Band bucklings to be sold?

SeaGoat · #1 10/10/13, 10:08 AM

I'm just a hobby goat raiser so my goats aren't bloodlined..

I can't really ever decide if I should band my bucklings before I seek them, ot keep them in tact.

There are two sides to the argument
One being they aren't pure goats so why keep them intact
The other being hobby/pet raisers don't mind if they have mutts and don't want a $300 show quality buck.

On yalls farms, What have you found sells easier
Bucks or wethers?

April · #2 10/10/13, 10:46 AM

I usually run my ads and say that I'm going to be banding them after so many days or weeks. I ask them to call if they want me to reserve an intact buckling.

CAjerseychick · #3 10/10/13, 10:46 AM

Well what the lady we bought our buckling from did, was she put an add up when he was 2 weeks old and offered one price to sell him banded and another to sell him intact with his registration papers (of course this is a little different as he has papers)-- you could do something like that....
Or just say something like intact buckling, will band on request - on your ad...

Alice In TX/MO · #4 10/10/13, 11:55 AM

If you want them to go for top price at a meat auction, do not disbud or band. Halal butchers want intact bucklings.

If your market is Hispanic, it doesn't matter.

Frosted Mini's · #5 10/10/13, 12:03 PM

If they are going to Easter market, don't do any banding/disbudding, either.

Ford Zoo · #6 10/10/13, 06:16 PM

For the really nice bucklings, I advertise them as intact with the option to band for a 'lesser price'. You would be surprised how much people are willing to pay for a 'mutt' buckling if they like the build, and I've been surprised how much people are willing to pay for a wether as a pet if they like him. We advertised a beautiful boer/nubian cross buckling with lots of color this year, and ended up selling him to a gal as a wether for nearly $200. And she drove about 2 hours to come get him.

While it doesn't always work out that way, if you have the facilities to keep them as bucklings for a bit longer, it never hurts to advertise them as intact, give the option to band, and hold onto them a bit longer. We don't do this with all of the boys, but you never know what others are looking for at any given time unless you throw it out there.