How hard was your first sale?

[Wonderland]

I am starting to get a little nervous. In November, my girl Rumor is due to kid, and I'm nervous about selling the kids. Doelings will probably be kept depending on how many she has. If only one it will definitely be kept, more than that it's possible they will be sold. But any and all boys will have to be sold. I kept the whether Brownie had this year, because he was the first baby born here, and I justified by the fact that when I get a buck, which should happen next year probably, he will need a companion whether anyways. But from now on, bucklings must be sold. I don't have enough does yet to keep bucks, because they would be related to too many, and I can't justify another whether. But I'm just so nervous about selling them!!

My only experience selling animals was rabbits, and that was only one time and it ended horribly. The person I sold them to didn't listen to my advice, and it ended up with a buck I had sold her paralyzed and my dad had to put him down.

My main worry is that I will sell them to someone who won't listen and something bad will happen to them, and it will be my responsibility/fault. I'm also afraid I will get attached and it will be hard for me to let them go. I know that I have to get used to this if I want to ever achieve my goal that I am working towards of full-blown homesteading.

How hard was it for you to sell your first goat? Do most people that buy give them good homes? One thought that is encouraging is that it would be unlikely for someone to pay $300+ dollars for a goat and then say, use it to bait fighting dogs or something awful like that.

[Jyllie63]

I've had the same thoughts...which is why I now have 10 goats instead of 4

[GoldenSeal]

I wouldn't take responsibility for someone elses stupidity. If the goat dies or is injured because the new owner didn't listen to me then that's their fault. I would not refund them nor would I sell them another one. I would try to help the new owner fix the problem. This is the business of selling any animal. With goats, a lot of them end up on peoples dinner tables, that's what happens to livestock. Only thing you can do it try to make sure that the owner isn't going to use and abuse that animal. Customer screening, I guess.

[mygoat]

The first way to go is to have goats that reputable people would want. Disbudded, tested herd, bottle raised on CAE prevention, and good dairy conformation - doesn't matter if you SHOW or not, you should always breed towards the standard. Shows and LA are excellent for improving your herd quality and being more in demand - and marketing to the generally more reputable, knowledgeable homes.

Honestly, 99% of bucklings born are NOT breeding quality and should be castrated before someone breeds them. In that circumstance, you've got potential for some meat to put in your freezer. Just don't get attached. It seems hard now, and I was there once. TRUST ME, putting a wether into the freezer is BY FAR THE MOST HUMANE THING FOR IT. Wethers are relatively worthless (so are poor quality bucks, not to mention annoying) and so people find them more disposable. It's very random to find an actual 'good' pet goat home, which is why I was always leery about selling goats as pets, honestly.

As for keeping all the does, not all the does you get will be the quality you'll want to retain in your herd. Only keep the does that are improvements on the dam and herd in general - and sell/butcher the rest. Otherwise you'll max out the number of goats you have, with most of them being average and unimproved generation to generation.

[billooo2]

Buck kids are either wethered and "freezer-bound," or they go to the livestock auction. I back up to the unloading area........unload them, get the receipt.....wave "good-by" and go home and watch for a check in the mail in the next few days.
I, personally, never look for "pet homes" for wethers.

[Wonderland]

Thanks for all of the advice! I do hope to show them, so hopefully it will be the more reputable people who will be interested. They do fall under what I would consider good quality goats. I'm no expert yet, but they do have some really good pedigrees.

I raise Nigerian Dwarfs, so I doubt people would buy meat whethers. I would be okay with it, so long as they killed them humanely, but I just don't think people would want them, since there would be so little meat. If I had a bigger breed, I would want them for meat myself. Well, if I liked goat meat- haven't tried any yet! But I do want to start with chickens as far as eating home-grown meat goes, before I try with anything bigger. I want to start slow and build my way up, so I have time to get used to it!

[Wags]

You might be surprised at how big a Niggie wether can get. We kept our first kid too - as a wether companion for the buck that was due to arrive a few months later. It was harder on my 5 yr old daughter than it was on me when I sold my first three buck kids this year. If you start off knowing you are going to be selling them and refer to them as "livestock" not pets it does seem to make it easier.

I will have to admit it will probably be harder for me to sell the doelings next year.

[Wonderland]

Yeah, I'm going to just have to keep reminding me that they're not just pets, that they also serve a purpose. And I will have to try not to name them, too. I'll probably just call them generic names like "Lil' boy/girl" or "Lil bit" which I normally call everything anyways...

I am kind of surprised at how large my whether is now. He's only 4 months old, but he's almost as big as the does!

[SLD Farm]

Goats are livestock. They have one promise at birth and that is to enter the food chain at one point or another. You need to remember that and don't get to hung up on it. Don't name them and don't stress about it. Do the best that you can to find good buyers, but be prepared that many, if not most, that you raise will and should be used for meat if you are interested in improving the breed. Not every animal is of "breeding quality". Sorry, but that is the hard, honest truth.

[jordan]

Frankly, there are way too many ND bucklings running around out there being used as breeding animals that should NEVER have been left intact. Just because the breed is popular and has a good market, doesn't mean breeders should inundate that market with garbage.
Until you have the knowledge to accurately evaluate the dam's udder, conformation, etc and know what the sire produces or at the very least, what his dam and sire have produced, any bucks she has should be wethered.

I don't have much of a market for wether's, so I tend to give them as companion animals with purchase if someone wants one. I actually prefer that they go to the auction though where they will be raised for meat and butchered humanely. Wether's just tend to be viewed as "disposible" even by people who want them as pets.

Unfortunately, we just can't control what people do or don't do once we sell an animal and that is unfortunate for those of us who try to offer continued support. I had someone buy a buckling for $600 this year (he was awesome!) and then she proceeded to do all the things I told her not to, and then didn't do what I told her she had to in order to save him. She didn't have that kind of money to throw away either (I'm grateful that I kept his brother for my own program!). So assuming that if they pay more, they'll be more careful, doesn't always hold true.
You take note of people you are not comfortable with, talk to other breeders and find out if there are people they've had bad experiences with, and then you keep track of who you will or won't sell to. Sometimes it's the best you can do. I know of people who would find it next to impossible to buy an ND in this state anymore because of the poor rep they've built with all those that have sold to them in the past.

FYI, I don't know of too many people who've gotten into ND's that haven't quadrupled+ the number that they "planned" on keeping within 2 years
Eventually, you'll have to be brutal when it comes to kidding season and either let the kids go, or keep them and let the dam's move on. Showing and appraisals will help immensely in evaluating where your breeding program is going and who fits the ideal when decision time comes.
Good luck and I hope Rumor gives you all girls!
Lois

[luvzmybabz]

I wonder if some of the awesome experts on this board would be interested I have been thinking to compile a pamplet (sp) to give out to newbies with the highlight for raising goats free with purchase type deal maybe we could make a sticky out of it so that anyone needing it could print it out. I think it would be a great resource for everyone. Also would make it easier to sale your goats as you know you are giving them the beginnger's info they need. I would be willing to compile it and do some grahics and such but I am still a newbie as far as goats go (1 year) if interested please email @ samplekasi@yahoo.com Thanks Kasi

[mygoat]

Originally Posted by luvzmybabz

I wonder if some of the awesome experts on this board would be interested I have been thinking to compile a pamplet (sp) to give out to newbies with the highlight for raising goats free with purchase type deal maybe we could make a sticky out of it so that anyone needing it could print it out. I think it would be a great resource for everyone. Also would make it easier to sale your goats as you know you are giving them the beginnger's info they need. I would be willing to compile it and do some grahics and such but I am still a newbie as far as goats go (1 year) if interested please email @ samplekasi@yahoo.com Thanks Kasi

I used to give out a floppy disk with information on CL, CAE, Johnne's (the shorter articles), home made pedigree and health record, and some other things too. Floppy disks are astoundingly cheap but are pretty much obsolete now - my macbook doesn't have a drive for them.

[Wonderland]

Originally Posted by jordan

I don't have much of a market for wether's, so I tend to give them as companion animals with purchase if someone wants one.

That's a good idea!

Thankfully I have a really good breeder nearby who knows the conformation well, what's good and bad, etc, and is very willing to help, so hopefully she'll be able to help me choose which ones have the best conformation to keep. I'm learning, but some things I still don't understand well. Like "loose shoulders" and "Dairy skin"- that's kind of lost on me. I have an idea, but I haven't seen enough to recognize it on my own.

That's a good idea about the info packet, too. I have thought of compiling one or at least give them a list of links to places like this, fiascofarm, dairygoatinfo, etc. I could either print it out, or perhaps stick it on a CD.

I think it will take some time, but eventually I'll have to learn to not blame myself if other people don't listen to advice. But maybe I'll get lucky and everyone will be awesome buyers.

[AnnaS]

Originally Posted by jordan

FYI, I don't know of too many people who've gotten into ND's that haven't quadrupled+ the number that they "planned" on keeping within 2 years

This is a ND problem all over. Standard size goats have two decent secondary markets- selling to commercial dairies and selling for meat. I don't know of a single commercial dairy that will buy Nigies, and Pygmies and Nigerians both bring $10-$15 for meat.

[Cheribelle]

My 1st livestock sale was calves I had bottle raised and cound not see myself eating them. Wow, it was hard. After the sale I went into the restroom and bawled.

[mygoat]

Originally Posted by AnnaS

This is a ND problem all over. Standard size goats have two decent secondary markets- selling to commercial dairies and selling for meat. I don't know of a single commercial dairy that will buy Nigies, and Pygmies and Nigerians both bring $10-$15 for meat.

I wish I could find 10-15.00 pygmies - they dress out great.

You'd be suprised at how well nigies, or any dairy, will dress out. Well worth raising them up for the table.

[jordan]

Originally Posted by AnnaS

This is a ND problem all over. Standard size goats have two decent secondary markets- selling to commercial dairies and selling for meat. I don't know of a single commercial dairy that will buy Nigies, and Pygmies and Nigerians both bring $10-$15 for meat.

You misunderstood It's not the lack of market, it's the addictive personality of the ND that causes our numbers to climb!!! If four are great, 12 will be even better!
I actually have heard of dairies bringing in ND's just to raise the butterfat numbers.

[Wonderland]

Originally Posted by jordan

You misunderstood It's not the lack of market, it's the addictive personality of the ND that causes our numbers to climb!!! If four are great, 12 will be even better!
I actually have heard of dairies bringing in ND's just to raise the butterfat numbers.

Haha, I can understand that. I have to keep telling myself I don't need to buy any more right now! Not until the ones I have kid! I think I'm addicted.

[Jyllie63]

Originally Posted by Wonderland

Haha, I can understand that. I have to keep telling myself I don't need to buy any more right now! Not until the ones I have kid! I think I'm addicted.

I'm right there with ya LOL! I look at it this way...I don't drink alcohol, don't smoke cigarettes, don't play the slots in Vegas...so if I want to spend my money to feed and care for my goats and I enjoy them, then they are my guilty pleasure

[sammyd]

I buy goats as livestock. If I want a pet I get a dog or cat.
So selling a goat doesn't cause me heartache.
When a goat leaves my property it is in good health and able to grow and thrive with the proper care.

It is not my duty to teach buyers about goats. It is their duty to be informed before they take possesion. Therefore I wouldn't waste my time compiling every little bit of knowledge and burning a CD or making a floppy. There are plenty of people out there making good money writing books about goats, I'm not doing it for free.