[central_nj]

Hello Hello!

hope ya'll are doing fine today
this forum looks like a great resource, especially for newbies like me!
I'm in NJ, interested in raising up a few baby goats, eventually for milk! yum
I've signed up today with a few questions in mind:

1. Am I too late to purchase kids, this year? I was INITIALLY under the impression that you could buy goats any time of the year so I've been looking online this past month for kids. Unfortunately, everywhere I look in central NJ, they're sold out. Is it not the right time to purchase goats or should I keep looking?

2. If I should keep looking, are there any breeders in central New Jersey you can recommend or have heard good things about and definitely have female kids available?? name/contact info would be much appreciated! (I checked the breeder-by-state post, but all the breeders there seem to be all out of goats!)

3. Should I be wary of kids that are still up for sale? I found a few listings in PA for does available, but assuming there's a "perfect time to buy kids", is it more likely that those still available have something wrong with them or just haven't been sold yet? onder:

any guidance would be awesome!

thanks!

 

[J.O.Y. Farm]

Hi and welcome from NH :wave:

What breed are you looking for? Some Nigerian breeders will breed for fall kids, so you may be able to find them..

But, most of the Standard breeders are most likely sold out.. Or have few available.. Spring is the easiest time to find kids for sale... Right now would be a great time to look for farms and find one you like and put a reservation down on a breeding you would like a kid from

Hope you find the perfect goats for you soon!

ETA- if you do find kids still for sale, then they could be just not sold yet, it doesn't nessacarily mean something is wrong with them
We have a 'conformation critique' section, so if you find one you really like you can always post a picture and our pros can let you know if it's a good deal or not good luck!

 

[enchantedgoats]

there was somebody in pa that had an awesome pair of nubians that had been shown and now they needed to sell them before winter. i wanted them soooo bad but 450 miles is a tad too far.
no, you are not to late to get doelings it's just that most people have babies in the spring, nigerians breed year round so you would have better luck finding babies.

 

[.:Linz:.]

First, welcome!

Are you looking for a standard size or dwarf breed? We have a couple of Nigerian Dwarf breeders on here that are in NJ so maybe they'll chime in soon.

I think I saw that pair of Nubians enchantedgoats is talking about - from Autumn Hill Farm? A spotted one and a solid one? They are lovely! I want them, but I'm waiting on my Nubian breeder friend to get back with me if they're as good as they look.

Phoenix Pharm in Union Dale, PA is a Nubian breeder and she either has or will have some for sale soon. I know she had a dry two-year old for sale at the end of May, but I don't know if she's still available.

And I breed Alpines and Nubians and should have some available in the spring.

 

[WyndwardFarm]

Hello! We are also in NJ. Hunterdon County. What breed are you interested in? I just got 2 little doelings. One was born in May, the other in June. So they are both pretty young. Nice bloodlines and registered. So its just a matter of looking looking looking, and contacting lots of people. 8) We have Nigerian Dwarves, and I can't wait for all the milk and cheese next spring!

 

[goatiegirl]

I was in your shoes last year. We spent the summer fixing up our barn and by the time we were ready to get them in the fall, we couldn't find what we wanted. So I did what JOY Farm suggested and found a good breeder and got on her waiting list for Spring. Getting on early, I was able to get first pick, after herself of course, and got some beautiful baby doelings that we bottle fed. Really fun!
Good luck! Hope you find what your looking for.

 

[central_nj]

Thanks for all the replies so far! It looks like I'll be checking out the goats in PA and if I don't find *some* (about 4!) that the family likes, I'll likely try to get on some local waiting lists!

I love that forums like these can be so supportive to new people, with just a few kind replies

 

[happybleats]

welcome from Central Texas...its never too late to find your perfect girls... I have retained does and then later decided I better sell some if I kept too any..or as in this season our buck crop was huge!! we still have two Lamancha boys needing new homes..both are a couple of the best ones from this season..Last togo doesnt always mean worse in the pack ..Know what you want them for helps too...family milkers/pets or show quality, registered or it doesn't matter..Mini breed or standard breed..then you want to know what look you like...you can google Dairy goat breeds and get plenty of web sites to show you what each are and the +/- of each..then come here and ask about them...between us all we own them all lol..

 

[.:Linz:.]

Saw this pretty girl on Craigslist today. I'd ask for some better conformation and udder shots, but she has a very good pedigree. I'd go look at her if she wasn't so far away - the ad came up under the Harrisburg search but the goat is in Mansfield, up near the NY border. http://harrisburg.craigslist.org/grd/3975588881.html

 

[central_nj]

Thanks! I actually tracked down another listing I'm currently inquiring after:
http://harrisburg.craigslist.org/grd/3996576573.html

What're some questions I should ask before purchasing?
I think I saw a post for this somewhere but can't seem to find it...

Saw this pretty girl on Craigslist today. I'd ask for some better conformation and udder shots, but she has a very good pedigree. I'd go look at her if she wasn't so far away - the ad came up under the Harrisburg search but the goat is in Mansfield, up near the NY border. http://harrisburg.craigslist.org/grd/3975588881.html

 

[TDG-Farms]

BUYER BEWARE! Before you dive right into buying up some goaties, you need to be totally aware of some of the diseases to watch out for and to ask potential sellers about. The little extra effort now will save you years of cleaning up a dirty infected herd later.

I would only buy from a seller that either has proof of a clean herd OR is willing to let you have them tested first. The 3 major diseases are

Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis (CAE)

CASEOUS LYMPHADENITIS (CL)

JOHNE'S

There are other things to be mindful off but these are the main 3 you want to stay away from when starting a new herd.

 

[.:Linz:.]

Thanks! I actually tracked down another listing I'm currently inquiring after:
http://harrisburg.craigslist.org/grd/3996576573.html

What're some questions I should ask before purchasing?
I think I saw a post for this somewhere but can't seem to find it...

Oh, they look nice. I love that the seller offers mentoring for people new to goats, that tells me they care about what happens to their animals and are involved with their goaties.

Yep, definitely inquire about testing for the "big three" as TDG-Farms said.

 

[central_nj]

Thanks for all your comments, everyone!
We made a move on a herd of goats yesterday...details, here: http://www.thegoatspot.net/forum/f218/suddenly-goat-farmers-hurrah-152489/

 

[imissthesun]

Greetings from NW PA. I am originally from South Jersey.
There are still some babies out there that were born late in the season. I have a little buckling who was born 5/27/13... so they are out there. Don't get frustrated. You could also opt for some first year fresheners which you may find. I did and they have turned out to be wonderful milkers. Good Luck!