Billy's and Nannies

[Doug Hodges]

Dad has raised goats for 40 years. He still calls them that. I guess proper etiquette nowadays is Doe and Buck. I was talking about a buck the other day and dad thought I had a pet deer.

For gods sake don't call them that on facebook.

Susie still kids me from time to time for calling them that when I first got on here.

[marusempai]

Most folks around here look at me like I've lost my mind when I call them does and bucks instead of nannies and billies. Eh, to each his own.

[bluefish]

I figure what on earth does it matter? Long as the person you're talking to knows what you're talking about. Which actually, a lot of them don't when you use doe and buck.

I have plenty of other things both more and less reasonable () to get my panties in a wad about.

[mygoat]

The tendency that the people who use nanny and billy are those who are not dairy goat people, who have been in goats for a long time (classic terms), those who are new to goats/don't know livestock. I KNOW these are not hard/fast rules and I've definitely learned to keep an open mind BUT I will say that if a 'professional' came to me looking for nannies and billies (or a veterinarian etc), I'd have some preconceived notions - just accepting my human error. I've realized this is an error and that I need to be open minded about it because there are exceptions to my preconceived notions. Doe and buck are the modern accepted terms for goats. Just like bag is another term for udder often used in other livestock like sheep and sometimes used in meat goats and occasionally dairies. *eye twitch*.

[where I want to]

Only important to politically correct goats.

[where I want to]

Or maybe all the Williams and childcare providers filed protests.

[hjnaquin]

Last weekend, we went to this livestock sale and got to talking with this older couple with three bucklings. I showed them a picture of my doe and asked what their opinion of her was. They called her a nanny and compared her to my billy.. Which completely threw me off, since I'm so used to hearing/calling them doe/buck.

[wintrrwolf]

It all seems to be confusion. Once had someone try to correct me when I called my female goat a Doe, they said Nanny and I said does it matter you knew what I was talking about...
I remember a little nursery rhyme my mother used to sing to me don't know how old it is but its not modern.
Mares eat oats,
Does eat oats,
little lambs eat ivy,
a kid will eat ivy too, wouldn't you.
I don't think they were singing about a deer ;P

[Wonderland]

I will admit....I am a doe/buck/udder snob. When people refer to goats as nannies/billies, the image that comes to mind is not of nice, well bred dairy goats.

Blame it on the fact that I was an English major. I can be a grammar snob sometimes, too. I am very word-minded. When people start talking about "utters," "nannies," or "Dwarf Nigerians," it irks me a little.

That said, I still make typos! And I try not to make assumptions about people when they use certain words. However, if they claimed to be a serious breeder who has been around awhile, or a vet, or anyone who *should* have picked up on the terms by now...well, I would also have some preconceived notions, for better or worse.

[Farmer Jayne]

Came across an ad on CL the other day for a buck. There wasn't a picture, but it was pretty cheap, $25. Took me way too long to figure out it was a rabbit.

[Clovers_Clan]

I use both...

Does and bucks: when I'm talking with experienced dairy goat people under the age of 70.

Nannies and Billies: in craigslist ads to sell goats for meat. Believe it or not it makes a difference. The same 50/50 meat/dairy wether is somehow meatier when its called a billie than when its called a buck. And a mediocre dairy cross doeling instantly becomes a "commercial replacement doe" when she's called a nanny.

I understand my own bias, I'm a buck/doe snob. But do a little Craigslist test yourself. Filter ads by doe and nanny. What you end up with is predictable.

Nanny- Either a meat goat or an unregistered "milk" goat of dubious origin with horns and an AWFUL udder. Any dairy type breed will be mis-identified grossly. Nigerian becomes a Nubian, Nubian becomes Nigerian, Brush goat becomes Nubian. Breed names are mis-spelled to the point of being unrecognizable; Seaman and Norwegian Dwarf are my favs. No mentioning of testing for any diseases, no bloodlines or registration #s listed.

[FutureFarm]

My favorites are those nanny boar goats.

[MDKatie]

Oh man...I'm a doe/buck/udder snob, too. And when did ewe and ram lambs start being called ewelings or ramlings? That makes my eye twitch! And for the love of pete, each animal has ONE udder, not "udders".

[Pony]

Originally Posted by Clovers_Clan

I use both...

Does and bucks: when I'm talking with experienced dairy goat people under the age of 70.



Nanny- Either a meat goat or an unregistered "milk" goat of dubious origin with horns and an AWFUL udder. Any dairy type breed will be mis-identified grossly. Nigerian becomes a Nubian, Nubian becomes Nigerian, Brush goat becomes Nubian. Breed names are mis-spelled to the point of being unrecognizable; Seaman and Norwegian Dwarf are my favs. No mentioning of testing for any diseases, no bloodlines or registration #s listed.

I have a couple of friends older than 70 who would take exception to your age range.

But I'm totally with you on the Craigslist ads. Terminology is critical there.

Yes; I, too, am a former English major. Further, I was raised by penguins (aka nuns). Improper grammar, spelling, et al, drive me stark barking mad!

[where I want to]

http://animals.nationalgeographic.co...mountain-goat/

No less an expert than National Geographic uses Billy and Nanny in information on mountain goats. But then again can a Mountain Goat ever be really uptown?