What would you pay for this doe?

[GoddessKristie]

We were offered a doe in milk, but I'm uncertain about price. I usually hear that $200 and up is the normal price for a registered, show quality doe. This doe is 5 years old. She had a shoddy polling job done and has two awful looking 1/2 horns, she milks fairly easily and has pretty good sized orifices. Her teats point foreward and her hooves are badly in need of a trimming. While I was milking her she was a little impatient and kicked and put her feet in the milk a little. She also inched her rear away from me making me have to reach for her. Other than this she appears to be a good doe. She is persistant and lively, quiet, her body looks good and her eyes are bright and expressive.
I'm just wondering if $200 is a fair price for her.

[pookshollow]

$200 is very reasonable for a registered doe in milk. I paid $350 for my Saanen, and I'm told she was cheap at the price!

The kicking and naughtiness on the milkstand might just be because you're strange to her. Hooves can be trimmed, and if the horn scurs really bother you, you can band them and they'll come off - don't do it until the cool weather is here and the flies are gone, though.

What breed is she?

[GoddessKristie]

She's a Nigerian Dwarf.

[happygoatfarms]

Though my many years of goating do not make me an expert, I would pass on this one. You can probably do better for that money in your area. In other parts of the country, this may be a good deal, but there is much available in the midwest in the way of goats.

It will be worth it to keep watching for the right one. Good luck - and keep us posted.

[Goatguy]

I would definitely look elsewere, I dont' know about your area, but in mine $200 could buy me 5 or 6 good quality does. ALthough thats not registered, never really got into that much myself. Maybe $200 would be a good price if her kids came with her... but other than that I would say no

[mygoat]

Scurs can be removed with a bander, hooves can be trimmed... for an otherwise show quality doe in milk with decent production, 200.00 is excellent. Did the seller tell you she was show quality, or did you examine her and conclude she is show quality?

I would personally factor in pedigree, production, progeny, past show history... as for kicking in the stand i wouldn't worry... she's not used to you, your milking, your smell. That is, if you watched the other owner milk and she did fine...

And finally, at 200.00 I would request proof of disease testing.

[Sasha]

I've been doing some goat-buying in your general area and I would pass, honestly. Nigerian Dwarfs, from what I've read, don't give as much milk as a full-sized goat (someone please correct me if I'm wrong, I don't have a lot of experience with NDs).

I recently bought two registered milkers, a 50% Togg and a full Ober, for quite a bit less than that. The Togg was in Cambridge City. Both are dreams to milk--we don't even tie them.

I think that, for that price, the goat should come to you with papers, neatly trimmed hooves, and proof of recent vaccination (if you vaccinate), worming, etc.

I know you really need the milk and, if you're like me when I first got goats, you were so excited that it was nearly impossible to pass up a goat. My excitement landed me, the first go-round, with an unruly herd that really almost turned me off of goats.

[Naturaldane]

I bought my Nubian Lamancha cross for $60 and for the most part shes a pretty good milker, she gives us almost a gallon a day, however I got what I paid for, her hooves are in bad shape and we are working on trimming them up and she was loaded with lice. My little goat of the same cross was $20 and she was perfectly healthy and I bought her when she was 4 months old. I put an add in the Market bulletin for my are and for the most part, people where offering me goats for the $150 range that where registered.

[Mrs. Jo]

Go back and ask if she has been blood tested for any of these: CAE, CL, Johnes or TB. If she is tested negative, than 200$ is cheap. If she is untested, than you may want to skip her or get those tests yourself.

Hooves don't matter much for a milk doe. You can get them back in shape yourself.
You do want to make sure she is wormed regularly, and given appropriate minerals and feed.
How are teats and udder? How much milk is she giving? Why is the owner selling her?

Has she ever had mastitis before? Ever had an abcess?

My animals (reg. ND's) are sold for 250-300$ And with that the buyer gets a animal from tested negative parents, raised on CAE prevention, bottle fed and friendly, and has mothers and grandmothers to look at and milk if they want to.
I think if the doe is healthy she's a steal.

[Alice In TX/MO]

For a Nigerian Dwarf, no, I wouldn't pay that.

[amyquilt]

Originally Posted by Jo@ LaudoDeumFa

Go back and ask if she has been blood tested for any of these: CAE, CL, Johnes or TB. If she is tested negative, than 200$ is cheap. If she is untested, than you may want to skip her or get those tests yourself.

Hooves don't matter much for a milk doe. You can get them back in shape yourself.
You do want to make sure she is wormed regularly, and given appropriate minerals and feed.
How are teats and udder? How much milk is she giving? Why is the owner selling her?

Has she ever had mastitis before? Ever had an abcess?

My animals (reg. ND's) are sold for 250-300$ And with that the buyer gets a animal from tested negative parents, raised on CAE prevention, bottle fed and friendly, and has mothers and grandmothers to look at and milk if they want to.
I think if the doe is healthy she's a steal.

Jo~
I just read your blog entry on your recent deliveries! Oh how neat! I can't wait until we have our farm and our goat heard! I just love reading about everyones "adventures"!

[RiverPines]

A ND thats 5 yrs old and sounds like she hasnt had the best care...$0.

[Gailann Schrader]

I agree. For a full-sized doe as a gallon milker or so? Maybe yes.

for a scruffy, slightly flighty, overgrown-hoofed ND that's not such a good price.

I see ND's and ND types through the sale barn regularly. And just as milk-able. I think you'd do better with something else. $75-$100 maybe if you HAVE to have her or she's a phenomenal mom or very well made...

[Backfourty,MI.]

Originally Posted by Goatguy

I would definitely look elsewere, I dont' know about your area, but in mine $200 could buy me 5 or 6 good quality does. ALthough thats not registered, never really got into that much myself. Maybe $200 would be a good price if her kids came with her... but other than that I would say no

Goatguy, I don't know where you live in Michigan but 200.00 won't buy registered anything & definately not 5 or 6 doe's of any kind where I live & I'm in a poor side of the state.

I'm not saying to buy her because I can not see her, but if you feel she has alot of problems already that YOU don't like, registered or not you are the one that's taking her home, I'd go with my gut on this one. But a couple above are right, scurs can be trimmed & so can hooves. I have Nigerian Dwarf goats and love mine but I also don't milk them.

[hornless]

For a reg. Nigerian (who tested neg.) that's a very good price. For an unreg? No. The good quality NDs can easily cost $800 and up..I milk and show and have never paid less than $400 for any of them...so if the doe is quality, it is a good price.

[Dreaming2Loudly]

Originally Posted by Sasha

Nigerian Dwarfs, from what I've read, don't give as much milk as a full-sized goat (someone please correct me if I'm wrong, I don't have a lot of experience with NDs).

You are right (generally 1 qt plus per day) BUT they weight less which means less meds, vitamins, minerals, feed and hay are consumed/needed. They need less space per goat and my kids can easily handle them for 4H projects.

From Storey's Guide to Raising Dairy Goats:

The Nigerian Dwarf is of particular interest to backyarders. Introduced in the early 1980s when they were seen mostly in zoos, some of these little imports are excellent milkers for their size. As more serious breeders continue to develop them, their milk production is constantly increasing. What's more, they are considered dual-purpose animals, providing both milk and meat. The Nigerian Dwarf was the breed chosen for the Biosphere 2 experiment, in which eight people spent two years along with 3,500 plant and animal species and no outside supplies or support except electricity. Biosphere 2 was designed as a space-colony model, though ecological research became the primary, scientific goal. At any rate, future space travelers might be milking Nigerian Dwarfs!
One Nigerian Dwarf doe gave a whopping 6.3 pounds of milk on test day, and another had 11.3 percent butterfat. (2006 Update: the new one-day high is 6.8 pounds of milk!) A well-bred and well-managed Dwarf can be expected to produce an average of a quart a day over a 305-day lactation. Many of these good producers have teats as large as those of the full-sized breeds and are milked just as easily.

[cjb]

Can you post a pic? That would help folks to better evaluate her worth.

My gut feel is that its too much money. I paid $250 for a show quality, register doeling with great milk lines.

[MisFitFarm]

I have a friend who raises registered Nigerians here in Kentucky, she sells the for $200 to $300 each. They are healthy, happy and correct in everyway. If you need a reputable breeder, PM me and I will give you her information.

[waygr00vy]

I have paid more and driven through several states for a nice registered nigerian dwarf! (of course some think i am a little crazy ) My better milkers give me 2 quarts a day give or take a little. They are way easier keepers than my nubian does. It depends on what your priorities are, how much milk you need, etc. Nigerians in this area are much easier to sell than nubians and are worth more here....And yes, bad overgrown feet and scurs can be taken care of. I also know of a good breeder in KY, maybe the same one???

[GoddessKristie]

Unfortunatly I don't have a picture of the doe. I meant to take a camera and take some, but I left it behind.
I'm really glad I asked you guys because I was just feeling very uneasy about this doe. She was also kicking and moving away while the seller was milking her. She said "she's not used to being hand milked." I feel like I just need a nice doe that will be patient with me and let me learn. I have milked cows and I have cared for goats, but I've never milked and cared for goats before. I milked this doe for probably 5 minutes, sat and petted her for about 5 and milked again for a few more minutes and even by the end she was still moving her rear away from me.
This doe also came from another breeder, one in TX who was getting out of goats. I don't know of that indicates anything or not.
I can't honestly say that she is or isn't a show quality doe. Having never participated in a show I am just unsure. However, the sellers participate in shows and had several does clipped for show when we were there. She was not one of them, obviously. So, if she is show quality she's certainly not a winner. If she were they'd be showing her or her yearlings, none of which were clipped for show.

We are only interested in a ND or mini mancha, I know they don't give as much milk, but that's actually a positive for us. We're a small family and milking two does will keep us in milk year round without any waste.

I've been calling around a lot to try and find a good doe in IN, but I'm not having much luck. I have one other doe to look at and that's it. DS is not too keen on traveling far for them, and I can't buy one sight unseen.
HOWEVER, we are vacationing in Panama City Beach in May. If anyone has one for sale near there I may be able to convince him to go look at it with me. We'll also be taking I-65 straight south through AL (to Evergreen?). He might be willing to make a detour if it were a good prospect.

Thanks so much everyone, for your help and advice. I feel a little out of my element here as I've never owned goats of my own. I really appreciate every one of you!