Goats and longevity

mammabooh · #1 09/04/12, 06:00 AM

I was asked yesterday by the breeder that I got Mudge and Snicket from if I would consider being a retirement home for one of her does. The doe is only 8, but it makes me a bit nervous. She kidded this spring with no trouble and is milking right now...although not much (I don't know how much exactly, but I will ask). She has an excellent pedigree, beautiful udder, CAE negative, etc.

The breeder asked me because she knows that I have a nice place and am able to give them all lots of attention. She said that there is nothing wrong with this doe, but she is making some serious cuts before winter.

So, I guess I am asking if you would do it if you had the resources and space. I figure I can breed her at least once (maybe twice) and then milk her for as long as she will stay in milk...not really retirement, but she'll have it a bit easier here than she does there. It is an excellent price and they will deliver...really, the price is about what it would cost us to go get her and bring her home.

What do you think? If I decide to do it, I'll post pictures of her.

Alice In TX/MO · #2 09/04/12, 06:39 AM

If she's tested and disease free, I'd buy her. She may have two to three more years of production.

CaliannG · #3 09/04/12, 09:23 AM

In captivity, goats live 13-15 years, and are productive until 10-11.

In the wild, goats live 17-20 years, and will have babies til the very end.

I happen to know that Jobi Brightly, who was a Top 10 production doe for 3 years in a row, is 10 years old this year, and had kids in spring. Now, her attachments aren't what they used to be, but I don't think I can really say anything about that. MY attachments aren't what they used to be either. She is still producing over 2 gallons a day at peak.

TRAILRIDER · #4 09/04/12, 09:42 AM

We had my first goat for 17 yrs and she was an adult doe when we bought her at auction. In the end she was perfectly fine in every way except her joints. Her arthritis got so bad in the last year that she had trouble getting up and down so we had her euthanised.
But personally if that doe is as described I'd take her in a minute. Its a win win for everyone. You will most likely get kids for a year or two, and if you are lucky enough to get doelings to keep GREAT! And the lady who wants to give her to you, she gets to know that her girl has a wonderful home : )

chewie · #5 09/04/12, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaliannG

In captivity, goats live 13-15 years, and are productive until 10-11.

In the wild, goats live 17-20 years, and will have babies til the very end.

I happen to know that Jobi Brightly, who was a Top 10 production doe for 3 years in a row, is 10 years old this year, and had kids in spring. Now, her attachments aren't what they used to be, but I don't think I can really say anything about that. MY attachments aren't what they used to be either. She is still producing over 2 gallons a day at peak.

why would they live longer in the wild??

LoneStrChic23 · #6 09/04/12, 12:08 PM

I'd go for it. I have an Alpine who is almost 9..... Peaked at 14lbs this year & had one heck of a time drying her off. She's in great shape and is out there making ga-ga eyes at my Lamancha buck as I type this

My girl has cystic ovaries, so for her to conceive I have to give her a shot of cystorelin, but otherwise, no issues (& she's had this problem for about 3 years now). Still stands on great feet & legs, still has good attachments & still play fights & runs around in the evenings when it's cooler.

CaliannG · #7 09/04/12, 12:14 PM

I know, chewie. It is the opposite of nearly everything else. Most animals live longer in captivity because they are protected from predators. Right now, no one knows why wild goats and ibexes live long than their domesticated counterparts. And it doesn't hold true for zoos. Wild goats and ibexes live over 20 years in zoos...but zoos spend the $$ to feed them "natural" diets that are specific to their region of origin.

It does, however, hold true for goats in production situations. My hypothesis that the reason farm goats live shorter lives than either wild or zoo-kept goats is a mixture of disease and nutrition. In zoos, they test and retest animals for disease before they are ever allowed out of quarantine, and they attempt to give them a varied diet. In the wild, because goats range, they have less of a chance to pick up many diseases and worm loads, since they leave the eggs far behind them as they travel, and such travels gives them a diversified diet. In the wild, they are not in such close contact with one another, so disease does not have as much of a chance to spread. Plus predators naturally cull anything weakened by disease, so a goat with, say, CL or CAE, or Johnne's could become someone's dinner before ever passing the disease on to another.

In more production orientated situations, the goats are kept in much greater contact with each other, disease testing is NOT a priority for many, many breeders, goats are protected from predators who would weed out even the slightly weaker ones, their diets are seldom varied, and a diseased animal is often kept for as long as possible to get just that much more production or offspring out of them before circumstances force culling.

Add in that we still (at least in the U.S.) don't know as much as we could or should abut goat nutritional and trace mineral requirements, and it is no wonder that goats have a better chance at a long life in the wild.

That's my theory anyway....as far as I know, at these date, there are no published studies that touch on the reason why wild goats live longer than their domesticated brethren. It has only been documented that they do.

TRAILRIDER · #8 09/05/12, 01:23 PM

Sorry I misspoke earlier, my mama goat was about 17 when she was put to sleep. We had her for 14 yrs. I get mixed up : /

FrogTacos · #9 09/05/12, 01:31 PM

Not sure why you would purchase her when they are asking you to provide her retirement home. Someone wants me to retire a goat for them at my place they can deliver the goat with some cash.

mammabooh · #10 09/05/12, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrogTacos

Not sure why you would purchase her when they are asking you to provide her retirement home. Someone wants me to retire a goat for them at my place they can deliver the goat with some cash.

Yeah...that's what my hubby said...he thinks we should get a monthly fee!

Actually, she's not really ready for retirement yet. It's just that she's one of their oldest does and they are having a hard time finding hay for the winter. They have quite a few of their girls and one of their bucks for sale too. They feed all non-gmo feed too, so I would imagine that costs them a pretty penny.

I'm still considering it. According to the breeder, the doe isn't displaying any signs of old age, but she is low in the pecking order. If I got her and bred her this year, it would help to keep me on my schedule of breeding my other girls every other year and not breeding doelings until their second fall...which has been my plan all along.

Ranger · #11 09/05/12, 09:01 PM

I'd go for it. Sounds like a win win situation all around!!!!
~