# Selling animals, and emotions



## OutdoorDreamer (Mar 29, 2012)

Has anyone felt a little sadness after watching your goats/any other animals leave the farm to a new home? I sold my first kids this year and a yearling goat I could not keep because she did not fit with my breeding program. Even though they had to go in order to make more room, I still felt attached to them. I know they went to nice homes, so it's not a worrying thing. On the other hand I am relieved that my feed bill is a little less now.


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Almost always! Ive never been "glad" to see someone go but we cant keep everyone.


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## LadySecret (Apr 20, 2013)

I've never sold a goat but when I bought my first goats (for pets and weed control) I picked out a set of first generation mini Nubian triplets. All of them were black and white which I really like but I made the mistake of bring my niece with me to get them. She fell in love with a beautiful tri colored nubian/alpine doeling that was wild and also for sale. Breeder couldn't even pet her. I told my niece that her twin brother would make a better pet (he wanted to be petted by anyone). She disagreed and was set on the wild doeling. Long story short, we ended up taking all five home! I felt really bad because the breeder cried a little as we were leaving. I took all her babies. I told her we didn't have to take all of them if she wanted to keep one. She said no, she wanted good homes for them. She was very concerned that some one would lie to her and really take them home to eat. I sent her pictures of them about a week after I got them so she could see they were happy and cared for.

My niece's wild doeling was quickly named Trouble for all her shenanigans and the trials and tribulations she put me through. Trouble quickly became the herd boss and is now a total love bug just like her brother.


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## loggyacreslivestock (Mar 5, 2013)

This is our first year with market goats. My son has a wether that is one of our triplets (first kids we ever had). He will be shown next week at our fair, then sold for meat. I have already been crying in anticipation. I have shown cattle, and sheep, never had this happen before. These little boogers really get under your skin


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## TrinityRanch (Mar 26, 2013)

I'm with LoggyAcres. It really sucks to raise a little guy for 5 months, doing all the feeding, watering, training, love & care, and then watching him scream for you while you leave him at the fair. Every year, while I am kissing their faces, I don't think I will be able to leave them. But I do, and I know they are filling their purposes by providing food for our country.

It isn't too hard for me when I sell pets or dairy goats, because they go to great homes, and the one-on-one connection isn't there. They are the business, while my market goat becomes my partner in crime.


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## fd123 (May 29, 2012)

I couldn't do it....Theres NO WAY....


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## OutdoorDreamer (Mar 29, 2012)

Market goats would be so hard for me. I don't think I could do it either.

I got a happy update from the new owners of the goats I sold. They sent me pictures of them enjoying their new home, with all the brush and browse. I feel a lot better now. Love to hear about how new goat owners are enjoying their animals.


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## luvmyherd (Apr 9, 2011)

Yep, selling them makes me sadder than when we eat them ourselves. We do our best to find good homes but we also know they may be used for meat. When we butcher them ourselves we know they were given a good life and a humane send off.


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## OakHollowRanch (Jun 6, 2013)

I cried when we sold Cookie, the first goat I have ever sold. I know she went to a great 4-H family, but I had such a hard time deciding to sell her in the first place. She was my bottle baby, and she cried for me constantly. I was also sad to see Nutmeg, her brother, go. I didn't cry though, because I knew he would most likely have to go to an auction if they didn't buy him. I was a nervous wreck when his new owner did not reply to my emails for 2 weeks. However, yesterday she sent me pictures of him playing with his new friends and asked a question about his papers. That made feel much better.


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

After we had unloaded the first bunch of wethers I took to the sale barn I went to find them and make sure they had hay and water. I found them, alright, they were huddled up together scared, confused, and totally bewildered as to what was happening. I called one of their names and they all came rushing over to me. I won't lie to you - I was close to 50 years old at that time, and I stood in that alley way at that sale barn and cried like a baby, all the while petting and talking to that bunch of goats. That was the only bunch of wethers that I named, too. It is never easy shipping my goats - especially the kids, but the reality is that I cannot keep and feed all of them, and they are serving an important need.


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## HFWestern (Jun 23, 2013)

I couldn't let go my goats for food. Nope not me. I love everyone of them. It was so hard to let go of one of my kids. But she has a wonderful home and I can see her anytime. She also still remembers me. The people who have her spend a lot of time with her and they even have another female goat who took Gretchin under her wing. Now she is spoiled and living a wonderful life. But the best part? I get to see her still.


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

Yes, it's hard. Hard to sell, but harder to harvest, IMO. The whole reason I harvest in the first place is because I love them SO much. I don't want to have to let them go to a less-than-idea home, just because I don't have room for everyone. Leaving them there is HARD, but I know they had a great, great life and only one bad day. I'm protecting them.

This year was easy, though, because three of my precious babies went to Laura, so I know they're in the best of hands.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

It's very hard. I will admit I've shed lots of tears selling goats. The hardest sell ever was my little girls 4-H doe last summer. She went to a good home, but still... Will always regret selling her 
We've taken bucklings that didn't sell to auction before. Leaving them was very very difficult. But sadly, it's part of it when you breed/sell.

My kids each have a wether for 4-H right now, and my husband plans to use my youngest daughter's wether as a meat animal for us. He's such a good boy, not really much for pet quality, but still, it will be very hard.
My oldest 2 will auction their boys off at the 4-H auction in Sept. and one of them is just a big sweetheart....


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

I think because I went into this knowing I would have to sell or process offspring, I am able to deal with it. I don't name them, for one thing. That makes it harder for us.I know my breeders are my first priority, and that keeping too many would take away from them.
I am fine with processing the kids when the time comes too, since I know how well they were treated.

I admit, it would be really hard I bet, to do the market wethers....that's a lot of one on one time. But you have to do what you have to do. You just can't keep 'em all, unfortunately and people gotta eat.....


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## cheyenne (Aug 21, 2011)

I am happy I found this thread as I too am stuggling so hard with having to sell some of my goats. To begin with, I only wanted 2 goats... those two have turned into 12!  So now at least 8 of them need to find new homes. However, I think if I knew they were buying them to kill I think I might have to say 'no sale!' I don't care how hungry the people were! lol I still haven't advertised them yet. Just can't seem to make myself do it yet. I'm such a baby about this!


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## TrinityRanch (Mar 26, 2013)

cheyenne said:


> I am happy I found this thread as I too am stuggling so hard with having to sell some of my goats. To begin with, I only wanted 2 goats... those two have turned into 12!  So now at least 8 of them need to find new homes. However, I think if I knew they were buying them to kill I think I might have to say 'no sale!' I don't care how hungry the people were! lol I still haven't advertised them yet. Just can't seem to make myself do it yet. I'm such a baby about this!


What breed are they, Cheyenne? If they are dairy breeds, I would plaster "*Not for meat*" all big on the advertisement, and specify them as pets, breeders, ect. If they are a meat breed, you can still sell does (or bucks) as breeders and tell buyers that the wethers would be great companions, pets, grazers, cart goats, pack goats, and NOT meat. I don't think you are being too soft about this  It is on our sales policy that our animals go with a purpose intended for them, and are not to be sold otherwise. If you want your goats to go off and live happy lives, then you have the right to decide where they go.


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