# I THOUGHT I WOULD NEVER DO THIS??



## cinderrella123 (Sep 11, 2016)

I have found it hard to talk about it but. I have made a choice to sell off all my Mini goats. I love them but I just want to focus more on my Full size Lamancha's instead.


I am trying to focus more on My full size Lamancha goats then My mini's right now If i could make an extra large Pen for the mini's they wouldn't be going any where but we just rent where we live and can't so the mini's are leaving are farm.

the reason i am focusing more on my full size Lamancha's is 1 of my full size lamancha's produces triplet the amount of milk as 1 of my mini's does. I am also the only one milking in the morning and i don't want to milk 3 goats to get what one goat can produce.

I also in breeding for quality in the milk pail and body structure and udder improvement.



I am also focusing more on full size goats is because it is really hard to find a mini buck around my area and well i am tired of trying to find a quality buck to raise up to breed. I am also focusing on my full size goats is they produce more meat then the Mini's do I only eat goat meat if i raised it and know it was raised humanely and put down humanely.


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

Good for you! It's so hard to come up with a business plan and let good decisions overcome adorableness!


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

It’s tough! But if it’s the right thing to do for what you have going on then it needs to be done. I am in the same boat as you, after I sat down and did some figuring I realized it is not financially smart to keep a lot of the ones I have. Most of course are my pets so it makes it so hard and I feel like a trader because they are good girls. I just simply don’t get the money from their kids like I do most of the others


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## cinderrella123 (Sep 11, 2016)

Jessica84 said:


> It's tough! But if it's the right thing to do for what you have going on then it needs to be done. I am in the same boat as you, after I sat down and did some figuring I realized it is not financially smart to keep a lot of the ones I have. Most of course are my pets so it makes it so hard and I feel like a trader because they are good girls. I just simply don't get the money from their kids like I do most of the others


I feel the same way as you i feel guilty for keeping them as long as i did as i grew fond of them. but it isn't financially smart for me to keep them even though they have acreage to run on i do still feed them as when it rains i don't let them out. but it hurts to let them go but I know now that my full size goats are the way to go for me I learned a hard lesson.

they are actually a dual purpose for my farm is if the full size Lamancha goats don't sell then they will be raised humanely for the freezer. But most of the lamancha's girls sell right quick but the weathers tend not to sell that good but it really don't matter if the weathered males don't sell it gives me more meat.

But i am just glad that i am not a lone in finding it hard making the hard choice's. But we do the best we can for them and make sure they are happy and healthy.


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## Goat_Scout (Mar 23, 2017)

It is always sad & hard selling goats, but it is just another part of owning them. 
We have also been culling hard this year, among other things selling our Saanen (we loved her, but she began diving through electric fences and wouldn't stop) and two of our Nubians (one because she wasn't registered, the other because her udder was terrible, and only on her 3rd freshening!). At the moment I am trying to sell our hardest keeper, an Alpine, but being honest about all of her problems, I haven't found a home for her yet.

I have 3 minis right now. One is a Mini-Lamancha doe in milk, with a beautiful udder. I have her listed for sale, since I want to focus more on my Nubians. Another is a 7 week old Mini-Lamancha doeling, that I was thinking of selling, but then we lost her mama (a full sized Lamancha) 2 weeks ago whom I was really attached to, so I can't possibly sell her now. The third mini is a FF Mini-Nubian that was my bottle baby, and I will probably just keep her as a pet since I'm pretty attached to her, too. She is very hardy and easy to keep, so I don't mind keeping her. 
Ideally, I'd like to sell all of my minis, because finding a nice buck for them is SO difficult!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I feel the same, as everyone here.


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## ISmellLikeGoats (Oct 4, 2017)

I started out with pygmy/Nigerian goats and 2 Nubians. I've since sold all the little goats and gotten Boer's for meat production instead and raised my Nubian numbers. It's more feasible by far - and for the same reason as you, why butcher out 2 goats to get the same amount of meat as 1 Boer wether? My pygmy buck was about 60 lbs when I sold him at over a year old - that's a lot longer to grow out than a Boer. On paper, it just makes way more sense to have 1 animal do the job of what 2 or 3 smaller ones can do.
I don't see anything wrong with it, you have to do what works for you and your family and what makes sense and cents.


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## cinderrella123 (Sep 11, 2016)

ISmellLikeGoats said:


> I started out with pygmy/Nigerian goats and 2 Nubians. I've since sold all the little goats and gotten Boer's for meat production instead and raised my Nubian numbers. It's more feasible by far - and for the same reason as you, why butcher out 2 goats to get the same amount of meat as 1 Boer wether? My pygmy buck was about 60 lbs when I sold him at over a year old - that's a lot longer to grow out than a Boer. On paper, it just makes way more sense to have 1 animal do the job of what 2 or 3 smaller ones can do.
> I don't see anything wrong with it, you have to do what works for you and your family and what makes sense and cents.


so so true on that one. although i want to get a Boer goat to raise for meat but I am not going to because I just want to stick with my lamancha's. But what ever Fixed male don't sell I will raise and eat my self.

yeah it is a hard choice for me because even though i say I didn't really like them but i know that is a lie because i grew to love them all.


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## MadCatX (Jan 16, 2018)

You guys are better than me - I have my two minis and I love them like a dog or cat lol.


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## cinderrella123 (Sep 11, 2016)

Goat_Scout said:


> It is always sad & hard selling goats, but it is just another part of owning them.
> We have also been culling hard this year, among other things selling our Saanen (we loved her, but she began diving through electric fences and wouldn't stop) and two of our Nubians (one because she wasn't registered, the other because her udder was terrible, and only on her 3rd freshening!). At the moment I am trying to sell our hardest keeper, an Alpine, but being honest about all of her problems, I haven't found a home for her yet.
> 
> I have 3 minis right now. One is a Mini-Lamancha doe in milk, with a beautiful udder. I have her listed for sale, since I want to focus more on my Nubians. Another is a 7 week old Mini-Lamancha doeling, that I was thinking of selling, but then we lost her mama (a full sized Lamancha) 2 weeks ago whom I was really attached to, so I can't possibly sell her now. The third mini is a FF Mini-Nubian that was my bottle baby, and I will probably just keep her as a pet since I'm pretty attached to her, too. She is very hardy and easy to keep, so I don't mind keeping her.
> Ideally, I'd like to sell all of my minis, because finding a nice buck for them is SO difficult!


Yeah I know it is the part of owning them but why does have to be so hard. But yeah any fence jumpers i wouldn't deal with i would sell them as fast as you can say bobs your uncle. the Mini's are not selling around my area and i just can't keep them for pets anymore as it cost way to much in hay right now to feed 12 goats.

I am down to 8 does 1 buckling but going down to 3 lamancha does and 1 lamancha buckling. i will be keeping my mini lamancha doe that i rescued from when she was born she was so small i didn't even think she was going to make it through the night. so i can't sell her she will be here till the day she dies. the sad thing about is she is the size of a 9 week old kid


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## MadCatX (Jan 16, 2018)

I understand that whole heartedly. Its hard not to love them once you've been taking care of them like that.

Side note - that baby in your avatar pic is awesome! looks like a true 50/50 pygmy nigi. mixed colors with those blue eyes. Just like Clyde Geught!


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## cinderrella123 (Sep 11, 2016)

MadCatX said:


> I understand that whole heartedly. Its hard not to love them once you've been taking care of them like that.
> 
> Side note - that baby in your avatar pic is awesome! looks like a true 50/50 pygmy nigi. mixed colors with those blue eyes. Just like Clyde Geught!


Yeah i had some of the mini's for a couple months but i love them all.

Um the baby picture is My last buckling that was an F-1 Mini Lamancha Buck. Mom was pure bred Nigerian dwarf dad was an f-3 Mini Lamancha buck.


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## goatgirlpwr (Oct 20, 2012)

I raise standard LaManchas now and am hoping to have a small herd of minis here eventually. Just looking for "the" Nigerian buck that has all I am wanting in a sire.


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## cinderrella123 (Sep 11, 2016)

goatgirlpwr said:


> I raise standard LaManchas now and am hoping to have a small herd of minis here eventually. Just looking for "the" Nigerian buck that has all I am wanting in a sire.


I hope you have better luck then i did selling the mini lamancha's most people want full size lamancha and full size goats instead of the mini's around my area. Bucks tend to also be harder to find around here that have everything i need in a buck.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

No you are defiantly not alone (hugs) I’ve had to sell ones that I adored but were bad one way or another. Deciding that it’s smart to just not have certain good ones is very hard. I hope you find them all wonderful homes! Usually that takes the sting out some when you know they will be loved and happy.


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## goatgirlpwr (Oct 20, 2012)

cinderrella123 said:


> I hope you have better luck then i did selling the mini lamancha's most people want full size lamancha and full size goats instead of the mini's around my area. Bucks tend to also be harder to find around here that have everything i need in a buck.


I know how you feel, there are Nigerians all around my area. But, they're not good enough quality to want me to go ahead and "try making it work" all of the good producing herds are on the west coast or deep south and sell out before they get their reservation list posted.


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## ISmellLikeGoats (Oct 4, 2017)

cinderrella123 said:


> so so true on that one. although i want to get a Boer goat to raise for meat but I am not going to because I just want to stick with my lamancha's. But what ever Fixed male don't sell I will raise and eat my self.
> 
> yeah it is a hard choice for me because even though i say I didn't really like them but i know that is a lie because i grew to love them all.


It was easier for me because I honestly didn't like the majority of my little goats - so I wasn't all that sad to see them go. I do not miss them crawling through my reasonably fenced pasture and eating my yard - my big goats don't fit through it. 
Nothing wrong with sticking with the dairy wethers for eating. Mine seem to grow out a lot slower, but not as much as the little goats, so still feasible for freezer meat. I can't see growing out the little ones for meat when it takes them so long to get a reasonable weight, even if they eat less. 
That and it's hard to sell the smaller goats in my area, and wethers nearly impossible. I don't wether unless someone asks or it's something we're keeping for 4H/FFA shows. It's definitely more convenient if you have to keep them any amount of time, but I notice they sell a lot faster if you don't.


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## VickNick (Oct 1, 2015)

I'm actually considering doing the opposite. I have a few ladies with dwarf blood in them, and they're half the size of the others... but give just as much milk. I'm thinking of selling off all my huge Nubian girls, and their kids - and just keeping my medium-sized Nubians, and the smaller ones I have - and then only breeding to small/dwarf bucks. I don't sell the babies at this point, although I may have to eventually.. I figure I can go longer without selling babies if all the babies are leeeetle and so eat less, lol!


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## cinderrella123 (Sep 11, 2016)

VickNick said:


> I'm actually considering doing the opposite. I have a few ladies with dwarf blood in them, and they're half the size of the others... but give just as much milk. I'm thinking of selling off all my huge Nubian girls, and their kids - and just keeping my medium-sized Nubians, and the smaller ones I have - and then only breeding to small/dwarf bucks. I don't sell the babies at this point, although I may have to eventually.. I figure I can go longer without selling babies if all the babies are leeeetle and so eat less, lol!


Yeah my 1 doe gave almost about 2 gallons of milk her first lactation so it isn't worth keeping the small girls as i would have to milk 2 mini's to to get that amount so the mini's aren't for me. but glad you are having a better time with them then i do.


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## Goat_Scout (Mar 23, 2017)

cinderrella123 said:


> Yeah my 1 doe gave almost about 2 gallons of milk her first lactation so it isn't worth keeping the small girls as i would have to milk 2 mini's to to get that amount so the mini's aren't for me. but glad you are having a better time with them then i do.


Even your MINIS give almost a gallon a day?!  I really need to have a talk with my standard girls.


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## cinderrella123 (Sep 11, 2016)

ISmellLikeGoats said:


> It was easier for me because I honestly didn't like the majority of my little goats - so I wasn't all that sad to see them go. I do not miss them crawling through my reasonably fenced pasture and eating my yard - my big goats don't fit through it.
> Nothing wrong with sticking with the dairy wethers for eating. Mine seem to grow out a lot slower, but not as much as the little goats, so still feasible for freezer meat. I can't see growing out the little ones for meat when it takes them so long to get a reasonable weight, even if they eat less.
> That and it's hard to sell the smaller goats in my area, and wethers nearly impossible. I don't wether unless someone asks or it's something we're keeping for 4H/FFA shows. It's definitely more convenient if you have to keep them any amount of time, but I notice they sell a lot faster if you don't.


Yeah I won't have any fence jumpers or goats that go through fence's. But yeah it seem's Like the mini's take forever to get up to breeding age and to butcher weight. But 2 does babies last year i herd they grew pretty nicely. 
I can't see growing out the little one's either for meat because it would not be worth it and i don't want to waste time to butcher a mini goat.

But hopefully today i will be down to 4 full size goats an my pet that i rescued when her mother abandon her and she is 8 months old and the size of a 9 week old doe.


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## cinderrella123 (Sep 11, 2016)

Goat_Scout said:


> Even your MINIS give almost a gallon a day?!  I really need to have a talk with my standard girls.


I milked them 2 times a day so and yes my mini's gave me 1/2 gallon a day from both doe's 2 times to be milked but I just can't see it worth milking 2 doe's to get 1 gallon of milk when my 1 standard lamancha can give me 1 1/2 to 2 gallons of milk from one goat.


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## Goat_Scout (Mar 23, 2017)

cinderrella123 said:


> I milked them 2 times a day so and yes my mini's gave me 1/2 gallon a day from both doe's 2 times to be milked but I just can't see it worth milking 2 doe's to get 1 gallon of milk when my 1 standard lamancha can give me 1 1/2 to 2 gallons of milk from one goat.


I understand about the milking minis/less milk thing. What lactations are all of your does on?
I milk some of mine 2x a day too.  One standard Nubian doe gives 1/2-3/4 gallon when milked once a day (with a 4 week old kid on her 24/7), but she is the one with the horrible udder, so she's leaving with her kid and one mini wether tomorrow.

My other two Nubians (2nd fresheners) are almost 4 & 5 months into their lactations, and one (whose kid was sold mid April) gives anywhere from 3-6 cups, twice a day. If I milk her once a day, she drops all the way down to just 1 quart (so now I'm milking 2x a day to up her production)! 
The other one still has a piggy 4 month old, 65 pound buck kid on her all night, and separated during the day. I milk her once a day, and at a 10 hour fill, she gives 1 quart of milk. Her kid is leaving on Monday (thank heavens!). 
They were both bred 3 months after kidding last year, and both are also a bit underweight, so that may have something to do with it. I just added 3 (yes, 3.... we were only supposed to get 1, but you know how it goes) Nubian bucklings from great udders/milking lines, I can't wait until this fall to start our breeding season!


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## cinderrella123 (Sep 11, 2016)

Goat_Scout said:


> I understand about the milking minis/less milk thing. What lactations are all of your does on?
> I milk some of mine 2x a day too.  One standard Nubian doe gives 1/2-3/4 gallon when milked once a day (with a 4 week old kid on her 24/7), but she is the one with the horrible udder, so she's leaving with her kid and one mini wether tomorrow.
> 
> My other two Nubians (2nd fresheners) are almost 4 & 5 months into their lactations, and one (whose kid was sold mid April) gives anywhere from 3-6 cups, twice a day. If I milk her once a day, she drops all the way down to just 1 quart (so now I'm milking 2x a day to up her production)!
> ...


well they aren't pregnant nor milking right now but my friend got about roughly 1 gallon or little more from 1 doe on her First Lactation as well as her other doe she gave her 1 gallon of milk on her first Lactation these doe's are from very excellent milking lines So i am very pleased that i was able to buy them from her. this was amazing that they gave that much on there first Lactation.


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## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

Good for you! I'm happy that you can do it. I'm a wimp and can't.

I have end stage arthritis in multiple joints. Handling the standard sized goats is getting difficult. I decided to down size to Nigerians, since I already had an outstanding buck. I got 4 equally nice does (1 was bred and had triplets- 2 does and a buck) and put a deposit on a doeling from my bucks breeder that would compliment my boy, she is due to be born in June. My plans for the future were laid out. These does were bred for production and show, so they had the nice size teats. I really don't need 12 gallons of milk a day that I am getting from my big girls. The Nigerians would produce what I need without the milk tsunami I currently have.

My problem? Looking at my standard girls and start the selling process. It's not happening, so, unlike you, my plans are just sort of not going anywhere because I can't sell my girls. Ugh. I applaud your ability to know what you need to do and do it. Good luck, I hope you are successful !


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## cinderrella123 (Sep 11, 2016)

lottsagoats1 said:


> Good for you! I'm happy that you can do it. I'm a wimp and can't.
> 
> I have end stage arthritis in multiple joints. Handling the standard sized goats is getting difficult. I decided to down size to Nigerians, since I already had an outstanding buck. I got 4 equally nice does (1 was bred and had triplets- 2 does and a buck) and put a deposit on a doeling from my bucks breeder that would compliment my boy, she is due to be born in June. My plans for the future were laid out. These does were bred for production and show, so they had the nice size teats. I really don't need 12 gallons of milk a day that I am getting from my big girls. The Nigerians would produce what I need without the milk tsunami I currently have.
> 
> My problem? Looking at my standard girls and start the selling process. It's not happening, so, unlike you, my plans are just sort of not going anywhere because I can't sell my girls. Ugh. I applaud your ability to know what you need to do and do it. Good luck, I hope you are successful !


yeah i have a small case of carpal tunnel in my right hand which bothers me some days like a stinging needle in my wrist. But I love My full size Lamancha's well i loved all my goats that is why I made the choices that i did. I couldn't give all of them the attention they deserved and i feel that i was neglecting them on that even though they were okay just to be in my company.

But I won't fully get out of goats I will always keep My full size lamancha goats and my only pet goat Simone she is a small Tiny Mini lamancha doe who is 8 months old But the size of a 8 week old Kid. I am really not expecting her to live but only a few years she was probably only an ounce when she was born or more but she was really small even way small then her brother But she surprised me and made it she was a house goat for over 3 months but she survived. here is a picture of her when she was first born before getting anything into her this is a 5 gallon tub that she was in.

But yeah it feels weird with out all my goats but I am sort of relieved that some of them are off of me as i was the only one handling all of them and it got to be a little to much for me i guess i bit off to much for me to chew. but I really do thank everyone for being so kind and not ripping my head off I felt so bad about even thinking of this but it had to be done.


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