Selling bottle babies..whatcha think?

LoneStrChic23 · #1 01/20/11, 06:08 PM

Sabrina is due to kid on February 17th....she's an Alpine and was bred to an Oberhalsi. I want to keep a doe if I can talk hubby into it, but if she has only bucks I don't want to keep any of them (already have twin mini alpine bucks destined for freezer camp).

I've seen a few breeders who have "Soaking Wet Buckling sales" and offer some nice bloodlines for pretty cheap as long as they are picked up by "X" day.

I was thinking about doing something similar....... My babies won't be registered and they'll be dairy crosses, not full blood. I will disbud, pull at birth, raise on CAE prevention, and give Bo-Se and make sure they are taking a bottle well before leaving. I was planning on putting an ad on CL before she kids to see if I have anyone interested and would sell them for about $30 as long as they are picked up and out of my hair by about 10 days or so..

Is this fair? Don't want to rip anyone off, but I'm also going to have alot of time and effort into these babies so I want some compensation. Of course if I have no takers they'll just be freezer camp bound, but I would prefer to not have to mess with buck kids if I don't have to... If this isn't a good idea, feel free to offer suggestions and ideas... I'm all ears

Alice In TX/MO · #2 01/20/11, 06:23 PM

Yes, it's fair. Dunno if you'll get any takers in your neck of the woods. My part of Texas here, nobody wants them till weaning, and then for BBQ.

LoneStrChic23 · #3 01/20/11, 06:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alice In TX/MO

Yes, it's fair. Dunno if you'll get any takers in your neck of the woods. My part of Texas here, nobody wants them till weaning, and then for BBQ.

Thanks Alice! I'm doubtful of my ability to find any takers... most goat folks in my area have boers and the few I've come across with dairy goats have Nubians...

I've seen a few want ads for dairy goats on my local CL though, so maybe someone will show interest. I just wanted to make sure I was asking a fair price before I put any ads up.

And if I have no takers locally I'll just send them to freezer camp as soon as possible so it won't be the end if the world

Alice In TX/MO · #4 01/20/11, 06:52 PM

You can go ahead and butcher them earlier than three months. Sort of rabbit sized.

LoneStrChic23 · #5 01/20/11, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alice In TX/MO

You can go ahead and butcher them earlier than three months. Sort of rabbit sized.

HEY! The evil twin buckling is way bigger than a rabbit!

Those boys are actually a lot bigger than I thought mini alpine kids would be..

Cheryl aka JM · #6 01/20/11, 08:50 PM

Last year both my dairy girls had bucklings I didn't want. I'd used a Boer buck to freshen the girls so the bucklings were nothing special and I wanted the milk off the does for us. So I ran an ad in my local CL selling them for $25 each to be picked up when they were three days old. I didn't do anything special, I just let momma give them some colostrum for three days and I milked off the extra colostrum and froze it~ when the buyers showed up I pulled the babies, popped a band on the babies scrotum and handed him over with the extra colostrum I'd milked off in exchange for the $25.

People were BEGGING me for them. I had a LOT of people offer me more if I would let them sneak in and buy the baby before the three days and the first buyer could come out. Of course I didn't do that~ but I was amazed how many people wanted to bottle raise a pet goat!

RedSonja · #7 01/20/11, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cheryl aka JM

Last year both my dairy girls had bucklings I didn't want. I'd used a Boer buck to freshen the girls so the bucklings were nothing special and I wanted the milk off the does for us. So I ran an ad in my local CL selling them for $25 each to be picked up when they were three days old. I didn't do anything special, I just let momma give them some colostrum for three days and I milked off the extra colostrum and froze it~ when the buyers showed up I pulled the babies, popped a band on the babies scrotum and handed him over with the extra colostrum I'd milked off in exchange for the $25.

People were BEGGING me for them. I had a LOT of people offer me more if I would let them sneak in and buy the baby before the three days and the first buyer could come out. Of course I didn't do that~ but I was amazed how many people wanted to bottle raise a pet goat!

Cheryl I'm so glad to hear that LOL. After five bucklings and no doelings this past year, I don't want to raise any more bucklings for a long long time.

-Sonja

LoneStrChic23 · #8 01/20/11, 09:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cheryl aka JM

Last year both my dairy girls had bucklings I didn't want. I'd used a Boer buck to freshen the girls so the bucklings were nothing special and I wanted the milk off the does for us. So I ran an ad in my local CL selling them for $25 each to be picked up when they were three days old. I didn't do anything special, I just let momma give them some colostrum for three days and I milked off the extra colostrum and froze it~ when the buyers showed up I pulled the babies, popped a band on the babies scrotum and handed him over with the extra colostrum I'd milked off in exchange for the $25.

People were BEGGING me for them. I had a LOT of people offer me more if I would let them sneak in and buy the baby before the three days and the first buyer could come out. Of course I didn't do that~ but I was amazed how many people wanted to bottle raise a pet goat!

That's good to hear.....maybe I'll have some luck. Though I bet yours being part boer made them more appealing than my dairy mutts will be... I bet if I had part boers they would go quick...especially in my area where boers are so popular.

I'm going to post ads and see how it goes. Worst that can happen is I'll have more goat for the freezer. Hubby says I should have done this before Tootsie kidded.... He swears Sabrina will kid with does only if I get any good responses to ads for cheap bottle bucks... I bet he's right, lol

julieq · #9 01/20/11, 09:14 PM

Here in Southern Idaho they'd go fast if advertised on CL.

petaddict · #10 01/20/11, 09:30 PM

A friend of mine here in SW VA sells her ND bucklings as bottle babies for $25.00 and she says they're a breeze to sell, that people love bottle feeding goats. Go figure. I may just have to do that this year too.

Otter · #11 01/20/11, 10:01 PM

I was very happy to get my two bottle babies. I want them for working. Before Dryna was hurt (dog attack

) I was looking for a bottle baby ND for more company, as when you're working with one goat the one left behind cries.
Now I'm thinking about perhaps another full size one so I'll still have two for working. Just have to see what kind of pretty, flashy colored bargain of a bottle baby comes my way first.

mary,tx · #12 01/21/11, 08:51 AM

Mine are unregistered Nubians. I usually get $50 for the bucklings, and $75 for the doelings for my bottle babies.
I'd ask $50. You can always go down, but you can't go up. Post a nice picture with your ad. The picture is what sells them.

Kshobbit · #13 01/21/11, 08:57 AM

I am glad to hear that you can sell bottle babies for money. I had grade dairy kids that I couldn't give away last year and I advertised on craigslist and here too. It was depressing.

petaddict · #14 01/21/11, 09:26 AM

Right after I read this post last night I went on Craigslist. Someone posted, Wanted, bottle babies. email me what you have, prices and location.

mary,tx · #15 01/21/11, 10:45 AM

I see the bottle baby wanted ads, too. I'm not sure the poster wants to pay money for them, though.

LoneStrChic23 · #16 01/21/11, 07:30 PM

Well so far so good. I've got 7 people who emailed me their phone numbers and asked me to call them when the babies are born and one lady said she'd give me $45 if I would call her 1st. Have an additional 3 who want doe, one of the people wanting a doe offered $35 (not happening), one offered $75 and the other offered $100. Right now I'm just trying to ensure homes for buck kids and will make decisions on possible doe kids after I find out whether or not hubby lets me keep one....

I'm betting at least 1/2 of the people who are very sure they want a buck kid won't want one when they actually get here, but at least I've got phone numbers for potential takers

Alice In TX/MO · #17 01/21/11, 07:37 PM

I'll raise the ante on the "call me first if it's a doe."

dustin biery · #18 01/21/11, 07:40 PM

I say it all depends on what people are looking for. I had been looking for a Nigie buck and just happened across an 8 day old buckling and I paid $150 for him and have been bottle feeding him every since. I think at that price, you should be able to find someone who is interested. Good luck!

LoneStrChic23 · #19 01/21/11, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alice In TX/MO

I'll raise the ante on the "call me first if it's a doe."

LOL! Alice, if hubby doesn't let me keep a doe you'll get first dibs

Personally I think I should get twin does to make up for those twin bucks I got out of Tootsie...most especially since that pair has an evil twin! But the way the world works I bet I get all bucks!

Alice In TX/MO · #20 01/21/11, 08:56 PM

I've been watching the kid reports. Sure looks like a buckling year.