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Breeding Up or Buying the Best

4K views 40 replies 23 participants last post by  Oliveoil 
#1 ·
Ok, so this seems to be a fairly controversial topic that I have seen, but I think it should make for a fun discussion. This is all your opinion, no wrong answer. What do you think is better to start off with average/above average animals and breed up or buy the best quality you can afford right from the start? I would like to see your opinion and why, especially from our fellow show breeders. Ready, set...go!
 
#35 ·
For the most part, When a first time buyer starts out and buys a goat, most folks are just wanting a goat or two. Not really thinking about getting into breeding and raising goats. Just something for the kids or grand kids to play with and eat a few weeds. So least expensive seems to be the case unless you are buying for a show animal for FFA and or like activities. Then after keeping goats a while you either like them and want to continue keeping goats or you sell out and get out. If staying, Now is when most folks start thinking about improving the quality of their herd. As for my self, I purchased a nice non-registered doe and enjoyed her. Then I decided that I wanted better registered animals. I bought 2 very nice doelings.They turned out to be good animals and I was satisfied with them. That was several years ago and I have been gradually trying to improve my herd. I now own a really great billy and he looks the part and have recently purchase an extremely well bred doe with some old bloodlines and She will be bred to a exceptionally good billy. This cross is my expectation for a second billy and some new bloodlines to work with in the does I already have. So in hind site I would encourage a buyer to consider what their desired goals are and if keepig and breeding goats then by all means purchase the best you can afford.
 
#36 ·
I always buy the best I can afford. Sometimes more than what I can comfortably afford :p I figure the breeders have put years, sometimes decades into getting their herd to the point it's at. If I buy one of their goats, I've skipped that far ahead! I'd rather build off of quality than start at the bottom and sink money and time into clawing my way to the top.

Even my more casual pursuits (like my 3 pet sheep) I buy quality registered animals. I'd rather spend the money upfront on potential that I don't use than buy an unregistered or inferior animal that I'm not going to be happy with or that I'm going to have to upgrade later. Go big or go home, I guess....just don't ask how much I've spent on new goats this year! :p
 
#38 ·
I am just starting out. We had dairy goats when I was growing up but they werent all mine- they were my moms even though I did a lot of care with them etc. I learned from that experience that when I got my own herd someday, that I would make sure they all came from good milking lines.
While its not a guarantee, I think its a better place to start. Then put in the work to make it better.
Our area doesn't have a lot of breeders with documented milk lines for Nigerian Dwarfs or Lamanchas so I had to travel a few hours or have goats transported to me. So if I'm gonna do all that I might as well get registered stock and pay for the best I can afford which I'm sure isnt as much as what some people have lol.
When I was first looking around in my area, people literally lied about what they had. They would say they were pure or registered but then if you did some checking or actually went to see these goats many did not look pure at all, or looked sickly, or you could find no evidence of documentation. Its the wild west for goats around here lol, so I mainly stuck with only reputable breeders.
 
#39 ·
That is definitely true. Something I saw online said that yes, you might get lucky and find a great deal on a great goat, a diamond in the rough type of goat that might not look like much initially, but more likely is you will buy this animal, be burned, and it would have saved you time, money, and heartache to buy a quality goat from a reputable breeder in the first place.
 
#40 ·
True! I think if one is just wanting a cute pet, the goals will be different than if one is trying to cobble together a good milking or meat line from scratch.
I love rescue animals. People dump cats out here all the time because we are right at the edge of a large city. We also have dogs and the random rooster dumped as well.
We give many homeless animals a good home and lots of love but they wont be in my milking herd lol.
 
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