when i first talked about getting back into goats i promised my hubby 3 goats :greengrin: 1 buck and 2 does so i could breed and have milk :roll: then i ended up with 14 :shocked: i sold 6 and now i have 8 but that's still more than i promised well i'm only milking 2 does and only getting about 1/2g a day (only milking once a day because i got really really sick for the month of aug and they started drying off by the time i felt good enough to milk again) well i've always wanted a standard doe to milk but i don't want to buy from an auction because i don't want to take a chance on disease but i don't want to spend 3 or 400 on a doe i only want to milk (suppose i could let the kids show her...) anyway i found a lady that is selling out she has 4 goats left and really wants to sell all at once but agreed to sell me one she thinks that 2 are too old to breed (don't know ages yet) and that the yearling is already bred and she would sell me the yearling for $125 so she sent me pics the 2 older does are beautiful brown nubians - dehorned the yearling is an alpine cross with big horns but sorta looks like my Pig but black where he is brown i have asked how old the other does are and how much she would like for them but haven't heard back yet and i do not know what the younger doe is bred to tho i think she is bred to her buck (?) the buck is the furthest from the dog and the yearling is 2nd from the dog what do y'all think? should i get the yearling or should i try for one of the other does depending on their age...???...
cleaned and cropped the pic well, ears are short so definite mixes/grades dunno...? sorta like the one closest to the fence with a green collar...?
That yearling is cute. Is she proven or a FF? I would find out who her dam and sire is - the last thing you want to do is bring in a goat that isn't going to give you the production that you want. I would not neccesarily take the older ones unless they are not as old as she is making them out to be.
I don't think I"d bring a horned goat into the herd, I know your wether has horns but bringing a new goat into the herd with horns is a totally different thing. I'd find out how old the other two are before you make a decision.
this is the email i received in reply to my inquires please! all advice welcome and wanted! the mother of Leenda is the nubian goat in the picture that has the beard, Pinta. Pinta was one of my original goats and I got her in either 1997 or 1998. Pinta was bred with an all white goat, I think he was mixed but he could have had Saanen or Alpine in him. I'm not sure, it was a friend of mines and since then he went to auction. Santa Maria is the other nubian with the green collar, she is a beauty, she is still milking the buck I am trying desperately to get rid of - she was born the year after Pinta. I don't think I could sell Santa Maria unless you were willing to take them all (including the buck - who would fetch some money at the auction I'm sure). $300 for all???
sat here staring at the pics and bouncing ideas off my daughter (who really doesn't care but sits here and says "uh huh" at the right time - LOL) i'm thinking i could pick all 4 up on wednesday possibly keep the 2 nubian does (1 is in milk now - i think) and drop the buck and the alpine off at the auction house on my way home (auctions are wed) i have a separate barn and pasture that i could confine them too and that way one doe wouldn't have to be alone i think they are mother and daughter if i read correctly i think, actually, the whole herd is related with the one brown doe being the matriarch and mother to the buck and the other brown doe and grandmother to the alpine thoughts...?
I have brought in horned goats and have not had much of a problem. Although I am banding their horns this weekend, as I am tired of seeing my little ones go flying when they pitch them away from the feeders (although deep down it is quiet comical - but I don't want them hurt)!
i messed up the family relations first from the fence away from the dog is Santa Maria Leenda Pinta Buck Pinta is leenda's mom - don't think she freshened this year - will ask - pinta was bought in '97 or '98 but dont know the age santa maria (closest to the fence/dog and the goat i like) is the mother to the buckling and is in milk - she was born the year after Pinta but i was not given pinta's birth year so Maria (closest to fence/dog) is the doe that I liked the best anyway and she is in milk whether or not she is milkable ...?... probably not but i can deal with that do i want to deal with a pain in the butt milker again?... (had to have an "argument" with one of my minis this spring) not really but i do like her i should ask if these goats are even "user friendly" i know the lady works from home but... too many questions and not enough answers maybe keep Maria and sell the other 3...?... this is the email i am sending back to her tonite do you handle these goats? are they "user friendly"? has Maria ever been milked? did Pinta freshen this year? could Maria and Pinta be bred to the buckling? who is Leenda bred to? when was Pinta born? you said you got her in '97 or '98 but not when she was born or how old she was when you got her (i may end up taking all 4) how did Pinta handle her last freshening and how did Maria handle hers? did they "come around" quickly or did they seem lethargic?
WOW,,,You definately have some questions going there! They all look to be fine goats though I do wonder about the close relations...is the buck related to all of them? Also, you figure that the doe you like is 9 years old and the other is at least 10 or 11.....as old as they are I don't think I'd want to feed another thats only going to be able to give maybe another year of milk, if she even settles because of her age as well as the stress of being moved to a new place . This is only my opinion on what I would do....If I was going to spend $300.00 on 4 goats that I may not get much out of, maybe get a few bucks back for the 2 you were planning on selling, I think I'd rather spend that $300 on 1 or 2 younger does and know that I would get my moneys worth in the years and kids to come. This certainly is a dilemma for you and I hope you can figure out a solution :greengrin:
I agree, if you are going to spend the money get something younger. Youre looking at does that are past their prime. Who knows if they will kid easily as they are old, if they can even get bred again. The horns would scare me, even if they dont mean to a well placed horn can hurt. Take your time and look around. You will find something better im sure of it. beth
thanx y'all i really appreciate it yes and no stacy it's a little over an hours drive when i go to the auction barn and she is about another 15 or 20 min from there not a bad idea i haven't heard back from her yet so maybe i will find out about going out to look at them my best milker ever was an alpine and Leenda is an alpine/nub cross and i used to have a herd of grade goats that were all horned with no problems but it's bringing a new horned goat into a dehorned herd that worries me maybe i should just wait til spring that way i am not feeding an extra goat thru winter i've had to go back to work to pay for my sons college because he didn't qualify for financial aid this semester (long story) and i've already down sized my herd to help stave the feed bill i think i'll pray then Let Go and Let God and see what happens i told her i would contact her friday once i found out my work schedule to know when i could come out so i have a couple days Dear God. Please show me the path You would have me follow and let me know what the right decision is. Amen
here is her reply to me I am slow to reply because I am having second thoughts of course but - yes, I handle these goats. Santa Maria, Pinta and Leenda are pretty user friendly. Santa Maria has been milked for years, Pinta did not freshen this year - she freshened last year with Leenda. Pinta could be bred to the buck - Santa Maria is the buck's mother - so inbreeding may or may not occur When I got Pinta she was just born (3 months) Leenda is bred to the buck from this year (no relation) Santa Maria only had one baby this year - and one baby two years ago - prior to that she was having triplets - I think 1 baby is all she can handle at her age of 10 Pinta had Leenda last year and another beautiful buck all white goat that was huge. The baby monitor misfunctioned and when I got down there the next morning the white buck was dead. She was fine though. She is pretty old to be breeding though. Not lethargic either one of them - they are good mothers but I worry about keep breeding them which is why I have been so desperate to get rid of this buck. If someone calls over the weekend - i will sell the buck but so far no calls. Santa Maria and Pinta jump right onto my milking stand to be milked. I went on vacation this year to Colorado - let the buck milk her in the meantime (Buck born April 1st) and when I got home she decided no more jumping up. She is drying up now. I want a place for them to go as nice as here - large pastures etc. You know how it is. and here is my reply to her I"ve done a lot of thinking and a lot of soul searchingI've come to the conclusion that the timing just isnt right I like Leenda and I really like Santa Maria but I just cant take 4 goats right now and I have no problem with horned goats but I am worried about bringing a horned goat into a dehorned herd especially since mine are miniaturesI have been a stay at home mom for 7 years but have gone back to work because we are paying for my sons college and feed prices are up thank you so very much for your time and i hope you find a really great home for them i think i will put off looking for a standard sized doe until this spring have a good winter and a great Christmas
It sounds as though she really cares about her goats, and not wanting to breed the 2 older ones is a big concern for her. I would imagine that after having the 2 for so long it's going to behard for her to part with them. Sounds like you made the right choice for yourself, I'd say the 2 old gals are ready for a "pet" home. Hope she can get them re-homed before winter.
well the Good Lord has a reason for everything maybe she is supposed to keep them I hope that whatever happens for her she feels good about it with no regrets
I think it's good that you decided not to get them. I would be very cautious about breeding those older girls. And never again will we bring horns into a herd! When we brought home our Kikos(which are now all sold off) they had horns. The doe's horns curved back, so when she wanted to stab another goat she stick her head almost between her legs to stab them. Keep looking! I'm sure you'll find something. And hey if you wanna make the trip out to Ohio again we have a little grade doeling that would be a good milker! :wink: LOL! And actually....she's out of the same doe as Ranger and Kiefer.
