# Sale Barn thoughts



## Huff_farm (Jun 9, 2013)

What everybody's thoughts on sale barn. I just want un unregistered boers, and I know that they will have them


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

Be very careful in purchasing at the sale barn, many sick and diseased animals are there;(


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## Huff_farm (Jun 9, 2013)

Yeah that is something I was worring about, I did buy lamanchas from there once, but I got lucky I guess :\


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## canyontrailgoats (Jan 4, 2014)

It's safer to buy from private and backyard breeders. Many sale barns are yucky pools of parasites and disease, which would be brought back to your existing herd.


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## Wild Hearts Ranch (Dec 26, 2011)

I have bought from my local sales barn successfully. We have low instances of infectious diseases around here and they have animals go through that are outwardly healthy - if they haven't been in direct contact with any that are sick the chances of getting sick from airborn germs or ones left in the pen are fairly low, but it's still a good idea to quarantine them and run the standard tests.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

With so many people fallen on hard times, I bet more and more healthy animals are at sales barns. You just have to be careful what you buy.


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## NewbieNubian (Nov 7, 2011)

Both of my does were sale barn does. No signs of disease in either of them, and my little LaMancha cross cost me $90 and now produces me better meat wethers than my Boer doe! But like everybody said, it's just a matter of being careful about what you buy and watching for outward signs of illness or disease in the pens.


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## Wild Hearts Ranch (Dec 26, 2011)

There was a really nice bred Boer doe last week that I wish I had bought. The owners hung around answering questions and all of their animals were really well cared for.


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

The problem is you wont know their history. Unless the above case, the owner sticks around answering questions.
Anybody can do CDT but what if you see a nice looking doe?
You will never know if the owner is dumping her because of a bad birthing or mothering history.
If that decent buck has cluster teats or is the Wildman of Alcatraz.


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

I've bought from a sale barn often. Had some that weren't worth buying once I got them home...but it's a chance you take. I've also gotten some nice obes there. Just be picky and watch for any signs of sickness before buying


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

Huff_farm said:


> What everybody's thoughts on sale barn. I just want un unregistered boers, and I know that they will have them


Whether or not the sale barn is a viable option for you is going to depend entirely on your experience with goats. If you are a newbie, stay away. If you have experience and know what to look for, there are a lot of good deals to be had at the sale barn.


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

canyontrailgoats said:


> It's safer to buy from private and backyard breeders. Many sale barns are yucky pools of parasites and disease, which would be brought back to your existing herd.


Funny you should mention that. My first 27 head of 'real' goats came from the sale barn. I never had a single problem with health, disease, illness, or anything else with them. My next 43 head were purchased through private treaty, and I got screwed royally! Please stop with the propaganda. I don't care if you buy from the sale barn or private treaty, the rules are the same and the number one rule is buyer beware!


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## Huff_farm (Jun 9, 2013)

Thank you everyone! I will have a semi vetrian with me, so I believe I will hit the barns Saturday, thanks!


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

Get there early, walk through the pens and look at all of them. It's hard to see minor illness in the ring because of the adrenaline the goat is producing. Make a note of the pen number of animals you're interested in since some barns announce the pen number as they go through the ring. Do they have hay and water? A lot of times hay and water is not provided unless the seller requests it. To me that is one of those little things that says a lot about the seller. Quarantine any you buy for at least 30 days - preferably at least 70 yards away from any animals you currently have. Test for CAE, CL, and Johnes at the minimum. Happy hunting, and I wish you the best!


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## Wild Hearts Ranch (Dec 26, 2011)

Last week there were some Ober kids that were just a few weeks old, and I saw a guy giving them a bottle before the sale started. Not sure if he was the owner or not but they sure appreciated it.


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## Huff_farm (Jun 9, 2013)

Those definently are some really good pointers, I never thought of that!


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Dang it I just deleted my whole reply!!!!
Well let's try it again lol. I agree with msscamps on what she has said. 90% of my goats came from the sale. I learned real fast to check them out before they come in the ring. I go out and look and write their # down. Even if a nice looking goat comes threw the ring that I missed looking at I will pass. I would look for signs of scours and runny noses. For me I also look at their feet. No one here seems to trim hoofs and even after years of trimming on a few does hoofs I still can't get them to come out of their funk. And call me crazy but the eyes will tell you a lot. If they just look depressed with no real light in them pass. Another thing I do and people disagree with but I still do it is who ever I get gets a round of la200/biomycin. That stuff covers a lot of things and after bringing home the clap to my other goats I take no chances since I got everyone over that. 
But good luck and try not to get addicted 


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

We have taken weanlings that didn't sell off farm. And others who weren't up to par so to speak for breeding program for one reason or another.
Folks asked lots of questions prior to auction time.
They all went like hotcakes.
Some were meat buyers & one was a guy wanting to expand. He asked what I was feeding etc.


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

Jessica, I would be the last person to call you crazy for checking out the eyes. That is my #1 way of telling when one of my girls is getting sick. They never lie!


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

I agree look them over in the pen first. But also look again when they come in the ring...I've seen something wrong after they came in the ring that wasn't noticed before. Also don't forget to look at all the animals in a pen....if one is sick...be very cautious about buying out of that pen. Like I said....be picky...even pickier than you normally might be


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## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

Have you looked at your local Craigslist? I see dollar a pound goats on there all the time where I live. I'd rather buy cheap goats like that. If I was buying cheap goats. I walked through the barn at the Enumclaw sale last weekend. I didn't see the boer doe. I did see the Ober babies. They were cute. Everything else looked almost dead. There were some sheep there that the seller should have been arrested.


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

Wild Hearts Ranch said:


> Last week there were some Ober kids that were just a few weeks old, and I saw a guy giving them a bottle before the sale started. Not sure if he was the owner or not but they sure appreciated it.


Awe really? It's not like I need anymore animals, but Obers....;-) Do you know how much they went for? Curious..., for pricing on my animals..


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## giddyogoat (May 28, 2012)

Anything can happen at the "sale" especially if you are new to it. I have gotten some of my best kidders and I also got my first case of cl from the weekly goat sale. I even pointed out to the guys a goat with a burst pusstual in a sale pen they just shook their heads and went about their business. It aint what you see that will get ya. No matter where you buy at the sale or at the persons house you have got to ask hard questions that some might find embarrassing, especially with cl.


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## Wild Hearts Ranch (Dec 26, 2011)

No, I don't remember. 

Tenacross the Boer doe was in the next to last stall on the right, came in with some Obers and a Nubian. Those sheep were disgusting and Ron was pissed that they were allowed in. The staff should know better. I think several of them ended up in the dumpster that night.

There were some Katahdins in good shape though, I would have gotten one if he'd broken them up.


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

Wild Hearts Ranch said:


> No, I don't remember.
> 
> Tenacross the Boer doe was in the next to last stall on the right, came in with some Obers and a Nubian. Those sheep were disgusting and Ron was pissed that they were allowed in. The staff should know better. I think several of them ended up in the dumpster that night.
> 
> There were some Katahdins in good shape though, I would have gotten one if he'd broken them up.


The Katahdins are the ones you don't have to shear right? I should have gotten some of those;-)


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## Wild Hearts Ranch (Dec 26, 2011)

Yep. I have one ewe; the ones there were nice but all of the young ones sold in groups of 3-4.


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## cybercat (Oct 18, 2007)

We go to 3 different sale barns. Only one have we seen nice goats at. One has never had them. The other is a stay far far away from place. Every goat that came in the last place seemed sick. We buy cows at our local sale barn. Word of warning look at the animal's they are penned with also. Some might be sick. This happened to us with our last one. Very important to treat with la 200 to cover oneself. 

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## FullMoonFarm-Ky (Jan 15, 2014)

I too have had good luck. 2 of the 4 I bought ended up being pregnant, and they both kidded about 1.5 months after I got them. One a single, the other twins. So basically the goats immediately paid for themselves, and some. I can either sale them, or use their offspring as other breeding stock since they didn't come from my buck. I know this isn't the norm, but it worked out for me. 

As has been mentioned, you gotta be extra picky on what you buy, and which goats were in the pen with them. 


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## still (Mar 16, 2013)

Jessica84 said:


> Dang it I just deleted my whole reply!!!!
> Well let's try it again lol. I agree with msscamps on what she has said. 90% of my goats came from the sale. I learned real fast to check them out before they come in the ring. I go out and look and write their # down. Even if a nice looking goat comes threw the ring that I missed looking at I will pass. I would look for signs of scours and runny noses. For me I also look at their feet. No one here seems to trim hoofs and even after years of trimming on a few does hoofs I still can't get them to come out of their funk. And call me crazy but the eyes will tell you a lot. If they just look depressed with no real light in them pass. Another thing I do and people disagree with but I still do it is who ever I get gets a round of la200/biomycin. That stuff covers a lot of things and after bringing home the clap to my other goats I take no chances since I got everyone over that.
> But good luck and try not to get addicted
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Goat Forum


All your goats got "the clap"?? Isn't that gonorrhea?? I'd never heard of that in goats!! Wow.......you learn something new everyday.


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## Wild Hearts Ranch (Dec 26, 2011)

FullMoonFarm-Ky said:


> I too have had good luck. 2 of the 4 I bought ended up being pregnant, and they both kidded about 1.5 months after I got them. One a single, the other twins. So basically the goats immediately paid for themselves, and some. I can either sale them, or use their offspring as other breeding stock since they didn't come from my buck. I know this isn't the norm, but it worked out for me.
> 
> As has been mentioned, you gotta be extra picky on what you buy, and which goats were in the pen with them.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Goat Forum


I bought one who kidded within hours of getting home.


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## Chadwick (Jan 24, 2014)

The eyes of any animal can speak volumes. Not just for illness but personality as well, I can tell a lot about an animal by spending some time and looking at the eyes.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

still said:


> All your goats got "the clap"?? Isn't that gonorrhea?? I'd never heard of that in goats!! Wow.......you learn something new everyday.


Chlamydia. Biggest pain in my @$$. And of course just the word freaks you out. But no I lost a ton of money from abortions then the money for all the meds. This was my second year treating my herd and I'll do another year and pray for the best. But I pretty much have my ideal herd now and don't need to bring any more in.

And buying bred does are the best!!! I bought a doe....she had papers but I paid $220 for her in august. She kidded in October with triplets and made $425 off her three in January. She paid for herself and about 2 years of feed for herself in less the 6 months.

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## still (Mar 16, 2013)

The clap is gonorrhea in people......is it called chlamydia in goats? 


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## DMSMBoers (Dec 23, 2013)

As its been mentioned several times just be extra careful. Not all goats that go to the sale are culled. I have 3 bucklings that will be going to the next one in Diamond if they dont sell. I cant justify keeping them an puting 50.00 worth of feed into them until they sell in maybe 2 months or 3 or never lol. They are not culls they just dont have papers so hard to sell. My 2 best does on the place came from a sale barn an I have bought a few off the farm that I could strangle someone over but thats just how it goes sometimes.


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

I have some buck kids that will probably be going to the auction. I just can't take all the stupid phone calls and ignorant emails
from scammers. So, my poor babies will be sent to the sale barn next month in hopes that someone will be looking for healthy Alpine buck kids! 
I wish there was some way to let perspective buyers know their history, but I can't be there, so someone will get nice kids. Purebred
but they won't know that! 

So, sometimes, at auctions, you will do well. Just like everyone has said- beware and be aware!


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## Wild Hearts Ranch (Dec 26, 2011)

Here you can tape a sign to the pens. Not many people bother with the livestock, but you can.


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## FullMoonFarm-Ky (Jan 15, 2014)

Wild Hearts Ranch said:


> I bought one who kidded within hours of getting home.


Talking about a quick ROI!

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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

Goats Rock said:


> I wish there was some way to let perspective buyers know their history, but I can't be there, so someone will get nice kids. Purebred
> but they won't know that!


I don't know if this is true for every sale barn in the country, but at Centennial Livestock anything I tell the check in people is written on the form and then passed along when my goats go through the ring. I also have the option to write everything down on a separate piece of paper, and it is attached to the incoming ticket and also passed on. The third option is that if I'm watching the sale on Cattle USA, I can e-mail the barn with any pertinent information.


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## still (Mar 16, 2013)

I know at the local sale barn here they do the same.......if you have additional information about the particular animals they will announce it when the animals go through the ring


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## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

MsScamp said:


> I don't know if this is true for every sale barn in the country, but at Centennial Livestock anything I tell the check in people is written on the form and then passed along when my goats go through the ring. I also have the option to write everything down on a separate piece of paper, and it is attached to the incoming ticket and also passed on. The third option is that if I'm watching the sale on Cattle USA, I can e-mail the barn with any pertinent information.


That's awesome. Other reputable auctions with class do similar things.

The Enumclaw sales barn has no class. The owner is a jerk. He obviously hates goats as well.


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## Wild Hearts Ranch (Dec 26, 2011)

I don't think he dislikes any particular livestock more than another. And to be fair, he hates people who starve their animals too.


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## Huff_farm (Jun 9, 2013)

the sale barn that I go to is very nice and friendly. They even carry the baby's through so they don't have to walk a long distance from there pen!


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## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

DMSMBoers said:


> As its been mentioned several times just be extra careful. Not all goats that go to the sale are culled. I have 3 bucklings that will be going to the next one in Diamond if they dont sell. .


This is true. There is nothing wrong with selling perfectly healthy goats at the auction (I wish more people would) and I have seen good goats at auction.

But please, people.... if they are good goats, then be prepared to pay a little more for them. They are worth more. I've sat at ringside many times where there are at least 10 different people bidding on the goats, but none of them are willing to outbid the meat buyer. I just don't get it.


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## canyontrailgoats (Jan 4, 2014)

Are goats sold at the sale barn usually more stressed? Like, are they more likely to come down with stress-related illness?


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

If he dislikes animals that much, why does he own a sale barn? :scratch: 

Huff, have you ever tried to herd a very young kid? It's nearly impossible! :laugh: I imagine they carry them just to maintain their schedule. There were about 24 week old bottle kids at CLA one day and it was sheer chaos trying to get those little guys back in their pen. I petted one and all of them decided to follow me, so I lead them back to their pen. You should have seen the look of relief on the faces of those poor sale barn employees! :laugh:


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## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

Wild Hearts Ranch said:


> I don't think he dislikes any particular livestock more than another. And to be fair, he hates people who starve their animals too.


He's horrible. there is a reason the dairies and cattle people around us haul to Toppenish and Chehalis to sell their cattle. I wish he'd sell it to someone else.

He also overcharges do gooder horse saver people to save horses.


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## still (Mar 16, 2013)

MsScamp said:


> If he dislikes animals that much, why does he own a sale barn? :scratch:
> 
> Huff, have you ever tried to herd a very young kid? It's nearly impossible! :laugh: I imagine they carry them just to maintain their schedule. There were about 24 week old bottle kids at CLA one day and it was sheer chaos trying to get those little guys back in their pen. I petted one and all of them decided to follow me, so I lead them back to their pen. You should have seen the look of relief on the faces of those poor sale barn employees! :laugh:


Some people just can't figure out that some animals like to be "lead" and not "driven".........duh! LOL!


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

still said:


> The clap is gonorrhea in people......is it called chlamydia in goats?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Goat Forum


Could be I always thought it was Chlamydia.....but to be honest when I went threw sex ed I didn't pay attention to names I just looked at it all and decided right then and there I was going to be a nun......no way was any of that coming near me lol.
The auction I go to also will tell buyers the things I tell them. But they word it so it's not a guard tee. That way they don't get in trouble. Like say I say the doe is bred. They will say has been running with a buck and should be due X date. The other sale if I told them the kids are only 3 months old they say that's nice and look at me like I bumped my head.

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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Oh I forgot part of my reply lol. If it's not a big sale yard you can just randomly ask someone if they know who's goats these are. The auction place will not give out personal information but like the sale I sell at everyone knows my kids because of my car and they have yellow ear tags. I have had a few times where other buyers/sellers have pointed me out to someone. 


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## Huff_farm (Jun 9, 2013)

These ones were like only 1-2 weeks! Ms scamp


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

Its been years since I have been to the Toppenish live stock sale. Used to go to the one in Walla Walla until they didnt pay their rent and got shut down.

Here is my stance on livestock sale yards. Yes, the occasional nice animal can pass through. Heck we have sent some in the past that were worth 10 times what they brought at the auction. BUT 95% of the time the animals going through the sale are either intended to be eaten OR are sick/problem animals. But its not always the animal you are looking at that is the danger. Unwanted dairy cows and calves from large dairies pass through these places on a weekly bases. The low estimate on the infection rate of Johnes in cow dairy farms that are certified to sale their milk is 80%. Where do you think a heavily Johnes infected dairy cow ends up? Yep the auction yard. What does that cow do while waiting to be sold? It poops. Then all the cows in the pen with hit step in and track it into the sale barn, loading area and finally you farm. So although you may have beat the odds and picked up a clean animal but you just risked contaminated your trailer/truck and now your farm.

Although now they actually inspect the animals at Toppenish (my vet does the check there now) who to say that the nice goat you just bought didnt spend the last week in a pen with a goat or two with open CL abscess or in a barn were one had a chronic case of CL in the lungs was was coughing that garbage all over the place infecting ever other goat penned with it. So now that goat you just bought is covered in CL bacteria and is set to rub it all over your feeders, barns and other goats.

So can you stumble upon a nice goat or animal at the auction? Yes. Is it worth to buy that animal? HELL NO, not IMO. There is simply no reason to place your farm and or other animals at risk for a random auction animal. And if you sale animals off your farm after picking up animals at an auction yard without testing, you have now put someone elses farm and animals at risk.


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## canyontrailgoats (Jan 4, 2014)

I agree with you completely TDG farms, you just never know what passes through a sale barn no matter how clean and well run it seems. It's just not worth the risk IMO


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Wherever we go whatever foot wear gets an extra long soak in strong bleach water.
No off the farm shoes/boots ever get worn doing our own chores.


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

I have a neighbor that goes there all the time... That is why I said no when he wanted to borrow a couple of my goats for blackberry clearing, I don't even wasn't to risk it. He's lost a total of about 10 calves in the last few years either to his feeding, or to a disease.... I was considering taking my kinder buck there, but I just couldn't do it because I knew he was healthy and disease free, he's still here... Closing my herd this year after everyone is tested...


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## Huff_farm (Jun 9, 2013)

Its just so hard to find a dehorned Boer for a fair price around my area! It's an even bigger pain trying to sell my two lamancha does! I would love it if I could find a buyer nearby because I would hate for them to go threw the barms ! Any takers? You can never have too many goats


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## canyontrailgoats (Jan 4, 2014)

What state are you in, Huff farm? I'm sure someone on this site has boers for a decent price. The price will vary according to whether they're registered or not, fb or pb and stuff like that.

Maybe they'll even trade a boer for your lamanchas


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## Wild Hearts Ranch (Dec 26, 2011)

Tenacross said:


> He's horrible. there is a reason the dairies and cattle people around us haul to Toppenish and Chehalis to sell their cattle. I wish he'd sell it to someone else.
> 
> He also overcharges do gooder horse saver people to save horses.


I started the do gooder group....believe me, I know all his tricks. The only good thing I can say about him is that he doesn't like people who starve animals; he's actually helped get some of the really bad off ones into the right hands. Hard to believe I know.

Are you going to the sale tomorrow? We should meet up.


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

If Plateau Vets is open, which I doubt I might wander over to the sale barn just to see. I was like 8 the last time I went, I would just like to see it.


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## Wild Hearts Ranch (Dec 26, 2011)

They're open till 4 tomorrow. I was actually directing that at Tenacross (I believe your name is Tim?) but I'd be happy to meet up with you too!


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

Oh I know you were directing that at Tenacross, Tim, I was just thinking about it, so I thought I'd mention it


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

Timing isn't right, maybe next weekend... I'm heading over to Enumclaw to pick up testing supplies, then off to Seattle with my sis. I couldn't talk her into going LOL;-) I just want to see...


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## Wild Hearts Ranch (Dec 26, 2011)

I just remembered there's no sale today anyway because of the holiday. I still need to go to Plateau though - I have one doe I haven't tested yet; we can send it in with yours and save the accession fee.


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

Okay, sounds good;-)


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

What color tubes do I need to get?


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## Wild Hearts Ranch (Dec 26, 2011)

I have no clue. Receptionist should be able to tell you.


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

Well, nope she asked me;( I have a scheduled vet appt for him to come out to do testing on the 4th. $70.00 for the visit... Not sure the total price on it...;(

It will be good to get established with a vet though....


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## Summersun (Apr 24, 2014)

Where I live goats don't go through the sale barn. Cattle run through every week and a couple times a year we have a Horse sale. But they aren't mixed on a normal bases. If you have a goat to sale you use craigslist, word of mouth and flyers at the feed store. If you want to take a horse to the sale because all else has failed you have to wait 2-3, months until the next sale. 

I cant find anything but Nigerian dwarf or pygmies here either. I'm dying for a dairy goat in milk, or two or three. Lol but I don't have $200-300/ goat plus gas to drive 3-5 hrs to find them!


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## Wild Hearts Ranch (Dec 26, 2011)

We have a horse sale once a month, occasionally they'll run them through the livestock sale instead.

He won't charge much for the blood draw but there's an extra fee on the tests. You're right about having a good relationship though, I can get whatever meds I need from him without a visit if he can diagnose it over the phone.


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## DMSMBoers (Dec 23, 2013)

We have a goat sale once a month at a sale barn close to me. No cattle are sold there just the goats an a horse sale twice a month. They run close to 1500 head of goats a month so I would be extremely careful if I was to buy one from the sale. I run mostly registered stock so that keeps me from buying from the sale b/c papers are usually not present if the goat is registered.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

That sucks not having a sale....and I don't mean just for buying. I put my kids up for sale threw cl flyers Ect. And who ever doesn't sell by 4 months goes to the sale. I wouldn't even know what to do with all these kids if there wasn't a sale. Here we have quite a few sales. 1 just does cattle twice a week another does goats sheep chickens and junk once a week with horses once a month the other does horse sheep pigs cows and any horses donkeys llamas that come in on Saturday. There are other ones a little farther then me that also sell everything. 


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

Summersun said:


> Where I live goats don't go through the sale barn. Cattle run through every week and a couple times a year we have a Horse sale. But they aren't mixed on a normal bases.


Wow, that really bites! I have to take my goats to Ft. Collins, Colorado - about a 3 hour drive - but they sell sheep, goats, horses, pigs, llamas, and whatever cows/calves are brought in every Wednesday. They also have regular cattle sale on a different day, quite a few special sales during the year, and hay sales once or twice a month on Saturdays. If I had to guess, they probably run at least 2000 head of sheep, and at least 1200 head of goats through every month.


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