/598588615.html

Arent they BEAUTIFUL!!!??? Would YOU want to buy one of these for YOUR kid if you didnt know any better????

Feral Nature · #2 03/07/08, 02:32 PM

Thanks for posting on this subject joy. The little pet buckling will grow up to be more than the unsuspecting family can handle. He will stink, be rough and rowdy and turn the new owners off of goats completely. With horns, he may become aggressive and will possible get caught in a fence. He has nothing good waiting to happen. It is all very sad for little bucks made into pets and not wethered and disbudded at the farm of origin.

midkiffsjoy · #3 03/07/08, 02:39 PM

I posted a public warning about buying horned bottle bucklings and she keeps flagging me. I havent flagged her, but she deserves it.

I could sit here all day reposting, but darn I've got stuff to do and Evan wants the comp before leaving for the night shift.

ozark_jewels · #4 03/07/08, 02:44 PM

Those ads just set my teeth on edge

.......its even hard to understand what she is talking about!

midkiffsjoy · #5 03/07/08, 03:00 PM

I actually emailed her because I have Lamanchas and I was interested in the black and white one if it was a doeling. That price is about right for a unregistered bottle doeling. But theyre all bucks and she intends to sell them without disbudding them to pet homes. I can just see her selling them to suburbanites as a "designer pet" with no warnings what-so-ever.

I would have more faith in people but we recently rescued a bearded dragon off craigslist that was 2 yeas old and being kept in a 10 g aquarium (I cry every time I see them on craigslist now...most are in similar conditions). People will buy ANYTHING CUTE.

I'm finding a new home right NOW for a purebred registered french alpine with ABS. She's cracked dh's rib, butted heads with a horse, and knocked down dd (again, butting heads). I made SURE to warn the new owner who is willing to put up with it for the bloodlines, but to sell a horned bottle buckling as a pet with no warning seem dangerous to me. (I'd never HATED a goat till Dusty! I wonder how she'd have been without abs?)

RiverPines · #6 03/07/08, 03:36 PM

Its called buyer beware!!!

I am sorry but if your to stupid to do your homework, and your online looking at craigslist, which Google is your friend, then you deserve what you get!

Gees always do your homework before spending your money. Adults are responsible for their own decisions, uneducated decisions and well researched ones!

I personally wish the whole livestock as pets would just stop! Livestock are farm animals...not poodles!

If you want livestock for a pet and dont research what livestock is all about...to darn bad.

midkiffsjoy · #7 03/07/08, 03:39 PM

True.....but I'd still grab a kid who's about to walk into traffic because their parent isn't paying attention. And I'd call the police of the jerk telling them to do it.

I TOTALLY agree with the livestock as pets thing. Potbellies can take a toilet off the wall! Why would you keep it in a house???? But then even my dogs live outside......

ozark_jewels · #8 03/07/08, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RiverPines

Its called buyer beware!!!

I am sorry but if your to stupid to do your homework, and your online looking at craigslist, which Google is your friend, then you deserve what you get!

Gees always do your homework before spending your money. Adults are responsible for their own decisions, uneducated decisions and well researched ones!

I personally wish the whole livestock as pets would just stop! Livestock are farm animals...not poodles!

If you want livestock for a pet and dont research what livestock is all about...to darn bad.

I totally agree its buyer beware. But there is also seller responsabilty. And in these cases that is being completely ignored.
When livestock are viewed as pets, the livestock is what generally takes the hard knocks. And THAT is what burns me.

Cygnet · #9 03/07/08, 04:59 PM

When I'm speaking to non-livestock people, I tend to dumb my terminology down quite a bit and sometimes I forget to use the "right" terms when speaking to farm folk. Might be the seller wrote the ad with the pet market in mind.

And I would quite honestly rather one of my wethers go to a pet home, with a GOOD pet owner, than someone who wants livestock and treats them badly. I've seen some very bad situations with hobby farms. Emphasis on good pet owner.

-- Leva

DKWunlimited · #10 03/07/08, 05:04 PM

Well I know that I will ruffle a few feathers.. But I did buy my bottle baby bucklings as pets and that is what set my love of goats off and running.. my herd continues to grow and we had our first kidding this February.
My guys are grown now and still have horns but are the sweetest bucks you'd ever want to meet.. them come lay thier heads in my lap and wait to have thier ears scratched.
If they are treated like pets, sociallized like pets and cared for like pets.. they come out pretty awesome. Goats who have been treated like livestock don't get the same personality. I have a doe that came to me because she has a extra teet and the breeders/show didn't want that trait in thier herd.. a year and a half later and she still has personality problems, is skiddish around people and doesn't want to cuddle or have her ears scratched.

ajharris · #11 03/07/08, 05:04 PM

I have a question. What is ABS?

SILEIGH · #12 03/07/08, 05:31 PM

me too

thaiblue12 · #13 03/07/08, 05:38 PM

I agree with River Pines, except for the pet thing. I have wethers who are pets. They eat weeds and are friends to my girls. But other than that they are pets. I care for them and I shall never eat them.

If you do not do your research, ask the right questions and buy an animal on impulse you get what you deserve.

This lady said she was going to band them before they left her place, so why do you think she is selling them as buckling pets?
Some people like horns and some do not, it is their choice not anyone elses. I am still on the fence about them so I cannot/would not go around and get on people's case about whether they do or don't.

You can't know that it is she for a fact flagging you. You also do not know her, nor have spoken to her on the phone to be saying that she has no idea what she is doing. Maybe she is not computer savvy and comes across as being ignorant. I do not like to judge people that I have never spoken to or dealt with personally.

Ajharris- ABS: Anti-lock Braking System? lol

CountryHaven · #14 03/07/08, 05:54 PM

I think the ABS she was referring to is like on an adult male that works out--six pack--meaning be POWERFUL.

While I agree that buyers should be aware of what kind of an animal they are buying, but look at statistics, most have no idea no matter what type of animal we're talking about, and fewer still have real knowledge of goats. For some it may work out GREAT, but others who buy these adorable little 'stuffed animal' looking and feeling cuddly pets become horrified when it turns out to be a 200 pound powerhouse that isn't really suited to living in the family room and stinks to high heavens.

Oh, by the way, i have a little buckling that's for sale--oops, did I mention that in about 2 years he'll weigh in the area of 350 pounds, and have horns like a Texas longhorn? LOL no? Sorry about that.

I agree too to what the poster above said, in cases like those it's usually the ANIMAL that suffers in the times it doesn't work out.

thaiblue12 · #15 03/07/08, 06:11 PM

Oh I am sure animals suffer when bought for the wrong reason. Sort of like the feed stores having colored chicks around Easter time. Instead of people showing "smarts" and not buying them, they do and put them in their kids Easter baskets. Brilliant until it grows and is not so cuddly anymore.
They really should do their research and stop the impulsive buying. But some will never have willpower or show good judgement.

midkiffsjoy · #16 03/07/08, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajharris

I have a question. What is ABS?

ABS is short for aberrant Behavior Syndrome. Do a google or check out the march/april 2008 issue of Hobby Farms for their article on bottle babies. It's an extremely dangerous behavior problem that is caused by bottle babies being raised separated from other livestock of it's species.

I have PERSONALLY had my foot broken by a "bottle buckling" who was raised away from other goats and never had a chance to imprint on goats, while saving my 3 y/o child (who he was attacking). I have spoken to other goat breeders who have had very similar problems with bottle bucklings raised alone in the house away from other goats. Imprinting on humans and becoming dangerous when they hit puberty. Sure....I've had pet wethers too, but they didnt imprint on humans because they were raised until weaning with other goats. I DID email back and forth with her and she PROBABLY learned the term "banding" from ME, when I emailed her BEGGING her to "band" them before selling them to the unsuspecting public. SHE used the term "fixed" nor did she know the terms buckling, or doeling. Would YOU buy a heifer from someone who called it "a baby girl cow"???? Would you ASSUME they have a clue as to what they're doing???

You're right, I dont know for SURE that SHE'S the one flagging me......but I know that my post was 6 posts after hers and I posted that bottle bucklings make dangerous pets (when raised alone) and that if you want to buy livestock AS a pet, that if you pay more than $10.00 for a mutt rabbit or $50.00 for a unregistered (and therefore mutt) bottle wether that you're getting gouged. So ....no, it might not be HER......but since I basically posted that she's gouging people and being an irresponsible breeder endangering the public.....hummmmm....I'm willing to bet it is. I dont see someone who doesn't have a vested interest in lying to the public for an inflated selling price coming along and flagging a post that exposes a dangerous situation. And I do not see some who DOES, being honest to you on the phone as to whether or not she's flagging my post.

As a mom, I'm really worried about the children who are going to be the ones that get attacked FIRST when they run out to play with their buddy. They could very easily get more than hurt when knocked down by a buck that'll challenge little boys, and try to mount little girls (smell is a POWERFUL thing!). There willl be 6 months or so when the goat is stuck in a dog run (what's the most common size walmart sells??? 8' X 8' or 6' X 6'??) until one of dad's friends tells him about an auction barn or a bar-b-q. Maybe he'll get fed everyday. Maybe not. I doubt few on this board have a problem with goats as meat, but I also think most want the animal treat humanely up to that point. I also think most people here would have a problem with an animal breeder/seller intentionally selling an animal as a pet, to children, that will be dangerous for that child. And no.....if a breeder hasn't taken the time to learn basic terminology, they haven't taken the time to learn anything else either. That includes feeding, minerals, AND how to band. If she were selling them to OTHER goat people as livestock, THAT would be one thing......but she's not. She's selling them as pets to people who don't know any better.

CountryHaven · #17 03/07/08, 06:55 PM

lol sorry about the misconception on the ABS thing, actually it made as much sense (and was kind of funny) the other way, but I'll have to go check out that article.

ajharris · #18 03/07/08, 07:08 PM

Thank you for clarifying what ABS stood for. CountryHaven, I agree that it made sense the other way also!

midkiffsjoy · #19 03/07/08, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CountryHaven

lol sorry about the misconception on the ABS thing, actually it made as much sense (and was kind of funny) the other way, but I'll have to go check out that article.

Giggle....Nod. I'm buying a buck named Dazzel. Can't you imagine a big strapping buck....named Dazzel. giggle.

Oh they are BEAUTIFUL bucklings!!! And I'm crossing my fingers that they go to goat people, not suburbanites wanting a designer pet. She's asking too much for what she's got, but we know that, not the people she's targeting. She doesnt have a picture of the mom's udder though. I can only imagine her feeding/worming schedule, but the one, at least, would add NICE pattern to an unregistered herd. As long as it spends time around other goats (and doesnt imprint on humans) or the person buying it has a set up to accommodate the dominating and somewhat dangerous buck. They can be kept and used....but in winter when those old healed broken bones start aching.....you have to ask if adding spots to your herd was REALLY worth it.

DixyDoodle · #20 03/08/08, 05:21 AM

Quote:

My guys are grown now and still have horns but are the sweetest bucks you'd ever want to meet.. them come lay thier heads in my lap and wait to have thier ears scratched.

My bucks are sweet-natured, too, but who wants a buck snuggling up to them? Unless they want to smell like buck pee all day. Ew.