Is this a fair trade?

[Frosted Mini's]

I have an alpine doe in milk for sale, LA'd 90 VEVE as a two year old and earned her SG; is a 3 year old now. She is up for $500. I also have a dry yearling which I had planned to keep until she was fresh, but do need to cut some numbers, so meh. She has her dry leg. My 3 year old is here: http://adgagenetics.org/GoatDetail.a...ber=A001565378 and the yearling is: http://adgagenetics.org/GoatDetail.a...ber=A001630725

Both of my does healthy and no history of kidding issues or mastitis from the milker.

The person that wants to trade has 3 Nigerian does, all are dry and haven't been attempted to breed in 2 years (she does not own a Nigerian buck). One of them is a 9 year old this year, and she said she was a show stopper when she was shown. She has produced Quints in a Minnesota blizzard unassisted and fed them all with excess milk. This is her: http://adgagenetics.org/GoatDetail.a...ber=D001358330. Another is a 6 year old this year, and she is a daughter of a 2x national champion (AGS) doe. She was appraised young and immature according to the owner, hence the lower score. No kidding problems for her either. This is her: http://adgagenetics.org/GoatDetail.a...ber=D001465560. Neither doe has any mastitis history. The last is Kerry Anne (6 year old) daughter. She is a 2 year old that has not freshened. Here is her: http://adgagenetics.org/GoatDetail.a...ber=D001654445.

Both herds CAE/CL free.

[V-NH]

Please note that I have unregistered crossbred random goats and take my answer with a grain of salt because I know nothing about registered goats other than the fact that my buck is registered.

It sounds like you would be ripped off with this deal. You have proven animals and she is offering you a goat that is on death's door and others that have been hanging out doing nothing for a couple years. Also, a lot of what you mentioned relies on this person's word. Unless they are a very close friend of yours, or a family member, don't take their word for anything.

[Backfourty,MI.]

I thin k it depends on where you want to take your herd.
Also you said you want to get your numbers down & you'd be trading 2 & bringing back home 3. You'll actually be adding an extra to the herd?

[Alice In TX/MO]

Please email me your Alpine. Thank you.

[Frosted Mini's]

lol, well, to my thinking getting rid of alpines and getting Nigerians is getting numbers down. Numbers of hay bales I need for them.

I'm actually the one that thought 3 goats was too many to trade for one...but at the time wasn't considering their ages. Because mine are young and those mostly aren't. I hate to go back on what I said to her, but kind of feel like I should. She actually offered to trade them all for one alpine.

[Frosted Mini's]

The 9 year old's dam appraised 91EEEE a 12y 11m old (!).

[Clovers_Clan]

At 9 years old, despite her past show record, the older Nigerian Doe is not much more than a pet. You would be feeding an unproductive animal and potentially expending money on vet bills as she ages. Don't get me wrong, it's admirable to care for geriatric animals to reward them for years of service. But you've not been the recipient of those years of service.

Are the remaining two an even trade with your two? It depends on your goals. Will you be showing them? How would the price of their offspring compare with those of your trades? Which would be of more benefit to you, more milk or less feed? Although in this case the feed for three ND would be about the same for 2 Alpines.

The issue of them being open for that period of time would be a red flag for me. If they've got great show pedigrees why weren't they being bred or shown? They sound like pets, not milk goats. They should have been worth the trouble to find a buck. If their BCS is 5, as open miniatures are prone to be overweight, it could be difficult or unsafe to breed them.

Unless there is something special in their particular genetics you'd really like to add to your herd, I don't think you're getting a fair trade.

[Frosted Mini's]

I will not feed an unproductive animal, so if that's the case with her she will be butchered for dog food or sent to the sale. The owner says she had regular heat cycles last year, obviously though that doesn't mean she would breed, or that she would have the same this year.

[Cannon_Farms]

I know a good bit still on the pedigrees on NDs since I still run with the crowd and I am going to say NO, absolutely not. You can get some great genetics for the cost of your Alpine these no one is going to buy on that pedigree alone, there is just no anything there. Golden girl is at least got some sort of pedigree and would be the only one I would consider to have value. if every CH goat produced Ch then breeding wouldnt be so complicated and there you dont have a good picture.

[Frosted Mini's]

Thanks Cannon, I just sent you a pm.

[mygoat]

If she's in good condition, 9 years is NOT too old to breed. If I were to get them, I'd breed them all, personally, and see what happens. They produce or they go to the sale barn. I would bet they do just fine. I sold a 10 year old boer doe last year as a bred doe. She kidded fine and will likely be bred again this year.

You don't owe random geriatric does anything. I would NOT dump vet bill money into them or keep them till they die if they do NOT produce. Its easiest to sale barn them. But, non-producers is a risk you'll be taking. I see no reason why any of those would be non-productive though.

HOWEVER, that's up to you on to if the trade furthers your goals. If you think you could use those does, then the trade may be worth it. I personally wouldn't do it, but I don't do Nigies and know nothing about pedigrees. The amount of info you'd be getting is minimal.

[dozedotz]

Having read this several times, I am with Cannon Farms.

[poppypatchFarm]

Originally Posted by mygoat

You don't owe random geriatric does anything. I would NOT dump vet bill money into them or keep them till they die if they do NOT produce. Its easiest to sale barn them. But, non-producers is a risk you'll be taking. I see no reason why any of those would be non-productive though.

Would like to take this quote to use as the example for those who bug me to sell my older finished does who I've retired at 6-7 years because this is exactly why I will not sell older animals. People who haven't owned them all their life don't feel like they owe them anything but I do so I won't risk them ending up in that situation.

As far as the does I think 9 is getting too old to breed especially if they haven't been bred in years. Have to wonder why this person wants to trade them for a productive young doe after years of sitting dry.
I owned a full sister to the 9-year-old years ago when Sugar Creek owned her sire and dam and our full sister came from there. She was a good milker and showed decently as a milking yearling but after that her shoulders fell apart badly and she couldn't really be shown except to help with numbers. Don't know much about the other lines but at lot of Nigerian breeders no longer register with AGS and the numbers have been quite low at the AGS National shows so the wins at an AGS National aren't what they used to be.
Would think your young Alpine with a good appraisal score should be worth more than 3 possible auction goats although I admit I don't know what auction goats are selling for since we keep our retired ones.

[Frosted Mini's]

I have decided not to do the trade. I need the money and fewer goats more.

[Doug Hodges]

Personally I don't want any Nigerians. My answer is simple. Noooo. Also. 9 is old.

[Frosted Mini's]

I got some more info. She stopped raising Nigerians because she injured her back and is almost 6 ft tall, so the were too hard to show anymore. She didn't sell them because they were pets. She said she's never offered them to anybody because she was being picky what home they went to and liked that I do milk test and LA.

[coso]

I understand that. I'm 6'1" and I don't even like showing Juniors !!

[Frosted Mini's]

I still dont want to get them..i just need to focus and work with what i have for now and also work on getting out of debt but she still wants to get my doe.