Goat Thread!

[waddles99]

It's interesting to see this all worked out. It puts it all into perspective of the benefit of a more expensive goat.

I remember distinctly going to a farm that raised pretty low quality Boers, no offense to them. I bought a buck kid from them for $150. The dam was probably bought for the same price as a doeling. They said that it was getting too expensive keeping the Boers and they wanted to get rid of them. I thought to myself, of course! You pay $200 a year for vet, feed, hay, and other expenses, spend probably $100-$150 for a vet to come out an inseminate your doe, that cost you $150-$200, and then you sell the kids for $150! Not to mention the cost of the labor! No wonder they are struggling to break even.

This was a couple years back. I visited a farm this spring that raised Boers, very very very high quality expensive ones. Some of the nicest in the state if not the entire country. Their prices ranged from $1-$2k. They never complained about the price. Why? Could be that they just didn't like to complain, but more than likely it is because they spend the same amount on vet bills, hay/feed, insemination, yet their kids pay for the doe and the costs of AI and care!

People are so hung up on initial cost that they fail to look at the big picture. You will no doubt spend the same amount of time and money caring for a cheap doe as an expensive one. Might as well make a smart investment and get a doe who can pay for it and net some cash.

 

[henny1129]

I remember distinctly going to a farm that raised pretty low quality Boers, no offense to them. I bought a buck kid from them for $150. The dam was probably bought for the same price as a doeling. They said that it was getting too expensive keeping the Boers and they wanted to get rid of them. I thought to myself, of course! You pay $200 a year for vet, feed, hay, and other expenses, spend probably $100-$150 for a vet to come out an inseminate your doe, that cost you $150-$200, and then you sell the kids for $150! Not to mention the cost of the labor! No wonder they are struggling to break even. 

This was a couple years back. I visited a farm this spring that raised Boers, very very very high quality expensive ones. Some of the nicest in the state if not the entire country. Their prices ranged from $1-$2k. They never complained about the price. Why? Could be that they just didn't like to complain, but more than likely it is because they spend the same amount on vet bills, hay/feed, insemination, yet their kids pay for the doe and the costs of AI and care!

People are so hung up on initial cost that they fail to look at the big picture. You will no doubt spend the same amount of time and money caring for a cheap doe as an expensive one. Might as well make a smart investment and get a doe who can pay for it and net some cash. 

Agreed, and I think this is something that is important for all new goat people to know. I remember when we first started looking for goats and we went and called the people with cheap goats. We soon realized cheap goats were unhealthy goats with no vaccines, no health record, nothing! And all the cheap boys were bucks! When we started looking at more expensive goats we realized a bit of a morale with buying goats, and that is: You get what you pay for. I try to tell this to all new goat people.

 

[waddles99]

Agreed, and I think this is something that is important for all new goat people to know. I remember when we first started looking for goats and we went and called the people with cheap goats. We soon realized cheap goats were unhealthy goats with no vaccines, no health record, nothing! And all the cheap boys were bucks! When we started looking at more expensive goats we realized a bit of a morale with buying goats, and that is: You get what you pay for. I try to tell this to all new goat people.

The people at the "expensive" farm took 3 hours out of their busy schedule to go around and look at all the goats, and to educate me about them. I left after all that time without buying anything and no real plans to in the future. They didn't mind. They were happy to help educate me and give me a peek of their farm. Those are real goat people.

 

[henny1129]

The people at the "expensive" farm took 3 hours out of their busy schedule to go around and look at all the goats, and to educate me about them. I left after all that time without buying anything and no real plans to in the future. They didn't mind. They were happy to help educate me and give me a peek of their farm. Those are real goat people. 

Definitely real goat people! The breeder that we ended up with, was first of all kind enough to give us two wethers he could've been selling for a lot more money as a good market project or kept for himself as bucks. He's also taken the time to answer all our questions with threw and threw explanations whenever we have questions. And when we picked our goats out he gave us a tour of his whole operation showing us every goat he owned. His family is one of the nicest goat families I have met, but I think most true goat families are nice.

 

[waddles99]

Definitely real goat people! The breeder that we ended up with, was first of all kind enough to give us two wethers he could've been selling for a lot more money as a good market project or kept for himself as bucks. He's also taken the time to answer all our questions with threw and threw explanations whenever we have questions. And when we picked our goats out he gave us a tour of his whole operation showing us every goat he owned. His family is one of the nicest goat families I have met, but I think most true goat families are nice.

Sounds like the place I went to! They don't know it yet, but I plan on buying one of their best 2017 doelings. Anyone that knowledgable and honest deserves my business, plus, I want to buy from someone I can trust. They have really nice goats too. Some that will make you stop dead in your tracks. I mean it. I hope to get that dapple buck I was telling you about and breed it to her. Hopefully she'll throw kids with dapples. If not they'll at least have the dapple genes. I love dapples. I think a good dapple really stands out in the show ring. Dapples are a lot less common and good dapples are hard to come by, so I think that a judge would really appreciate a solid dapple kid in the ring.

 

[henny1129]

Sounds like the place I went to! They don't know it yet, but I plan on buying one of their best 2017 doelings. Anyone that knowledgable and honest deserves my business, plus, I want to buy from someone I can trust. They have really nice goats too. Some that will make you stop dead in your tracks. I mean it. I hope to get that dapple buck I was telling you about and breed it to her. Hopefully she'll throw kids with dapples. If not they'll at least have the dapple genes. I love dapples. I think a good dapple really stands out in the show ring. Dapples are a lot less common and good dapples are hard to come by, so I think that a judge would really appreciate a solid dapple kid in the ring.

I'm sure that would make some real nice kids! Good luck with it and I hope you do really well! I've actually started to like the look of dapples and I think they definitely get the attention from a judge in the show!

 

[waddles99]

I'm sure that would make some real nice kids! Good luck with it and I hope you do really well! I've actually started to like the look of dapples and I think they definitely get the attention from a judge in the show!

Thanks! Yeah, I didnt know if it was just me or if dapples really do attract attention in the show ring! I have never shown at an ABGA sanctioned show before, only 4H, so wouldn't really know about that one. In 4H as you probably know they don't judge too much on confirmation, they judge on conditioning, shave job, and cleanliness. I COULD show in ABGA shows, but I really don't think I'm at that level yet. I'm getting there. Wouldn't be worth it at my level, I don't have anything good enough.

And yeah, that's the plan. Hopefully it goes well. It's going to be a bit hard getting the buck as he is far far away and we need to build a pen for him where he can't share a fence line with the does.

 

[henny1129]

Thanks! Yeah, I didnt know if it was just me or if dapples really do attract attention in the show ring! I have never shown at an ABGA sanctioned show before, only 4H, so wouldn't really know about that one. In 4H as you probably know they don't judge too much on confirmation, they judge on conditioning, shave job, and cleanliness. I COULD show in ABGA shows, but I really don't think I'm at that level yet. I'm getting there. Wouldn't be worth it at my level, I don't have anything good enough.

And yeah, that's the plan. Hopefully it goes well. It's going to be a bit hard getting the buck as he is far far away and we need to build a pen for him where he can't share a fence line with the does.

I thought it was just me too! I just think because they're not seen a lot, they get the attention of ANYONE!

 

[waddles99]

I thought it was just me too! I just think because they're not seen a lot, they get the attention of ANYONE!

I haven't ever personally seen one. Have you ever heard of Max Boer goats in PA? That's where I would like to buy a buck. They have some of the best dapple genetics in the country. Check out some of their herd sires, they're monsters.

 

[henny1129]

I haven't ever personally seen one. Have you ever heard of Max Boer goats in PA? That's where I would like to buy a buck. They have some of the best dapple genetics in the country. Check out some of their herd sires, they're monsters.

They're beautiful in real life! I have, we're just in Ohio and I actually feel like we looked at their website before when we were looking for goats. I'm gonna go look!