# Where do the "cheap" goats come from?



## AlvesiesGoats (Mar 19, 2013)

Are they large dairy farms? We live in New England and we rescued our weathers from a place nearby that showed up on Craigslist. being naive to the goat world we have gone to this place with serious intentions and ended up leaving with 3 boys because we are animal lovers and just knew what their fate would be. 
Do they just go through the babies, pick what they will keep and then find someone who will pick up truck loads of the rejects?
The guy who had them basically had sheds full of baby animals...I wish I could have saved them all. 

One of the boys we bought is a Lamancha...even our vet commented on how attractive he is...sad to know he was being thrown away. I mean I get that many animals are used for food and I respect that...its when something is given such a poor quality of life when it's life is so short to begin with that is so sad to me. We paid the guy $60 for the 3 boys...crazy to think someone would buy these guys to eat when they saw how horribly they were living. GROSS 

So I am just curious about these mill style operations. Where do these babies come from? Has anyone else ever purchased and kept a goat from these places with a good outcome? Our boys have really been brought back to life. They are fattening up, having so much fun, are exited to be around us and follow our doe yearling around like she is the coolest thing on earth. But of course I fear they may carry all these diseases I have since read about. I guess the one "good" thing about the situation is that Iwold be willing to bet they were ripped away from mama right at birth. So maybe less of a chance of CAE?


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## serenityfarmnm (Jan 6, 2013)

Read the details in this thread for some Idea... There is another dairy here that sold out of 200 nubian BB kids in 3 weeks @ $20 each. They aren't quite as good, rep wise as the dairy in my post:
http://www.thegoatspot.net/forum/f189/pure-bred-obers-saanen-bottle-baby-doelings-142634/


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## Di (Jan 29, 2008)

I was just at an Amish dairy, here in PA. A friend and I purchased several doe kids and I also got a beautiful buck kid. We got to see the milk room and parlor, and then we went into a large "hoop house" where the does/kids were. I looked closely at all the does and the kids with them. Aside from one kid with a poopy butt (momma was giving him some rich milk), they all looked wonderful. Does in good health...no abscesses...all good weight. The kids were with them. He leaves kids on mom till they are sold. He had just sold 80 kids to 2 different people. So, I guess they got all the older kids. The ones we got were very young. They all had neck bands with the doe/dob on it. He could look in his "book" and tell us who the mother was, he seemed to know each doe (?). So, I was pleased with the "husbandry skills". Lots of young children around working with the goats, too. 

That said, I know these kids may have gone to someone who would feed them up for meat goats. They are a dairy, not a nursery. If the kids are treated well and get the care they need to live, then I can't complain. And, everybody knows, I would be the first to call authorities if I found a different scenario. The dairyman asked me how I would feed young kids and we discussed it and he said "ok, so you are the experienced one here!" "Good, good, that's exactly right." We discussed disbuding and he seemed a little relieved that I would disbud and teach my friend to do it.

As a goat breeder, I know that certain of my future kids will go for meat. We, Americans, don't eat much goat, but it is the most consumed meat in the world. I eat meat. And, one day I will eat meat that I grew myself (such a weany). There...I said it...I will eat meat I grew myself.
I am really happy when wethers get good homes. If you feel the kids are in an unsafe/unsanitary/cruel conditions, then I would want you to call animal welfare and report. But, as long as they are cared for and have a good life, albeit short life. Then that is all we can expect.


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## hearthnsoul (Jul 5, 2009)

I think the guy fom cl, and I could be wrong, he may get many of the goats and everything else he has going on off of CL and turns them over. I remember someone warning on cape cod CL about a couple on CL who would post ads to take in farm animals only to turn them around and post them back on CL. Apparently they had done it to their goats. Later another post came on when someone had gone to pick up an animal and said the conditions were deplorable. I notice from time to time the ads, so it could be the guy you got the goats from. I took interest in it because a few years back we answered an ad about chickens, and they delivered them to us. I was not home at the time of delivery my middle son was. When I got home I cried, their beaks were all broken, I could not believe my eyes. I started googling and read that this is something done intentionally to stop them pecking eachother to death in overcrowded situations. Who does such things! Horrible just horrible. Just have the vet check them for cae and the worm load and so on. The vet is your best friend in the next few months to come and the potential that they were not with this guy very long and were most likely a quick turnover for him is there. Your animals are very lucky you showed for them that day! I tend to think most people who answer the ads come away with the animals for the very same reason you did, they did not want to leave them behind.


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## Broski1984 (Jul 21, 2011)

With goats like that, yes, it's big dairies - and that was a more expensive one than some of the ones here!

Some of the places here charge as low as $5 a buck. They're not worth anything, just like male dairy calves. People may need one for breeding, or want a few for pets/meat, but wethers/bucks can't get pregnant, after all.

Honestly, I wouldn't worry horribly about disease - not any more than any other untested goats. They may be dirty, but it's hard to keep 200+ baby animals completely clean, considering how much they pee. And, lots of people get those bottle babies and "bring them back" and "keep" them. Plenty of people keep bottle baby calves, too. They're certainly all healthier than puppymill dogs, as they likely aren't overly inbred and are bred for production, not aesthetics alone.

Almost every dairy wether I've known has come from a similar situation. People just getting into goats usually impulse buy at least one at an auction or via a craigslist listing. One of our wethers (who we sold due to him climbing trees on out) someone picked up at an auction and tried to raise in a high-rise city apartment.


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## Catahoula (Feb 12, 2013)

Someone from FB is selling her dairy wethers/bucks for $5 a piece. Her kids are good quality also because she is breeding for high production and have good quality bucks as the sires. This happens with dairy cow farming also.


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## xymenah (Jul 1, 2011)

You can get truckloads of kids for super cheep(think $5 a piece) from dairies. My aunt owns a large dairy and she practically gives the bucklings away. There are some people who come to her dairy and load as many as they can into a stock trailer then resell them as pets or feed them out for slaughter.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

this is a whole lot better than what I heard about a certain Nubian goat breeder..who drowns the bucks at birth...Unless she sees a quality in him to selling him as a breeder..sure fast death..but what a waste when so many are looking for pets and even freezer meat...

Im with you DI..Im a weenie too lol But finally this year we put three rams in the freezer...Not quite there with my goats lol..but hubby is beginning to gather a few Boer does to Breed to our Saanen...they will be large kids for sure..so maybe soon..I will break down and try it..UGH..so far we have done sheep, turkey and chicken,...Oh and a pig..


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## Lamberts_Mini-goats (Nov 2, 2012)

I've seen them go ( in my area ) for $ 25.00 . I would love to keep all my male kids but If they're not good enough to be someones herd sire they get wetherd , and at my place if you don't pull your weight ( give milk, etc.) you are fed good and get loved but... they do go to freezer camp ( Goat taste like venison to me  I love it ) I love raising food for my family , but I would rather ( If I couldn't sell them as pets, meat or as bucks..) put them in My freezer than to let all the hard work of raising them be for naught . JMHO It is kinda sad that they get pulled from momma, but to milk you do have to pull the kids . I find it easier to milk the momma's if they think you are her kid( I pulled mine but they get momma's milk until I decide to wean them onto a Land o lakes re placer ) JMO


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## Stacykins (Mar 27, 2012)

happybleats said:


> this is a whole lot better than what I heard about a certain Nubian goat breeder..who drowns the bucks at birth...Unless she sees a quality in him to selling him as a breeder..sure fast death..but what a waste when so many are looking for pets and even freezer meat...
> 
> Im with you DI..Im a weenie too lol But finally this year we put three rams in the freezer...Not quite there with my goats lol..but hubby is beginning to gather a few Boer does to Breed to our Saanen...they will be large kids for sure..so maybe soon..I will break down and try it..UGH..so far we have done sheep, turkey and chicken,...Oh and a pig..


Drowning isn't exactly a fast death...


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## clearwtrbeach (May 10, 2012)

Lamberts_Mini-goats said:


> I've seen them go ( in my area ) for $ 25.00 . I would love to keep all my male kids but If they're not good enough to be someones herd sire they get wetherd , and at my place if you don't pull your weight ( give milk, etc.) you are fed good and get loved but... they do go to freezer camp ( Goat taste like venison to me  I love it ) I love raising food for my family , but I would rather ( If I couldn't sell them as pets, meat or as bucks..) put them in My freezer than to let all the hard work of raising them be for naught . JMHO It is kinda sad that they get pulled from momma, but to milk you do have to pull the kids . I find it easier to milk the momma's if they think you are her kid( I pulled mine but they get momma's milk until I decide to wean them onto a Land o lakes re placer ) JMO


I agree on pulling their weight, and I'd rather put them in the freezer than bad homes, being flipped or what ever. I think the flavor is more mild than venison- JMO but I will eat both. At least I know where most of my food comes from.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

Stacykins..Your right, its not and its cruel..I guess i was thinking of the life some of these goats have until they die..the misery...that's a slow death....


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