Lots of Goat Inquiries :)

[cassie]

The number one most important thing is that you get goats from a herd that is tested annually. Many diseases are highly contagious and have no cure. The seller should be able to provide negative test results. Save yourself the heartache (and money) and just avoid buying from anyone that doesn't test.

I would not recommend bottle kids for inexperienced goat owners. They are so much work and there can be a lot of issues if you don't know what you're doing. I personally don't like bottle babies either. I find them to be very pushy. I had a rejected kid I had to feed and he was very sweet but just always under my feet and in my face. But that's just my preference on that.

I register my goats because it allows me to sell kids at a higher price and gives me a bigger potential buyer pool. I don't do any showing. I might do LA and milk testing but that won't be any time soon.

I read many years ago that if a doe isn't breed my 2 years old, she will have problems getting pregnant. I don't know how true that is but it is something to consider if you aren't sure about breeding. A couple of wethers might be a better options as your starters.

By bottle babies do you mean kids that are not weaned or are you suggesting that beginners buy mother raised kids? The suggestion about buying weaned kids is a good one. In fact, most of the time when you buy kids from a breeder they are weaned before they are offered for sale. Mother raised kids are another matter entirely. In fact, if you want real excitement in your life it is hard to beat a couple mother raised Toggenburgs. They not only look like deer but they act like them.

 

[lomine]

By bottle babies do you mean kids that are not weaned or are you suggesting that beginners buy mother raised kids? The suggestion about buying weaned kids is a good one. In fact, most of the time when you buy kids from a breeder they are weaned before they are offered for sale. Mother raised kids are another matter entirely. In fact, if you want real excitement in your life it is hard to beat a couple mother raised Toggenburgs. They not only look like deer but they act like them.

Sorry should have clarified. I don't think inexperienced folks should start with un-weaned kids that they will need to feed. Weaned kids, either off the bottle or mom, would be best.

I don't like bottle babies but I do understand that lots of folks prefer them. I think mother raised kids can be just as friendly but they have to be socialized and handled from birth. It can be hard if mom isn't friendly. I have a doe that I bought as a damn raised kid; her mother was the breeders least friendly goat that they hadn't even trained to milk. My doe isn't friendly and is hard to catch. She freshened for the first time this year and I handled her kids from birth. Sometimes it was hard to catch them because mom would lead them away from me but they both turned out sweet and friendly.