A few questions about goats...

[BabyandCotton]

I'm looking into breeding for 4-h and the milk. How much is it to get the supplies for AI?

-Liv

 

[BabyandCotton]

I'd like to show but it's not a priority. Thank you henny.

-Liv

 

[henny1129]

I'd like to show but it's not a priority. Thank you henny.

-Liv

Of course!

 

[waddles99]

I'm looking into breeding for 4-h and the milk. How much is it to get the supplies for AI?

-Liv

If you have someone in your area who specializes in AI, they will be able to do it. It takes training and skill to artificially inseminate livestock. Not to mention the supplies for keeping semen and insemination are very expensive. Another alternative is taking your doe to someone else's farm and having their buck breed it. I would be cautious of this, however, since they can transmit disease. If you find a reputable place and they are willing to breed their buck to your doe, it can cost $200-$600.

 

[BabyandCotton]

Ok thank you. I know a Nigerian breeder who sells doelings for $150 and adds a wether or intact kid for a extra $25. I think she'll breed her buck to my doe for $75
-Liv

 

[cassie]

If you have someone in your area who specializes in AI, they will be able to do it. It takes training and skill to artificially inseminate livestock. Not to mention the supplies for keeping semen and insemination are very expensive. Another alternative is taking your doe to someone else's farm and having their buck breed it. I would be cautious of this, however, since they can transmit disease. If you find a reputable place and they are willing to breed their buck to your doe, it can cost $200-$600.

$200 to $600 for stud service??? For a goat?? Where do you live and who do you know who owns bucks whose services command that kind of money?? I'd like to know. The $200 fee maybe for a top buck in high demand but it certainly isn't that usual. Personally I've never heard of any and that includes bucks who are out of record milk producing does and national champions but i have been out of the business for a few years. You ought to be able to find stud service from a good buck in the $50 range. I will check with a couple long time breeders of top quality animals and ask what the current fees are.

If you take your doe to a reputable breeder for service, the chance of picking up a disease is very low. The contact with the buck is very brief and that minimizes the risk, if any. You can ask if their herd has been tested for CAE, CL, and Johnes. The buck owner will be far more concerned about your doe. If she has abscesses or any sign of a communicable disease they will not want her on the place. Obviously you will want to visit the farm before your doe is in heat to check out the place and see if the available bucks are suitable.

The trouble with AI is that it is a lot more difficult to AI a goat than it is a cow and the technique is very different. Also with goats, the timing is critical. I used AI a lot with my goats and I had a very good success rate, too.

 

[waddles99]

$200 to $600 for stud service??? For a goat?? Where do you live and who do you know who owns bucks whose services command that kind of money?? I'd like to know. The $200 fee maybe for a top buck in high demand but it certainly isn't that usual. Personally I've never heard of any and that includes bucks who are out of record milk producing does and national champions but i have been out of the business for a few years. You ought to be able to find stud service from a good buck in the $50 range. I will check with a couple long time breeders of top quality animals and ask what the current fees are.

If you take your doe to a reputable breeder for service, the chance of picking up a disease is very low. The contact with the buck is very brief and that minimizes the risk, if any. You can ask if their herd has been tested for CAE, CL, and Johnes. The buck owner will be far more concerned about your doe. If she has abscesses or any sign of a communicable disease they will not want her on the place. Obviously you will want to visit the farm before your doe is in heat to check out the place and see if the available bucks are suitable.

The trouble with AI is that it is a lot more difficult to AI a goat than it is a cow and the technique is very different. Also with goats, the timing is critical. I used AI a lot with my goats and I had a very good success rate, too.

Oh, my bad. These are the numbers I am familiar with in the world of show goats. I wasn't really thinking about the fact that a regular old goat would be lower(obviously). I show meat goats and you can expect to pay those prices commonly for a nice boer sire with a lot of ennoblements on his pedigree.

 

[BabyandCotton]

What if my goats lived on our back porch? We have a large back porch, about 10x8, but with the washer dryer and deep freezer I would have about 5x8. I could add some stall dividers and a feed station. It is made of concrete and steel. Would this be large enough for two does? I would let them forage from 9:30am-7:45pm. I have a little coop I can build on to for the does to kindle in. Does this sound like a reasonable plan? I'm guessing I could sweep the porch off, but I'm prepared to put sand or straw down.
-Liv

 

[BabyandCotton]

One more question. Could a sheep and a goat be good companions? I feel like they would but I don't know.
-Liv

 

[waddles99]

I feel as though you are trying to avoid the construction of a traditional run in. Let me tell you, if you don't mind the smell, go for it. But it will be a lot more easy if they just have a standard run in.