Found a milking goat! should I get her?

[Tsadiyq]

Hello all fellow homesteaders!

I found a milking goat that gives about 2 litres a day with her two kids still nursing. Without nursing, the owner says should be about 3 litre. I know this is not the greatest....but she is asking $140 for her.

Is this reasonable? $140 for a goat producing 2-3litre/day? Also the two kids she produced was her first time and she is four years old - I hear that it is better to have a milking goat kid sooner that that to help ensure a good milk supply....

the kids she produced were big and healthy so that is a plus...

Her reason for selling? She has too many milking goats and this goat picks on their older goat. However - she says the goat is gentle and healthy. Just needs her hoof trimmed prior to being picked up.

Oh = this goat is a Saanen/Nubian cross.

I know one other farmer - she has purebred Saanen and she wants $300 for doelings! So this goat cross already in milk at $140 - is this a good deal?

looking forward to hearing from you all!

[Alice In TX/MO]

Ask if she has been tested for CAE. Check her for lumps and abscesses.

[Tsadiyq]

Okay, if she does, no go but if she does not have CAE and no lumps, then what?

Is she a good deal or?

I want to be armed with information as it is over an hour drive each way and I would need to make a desicion on the spot, once finding out there she does not have CAE or lumps.

[Alice In TX/MO]

Have you seen her in person? For some reason, I thought you'd looked at her, but re-reading the original post, now I'm not sure.

You need to see if her udder is well constructed. I have one goat with a saggy udder that's HORRIBLE. Also, make sure her teats fit your hands, and if she milks easily. YOU milk her before purchase. Taste the milk, too.

Here's a link to info on conformation.
http://goatdairylibrary.org/Pages/Conformation.htm
Udder thoughts:
http://fiascofarm.com/goats/udder.htm

[DQ]

keep in mind also that she may not milk that much for you right off the bat. the stress of moving, change of routine and feed changes can do funny things.

there is no way to know if she is a good deal without seeing her conformation. a doe with poor conformation and udder is not a good deal no matter how much you pay for her. she could be an average deal for a healthy crossbred goat with a decent mammary system that was gauranteed cae and cl negative. ask why was she bred so late in life. there is often more to the story when it comes to why an animal is being sold.

its exciting to think of getting a doe that is already in milk. but don't let that cloud your judgment!

[saanengirl]

My father is a veterinarian and sees a lot of goats. Someone got a "great deal" on a milking doe at a sale barn. They only paid $50 for her and her kids. They brought her to my dad because her udder was "swollen." My dad said that the doe did not have mastitis, but her udder had practically no medial suspensory ligament and very little attachment otherwise. The teats were near the ground. The kids couldn't nurse because of the poor attachment of the udder, and her udder was engorged with milk. A doe like that is very difficult to milk. My father made the comment later "they got exactly what they paid for."