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Post By wintrrwolf
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Post By Alice In TX/MO
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Post By Alice In TX/MO
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Post By mygoat
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01/28/14, 06:24 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: FL
Posts: 11
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Hobbyist Goat Owner Seeking Advice
I have fallen in total love with goats over the last year. I can be in a horrible mood and go spend time in the goat pasture and viola my mood lightens. My question is about adding to my herd. Right now I have a few (five does) (three bucks) all Nigerians. I love their milk and don't get a large volume. We use the milk for senior German Shepherd Dogs and any that are ill. Plus I have been playing with the idea of making some cheese.
After research I believe it best to add Nubian Goats to my herd. I live in Central Florida and am wondering about the price for a Nubian Doe, Doeling and Buck, Buckling. Because I need to breed the Doe at some point to get milk I feel a responsibility to purchase the highest quality goat(s) possible. And I am a bit shocked at some of the prices I am encountering. Being new to purchasing goats I am hoping for guidance. I am willing to pay a fair price for the animals that will be as much pets as a source of milk. Thanks.
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01/28/14, 06:52 PM
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Bellflower, MO
Posts: 3,695
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Well you already have nigi bucks if you get a Nubian doe you can breed these and have cute little mini Nubian and be getting a little more milk from doe.
Registered goats do go for more because MOST the time those that take the time to register and test really care about the quality of goats they are breeding. If you have a registered nigi buck and nubi doe you can register the kids I believe through AGS the smaller goats have a better market for pets or small homesteaders.
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01/28/14, 08:36 PM
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More dharma, less drama.
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: Texas Coastal Bend/S. Missouri
Posts: 30,482
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Welcome to the forum and the wacky world of goats.
__________________
Alice
* * *
"No great thing is created suddenly." ~Epictitus
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01/28/14, 09:22 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: FL
Posts: 11
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the Nubian Doe I am looking at is a Chamosee with Moonspots. She is a year old, allegedly bred and the seller is asking $800. This goat is registered and never shown.
It seemed like a high price for an unproven doe and I admit I do not know a lot about goats yet. I enjoy learning daily. Thanks for any knowledge you can share.
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01/28/14, 10:41 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: State of Jefferson
Posts: 5,871
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$800???? Does she come with a diamond collar??? That is outrageous....even for a beautiful registered doe!
__________________
Chick with a gun.
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01/29/14, 07:04 AM
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HOW do they DO that?
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Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Southwest Michigan
Posts: 1,663
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Do you have her registration info so you can look up her line?
Is she disease tested?
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Insatiably Curious
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01/29/14, 07:20 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: N. Central Florida
Posts: 334
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Hold on to your money and look around some more. $800 is twice what you should pay for a perfect, proven doe in milk. I live in N Central Fla. I got my registered Nubian buck for free from a local dairy. Just because he is a cull doesn't mean that there is anything wrong with him. They simply didn't need any more bucks. My two doelings, I paid $250 each as bottle babies. They are not spotted, but disease free and from excellent milking bloodlines. Look around, contact some local dairies, take your time and you will find what you want at a reasonable price.
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01/29/14, 08:01 AM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: FL
Posts: 11
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thank you all, you are wonderful. I will ask for the bloodlines today.
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01/29/14, 08:41 AM
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Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 1,298
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Google your state's Dairy Goat Breeders Association. You should find a listing of some of the more prominent breeders, there will be links to farm web pages. From this you should be able to get some idea what the high end of the market is. Some will concentrate on showing, others milk, some a combination. Since you are not showing or milking commercially you do not need a "perfect" goat. And being a small, beginning breeder, you cannot hope to sell kids for the same price as an established farm with a name in shows - even if the goats are identical. It comes down to networking and marketing. That does not mean your goats will be poor or culls, they will be healthy, productive, practical home milkers. But you wont be able to sell them for $800, so don't shell out $800 for your foundation stock!
You may find a good approach is to find a few breeders you like and visit their farms. How do they care for their animals? Is the whole herd healthy? What are their philosophies about raising goats? What do they currently have for sale? Why are they selling? Of course there is a going price for quality goats that you can expect to pay. But breeders also sell good animals at discounted prices for a variety of reasons. Cutting back for the show season or winter, too many bottle babies, too many bucks, shortage of housing, doesn't fit with breeding program, minor conformation flaws. To avoid culls, find out the reason they are being sold.
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01/29/14, 08:50 AM
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More dharma, less drama.
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: Texas Coastal Bend/S. Missouri
Posts: 30,482
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Ask for documentation of CAE testing first.
__________________
Alice
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"No great thing is created suddenly." ~Epictitus
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01/29/14, 01:32 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: North Fla
Posts: 803
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She looks awfully small for a yearling. I'd question the breeder very closely about management & disease testing. My 6 month old Nubian doelings are usually bigger than that. She is pretty though
Kitty
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01/29/14, 01:32 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: North Fla
Posts: 803
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Looks like she's got the start of a fishtail too...
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01/29/14, 09:28 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: MI
Posts: 357
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AuntKitty
Looks like she's got the start of a fishtail too...
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What is a fishtail in a goat?
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01/29/14, 09:33 PM
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Legally blonde!
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Join Date: May 2003
Location: Oregon
Posts: 3,315
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I am sorry but I wouldn't pay $800 for that doe. I would honestly keep looking and do as Clovers_Clan suggested. Around here does/doelings go for anywhere from $250-$750 BUT that all depends on the doe and the breeder. Rarely do I see does or doelings going for $750 and if they are it is because they are from proven lines, have some grand champions in their backgrounds and have the conformation to back all that up.
Justine
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01/30/14, 12:41 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: FL
Posts: 11
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I want to say a huge thank you to everyone kind enough to help. Your suggestions and common sense was a huge boon. I've found a farm selling goats for a reasonable price, tested, wormed, medical documentation on each animal and so reasonably priced I fell off my chair (almost). I'll post pictures as a thank you if any come home with me this weekend.
Again, thank you.
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01/30/14, 01:25 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: North Fla
Posts: 803
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A fishtail is one of the signs of copper deficiency in a goat. The hair at the very tip of the tail falls out giving the appearance of a fish tail.
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01/30/14, 01:39 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Mountain Home, Arkansas
Posts: 2,550
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Ummmmmm, depending on the pedigree. $800 may not be to much for a yearling. I know several people paying more than that for doelings. Ummmmmm. I may be one of those people. I know a few more on here that do also. I wont name names.
Having said that. This doe doesn't look like a $800 doe but it might be a bad picture.
Go see what you will have to pay for Goldthwaite, Saada, Hoanbu or several others. You are paying that and more for 3 week old kids. This could possibly be one of those. I heard a lot of Saada was shipped to Florida.
One more thing. People don't give spots away. Spots sell.
Edit: what is the pedigree?
Last edited by Doug Hodges; 01/30/14 at 01:41 PM.
Reason: Had another question.
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01/30/14, 03:26 PM
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More dharma, less drama.
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: Texas Coastal Bend/S. Missouri
Posts: 30,482
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Looking at the background in the pic of the spotted doe above..... I don't think it's from one of the fancy herds. 
__________________
Alice
* * *
"No great thing is created suddenly." ~Epictitus
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01/30/14, 04:34 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: 2400 ft up in the CA sierra mt foothills
Posts: 1,901
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alice In TX/MO
Looking at the background in the pic of the spotted doe above..... I don't think it's from one of the fancy herds. |
Hey what' you sayin'? I have one of those special tarps myself (LOL just kidding!!)...
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01/30/14, 05:27 PM
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Caprice Acres
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Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: MI
Posts: 11,232
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I would never pay 800.00 for that doe, that's for sure. Her babies better be made of gold for that... She's short bodied, cow hocked and toes out in the back, steep rumped and higher at hips than wither... And small for a yearling.
Not saying my goats are better than that, lol... but I don't price them at 800.00 either. :P
__________________
Dona Barski
"Breed the best, eat the rest"
Caprice Acres
French and American Alpines. CAE, Johnes neg herd. Abscess free. LA, DHIR.
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