# Best way to sell boer goats?



## goatgirlzCA

Hubby says I have to get rid of some goats ... we have a 1.5 year old wether that has turned into a pet (not sure he would still be good to butcher), two 3 month old wethers, and a couple of does. I know it would probably be the easiest to just load them up and haul them to one of the livestock auctions around here. I have never been to one, but even seeing the pictures of pens crammed with animals makes me cringe ... Does anyone take animals to the sales? How is it?

I don't know if I should do that or list them on Craigslist first - but then I have random people coming to my house. Sigh. I need more money and more property ... How do you guys sell animals?


----------



## HoosierShadow

I list ours on Craigslist first, give it 2-3 weeks depending on how fast I need to move them, but I make sure I give myself time.
Does always sell, bucks not as much, but this time of year people want older bucklings for breeding. 
If they don't sell, and are a buckling <we've never wethered before lol>, then I take them to the stockyard. I do go with the knowledge they will most likely be butchered, but unfortunately we can't keep them all, or find them all good homes.

The stockyards near our house is pretty good compared to what I've heard other people experience in their areas. If you have 3 animals, they try to keep them in a pen seperate, but if they do happen to get a lot of animals for that sale, they might have to put another goat in with yours. I've sold goats at this sale a couple of times. Sadly, we have a buckling I will most likely be taking on Tuesday.


----------



## goatgirlzCA

I thought about going to the sale and watching before I take anything there, but then it will be like the pound, and I will probably bring something home!


----------



## toth boer goats

If you sell at the auction...I know here in California... you must have a scrapies(sp) tag in order to be able to sell at the Auction....I would ask the auction yard if you have to have them or not....

I sell my boers on craigslist sometimes and from my website.... You can post the goats for sale on a bulletin board at a feed store or someplace that has livestock owner traffic..... :wink:


----------



## goatgirlzCA

Didn't think about the feed stores - good idea! And we do have scrapie tags in the wethers, so that's not an issue. But it brings up a good point - what if you are selling an unregistered doe that is not tattooed? Does she need a scrapie tag too?


----------



## HoosierShadow

goatgirlzCA said:


> Didn't think about the feed stores - good idea! And we do have scrapie tags in the wethers, so that's not an issue. But it brings up a good point - what if you are selling an unregistered doe that is not tattooed? Does she need a scrapie tag too?


I was told here registered/unregistered tattooed/not tattooed it doesn't matter, if there isn't a scrapie then the animal can not be unloaded. You can check and see if the auction place has a website, and there might be laws listed or a number you can call and ask info.

You also have to go knowing you will not bring them back, or any other animal. Go empty handed - no $$.
In fact, if you think you'll be tempted to buy, then drop them off and leave, come back after it's over - go get something to eat or drink, etc.
I like to watch the sale though, sometimes people will ask questions about the animal.

Also, you don't want to worry about buying someone elses cull. I know it doesn't always happen, but still, you have to worry about disease, etc. I suggest wearing something you wouldn't wear in your goat pen, and spray your shoes with bleach when you get home.

Auctions don't have to be a horrible experience, in fact we've had a good experience with ours, but the auction house can't help what condition the goats come in as long as they aren't noticably sick. I've seen some really nice looking animals go through, and I've seen some awful ones. 
One time an older couple was selling their entire herd of boers because they couldn't afford them, and they were NICE....


----------



## toth boer goats

> I was told here registered/unregistered tattooed/not tattooed it doesn't matter, if there isn't a scrapie then the animal can not be unloaded. You can check and see if the auction place has a website, and there might be laws listed or a number you can call and ask info.
> 
> You also have to go knowing you will not bring them back, or any other animal. Go empty handed - no $$.
> In fact, if you think you'll be tempted to buy, then drop them off and leave, come back after it's over - go get something to eat or drink, etc.
> I like to watch the sale though, sometimes people will ask questions about the animal.
> 
> Also, you don't want to worry about buying someone elses cull. I know it doesn't always happen, but still, you have to worry about disease, etc. I suggest wearing something you wouldn't wear in your goat pen, and spray your shoes with bleach when you get home.


 I agree... :thumb:


----------



## packhillboers

We have sold on Craigs list before and did well. However.. I have had some troubles with the casual market I am in. I just had a few overflow Does to sell. I sold two to Fresno to a 4Hr. That went well. BUT .. sometimes.. I would rather butcher an animal than to send it to a terrible home where it will suffer from neglect. If we have a goat here that isnt quite up to our breeding standards -it will sometimes just go to meat rather than go to a place of neglect or abuse.


----------



## Jessica84

Not all sales are like that, they are coming down on sales like that. The one I take mine to is clean, and they get their own pen which is nice as a buyer since a breeding doe is not in the same pen as a buck you do not want kids out of. The other sale they just put all goats in the same pen, it is not overly clean but they have room to move around, I will never buy from there since if one is sick will go to them all, and I dont sell there only because of the way they treated me. I tryed to cl, its a pain in the butt, people say they will come and dont, they say they will call to come get and dont, and the ones that do show up want to buy other goats that are not for sale or they try talking you into letting them butcher on our place. I find that it is just less stress to take them to the sale. Most of the time the butcher place gets them and you know they will be put down in a nice way.


----------



## Texas.girl

I (for education) went to the Auction in Gillespie County, Texas once. I happen to be in an area of the country where meat goats are a commercial business, so there were thousands)of sheep and goats for sale that day. I asked and was told sheep have to have a scrapie tag but not goats. Sometimes only a small number of goats/sheep were brought in to sell and other times large groups came through. So I am guessing it had to do with the owner selling the goats. Fortunately I know someone whose husband works at the auction and can take any goat I need to sell to work with him and take care of everything for me, which is good because I had a lot of trouble following what was going on. I would never want to buy there as the information on the electronic boards never matched what we were seeing on the floor.


----------

