# When to sell



## aguy14 (Mar 21, 2014)

Hi all, I'm moving along with my first time kidding. I got their coccidiosis prevention going. I'm going to give them the first dose of CDT today and I'm going to send a fecal sample in.

They are both happy and healthy  I did not dehorn them, I just couldn't do it yet.
My question is, when should I try to sell? They are 4 weeks now and still nursing. I am keeping the girl but would like to sell the buck. I bought the banding equipment but haven't used it yet. Should I try to sell before I band, in case they want a buck? And what are the best routes to go, when trying to sell? I've got all my goats through CL but I want to make sure my boy won't be used for food.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

You can put him up for sale now and simply ask for a deposit, if someone makes the deposit then let them make the choice on buck or wether. If your not getting any interest by time to band just go ahead and band him. That way his balls are not to big to do and before he really knows he's a buck. Little boys are so hard to sell as pets, at least for me but I figure if you start advertising him. Is when he's still super cute you have a good chance 
As for where I usually just stick to CL but you can also put flyers on any board you come across. Good luck 


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I would start now. Around me it is harder to sell a horned goat.


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

I also start almost right after birth and just let them know they won't be available until 8 weeks. 

I just (Lord willing!) sold my two horned wethers.  It's getting easier.


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## aguy14 (Mar 21, 2014)

Is 8 weeks the date? I knew it may be harder to sell with horns but I just can't do it yet. It seems so painful for the babies


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

8 to 12 weeks. The longer the better if you can hold off to band.


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

Set yourself up a sales contract. Be prepared tho, that if you don't want him going for meat, you'll need to be willing to buy him back yourself. I also would advertise now and let them know when you plan on weaning (between 8 and 12 weeks just like Karen said). I require 1/2 the asking price as a deposit. Also make the deposit non-refundable so that if they change their minds....you're not stuck with an older goat that you quit advertising. 

Banding is pretty easy. I can even do it if necessary so you KNOW it's got to be easy! LOL Don't band before 8 weeks to help lessen the chance of Urinary Calculi...if you can hold off a little longer that would be even better. 

What breed are we talking? ND's or pygmy's seem easier to sell as wether pets for me. Full size are hard to sell as pets around here. It seems harsh, but I really have to keep telling myself that I can't keep them, I can't take them back, once they are sold....they belong to the buyer irregardless of what they plan to do with him. It's hard tho.


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## aguy14 (Mar 21, 2014)

He's a ND. His dad has papers but I never sent them in and mom does not have papers.


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

Papers don't really matter sometimes. I sold 7 bucklings last year. I left 2 of them intact and the others were wethered. They went to pet homes....mostly. 1 lives down the road and the other 6 went to a guy that wanted pets and to give a friend some. The intact ones went as bucks for breeding. We do iron horns, so ours are hornless, but I don't think that will make a huge difference. I had deposits on all of them 4 weeks before weaning.


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## scubacoz (Nov 7, 2013)

I am new at selling my Babies. I have mini-Nubians and Nigerian Dwarfs. How much should I ask for them? I can register them just haven't done it yet. Also do you sell the bucks for less? 


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

It really depends on your area. It is hard to say how much to sell a goat for.


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

scubacoz said:


> I am new at selling my Babies. I have mini-Nubians and Nigerian Dwarfs. How much should I ask for them? I can register them just haven't done it yet. Also do you sell the bucks for less?


Karen is right, it depends where you are as to how much to sell for. If they are registered, then ask more for them. If you are selling the bucks as pets, then sell them for less. I sold my unregistered (and unregisterable) buck kids for $50 each as pets. As I work my way up to registered I'll sell the breeding bucks for more than I would pet wethers. I'll most likely sell my does for more than the bucks because people out here are looking for does in the ND breed.


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## harleybarley (Sep 15, 2014)

aguy14 said:


> I knew it may be harder to sell with horns but I just can't do it yet. It seems so painful for the babies


Is there anyone that can do it for you or help you with it?

Disbudding is hard for everyone who does it, but after looking at goat rescues and SPCA shelters that take in goats - the majority are horned. I disbud so my goats won't get hurt, end up in a shelter, or be sold off for meat. Proper disbudding hurts for less than 1 minute. If a horned goat breaks another goat's leg, it hurts a lot longer than a minute. (I know a farm where that happened; the goat wrapped her horns around the knee and twisted)

Anyway, good luck selling your baby!


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## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

Horned goats do not sell well in my area, especially when they are sold as pets. Around here, horned male goats end up as meat.

What I do is start advertising early on and have the person put a deposit down. They make the decision of whether they want a wether or a buck and I will wether the kid for them before he leaves. I disbud all my kids at a few days of age to give them a better chance at finding a decent home. I've seen many injuries caused by horns, both to other goats and to the human handlers (I have a huge scar on my thigh from a doe with horns who jumped off the milk stand, twisted and got my leg caught between her horns and her back as she landed on the ground. The horn went into my leg, all the way to the bone and then tore as she strugged to get her horn free of my leg.

Once an animal is sold, they are at the mercy of the new owner. Even with a contract, they can still ship them for meat. I have seen many judges (in court) rule for the owner over the breeder of the animal because the owner is the owner and the seller lost all rights to the animal when it was sold.


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Bottom line is....once you sell him, you have no control. Around here a male is hard to sell for anything but a buck or meat....horns don't seem to matter as much here.
I hope you are able to place him as a pet if that is what you want..good luck!


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I agree you have no say after he leaves  out of 100's and 100's of kids over the years I have only sold 2 as pets. One I thought would be a pet but I see on her fb page where she does a lot of goat BBQs so I'm guessing that's where he will end up. But honestly I would much rather my kids go to butcher after what I saw happened to a buck and 3 does I sold to a man. Seems harsh but that way they never knew hunger or a slow death.


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

^^what happened Jessica?


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

The moron never wormed his goats which ok I get that nothing is really labeled goat but after you loose 8 goats you would think you would try and figure it out. It just so happened he simply mentioned it, not even really asking for advise he just said 'oh I lost one of your does and 7 others, they would just waist away then finally die'. I went over to help him and all his goats were in bad shape, in about 5 inches of muddy poop and no shelters. All I could do is help him Worm give advise and walk away 


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Ugh....


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## scubacoz (Nov 7, 2013)

Speaking of worming at what Age should a kid be wormed?


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Registered mini-Nubians and Nigerian Dwarfs


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

You know I don't know if I've ever read a correct time to but before I got a microscope to check and see who needs wormed I just went ahead and wormed at 2 months old. Even then the ones I know will be processed I still just worm them. Don't ask me how I came up with that age though lol


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

I start cocci prevention at 3 weeks and deworm at 2 months.


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Let me add Tennessee Meat Goats website says they deworm at 4 weeks old...


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