# New to goats with new goats



## Kelsiekoos (May 25, 2009)

Hello all! Looking for some advice. We are working on starting a meat goat operation and found some goats the other day. Well we have them home now but after all the tons and tons of reading and looking at pictures I'm not sure if we ended up with nice goats. Would really like to know what you think of them. They came to us pretty wild, we finally have them calm enough to where they don't go running for the hills when they see us, so anyway the pictures aren't great! :shrug: I know they all need some weight put on them. They are supposed to be boer crosses. I'm looking to breed these does if they look like they would be good enough...not show stock. They all looked healthy enough when we got them...no sores on skin, hooves, ears, mouth,and eyes. No swelling anywhere. They all have that triangle shape when looking down on them. Thier legs looked shaped properly from pictures I've seen. Definantly had worms but we wormed them. Anyhow, I don't know for sure about them so thought I could get some others' thoughts! Thanks in advance!


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

You are right, they could sure use a litle extra weight. Glad you wormed them!
I tell you my girls were from a huge operation wild as march hares at first. 
But within a couple days they recognized who the food source was & nowadays have to be careful I dont get mobbed if carrying anything resembling feed or containers. 
The buck is kind of leggy if you dont mind me saying. But getting some muscle on him might even him all out.
I fell in love with your last girl she is a real beaut! Look at that long level topline she's very well put together & balanced. You're going to get some very nice kids out of her!
#1 doe is nice & long too. The black & white one is a little short backed but very pretty. 
And welcome to GS fellow meat goatraiser!


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## ProctorHillFarm (May 15, 2008)

Well your buck looks mostly boar- but your girls are definately dairy goat crosses- Im going to say the first one is most likely an alpine cross and the bottom two look like nubian crosses.
So breeding them to as full blood a boar you can get, the better off you are to geat "meat stock" out of them

With a little weight and tlc I think they will suit you just fine 

Congrats on your new endeavor- and welcome to the addiction we call goats :thumbup:


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

welcome :wave:

Seems you have the start of it -- time and patience will bring them around socially and physically in weight/health.


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## Kelsiekoos (May 25, 2009)

Thank you all so much! Like I said I've looked at so many pictures but it can be kinda hard to tell the real thing from a picture!

Nancy d- thanks for "judging" them for me! I was definantly looking for the truth even if it hurt! :wink: The big one is my favorite, she has calmed down alot already!

Proctorhillfarm- Thanks! I was kinda thinking the 2 smaller were dairy crosses. I think we are gonna get a 7/8 or possibly 100 percent Kiko buck to breed with this winter since we live in the hot and humid south.

We are already talking about getting more does!! :dance:


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## sealawyer (May 31, 2009)

Keep them from getting wormy. Provide good browse for them. Provide goat mineral for them or a quality mineral for cows. We are using Cargill Onyx cow mineral right now. We provide crystalyx goat tubs for ours, but that is our choice because we have so many pregnannies right now. The tubs provide protien and minerals and yeasts to help their rumen stomach work better.
Buy the best quality 100% Full Blood Boer billy that you can afford to breed to your nannies. If you don't know how to do it then shop around and don't buy the billy on the spot, come back later after you have thought about it. If the folks you are buying him from are reputable breeders then they shouldn't pressure you to buy. If they try, then leave and come back later if you care to. Take your time making your choice. PLEASE!
If you are unsure, then find someone with Boer goats to consult or join a breeders association in your area and ask questions. Most folks who raise meat goats want to help you if you ask them.
Subscribe to the Goat Rancher, a monthly magazine devoted to raising meat goats. http://www.goatrancher.com 
If you have any questions or want to talk goats then e-mail or call me. 
Attached is Goat Gossip 4, some thing I wrote about goat selection. Some of the material is dated, so it may be old info.

Well, I'm a bonehead and can't attach it so I'm putting it here.
9/21
GOAT GOSSIP 4

Well, you've got your fence built, and a shelter built. Now comes the most important decision that you will make. What kind of goats to get, and where to get them. There are a number of breeds to consider. Do you want to have milk goats or meat goats? Do you want to go with full blood stock or with a line of stock that are a predominantly large percentage of one breed? With the popularity of artisan goat cheeses and various other related products, milk goats may be the way you want to go. Just looking at the variety of equipment and supplies that you need for this type of operation in the Hoegger Supply catalog makes my head spin! Folks, I will be the first one to admit that I don't know anything about dairy goats or their management. Please consult someone that knows about them and do your research. I can't say for sure, but I think that the E.T.G.R.A. has some members that have dairy goats. Contacting them may be a good place to start. The East Texas Goat Raisers have a good web site at http://www.etgra.com. For those of you like me that are electronically challenged, maybe you can get your children or somebody smart like that to show you how to do it.
Meat goat varieties include Boer, Fainting, Kiko, Savanna, Spanish, Tennessee and Texmaster. Plus there are various cross breedings of all the various breeds. Do your research and go yourself to get a good look at them before you make an important decision like this because once you decide, you are going to spend quite a bit of money on just a small foundation herd. 
Okay, you've decided on the breed you want, so where do you go to buy them? You could go to the sale barn, but remember "Buyer beware!" I haven't bought any goats at a sale barn, but I have heard of people who have had success. Remember that most of the goats at a sale barn are there for a reason, they may be culls, they may not be able for some reason to breed, or when they have a kid they may not take care of them. Its possible that you may buy them, load them in the trailer, and in six months or a year later bring them back to the sale barn for some reason. Just because the price is right doesn't mean the goat is right for you!
You could buy your goats from individual breeders. This is the way I prefer to buy my goats, because you can put your hands on them, and ask the breeder about any faults or problems they may have. Breeders who sell goats by private treaty will usually be open about them and sell their goats with the assurance that they are healthy and productive. You wouldn't want somebody talking bad about you for selling them a bum goat, wouldya! 
You could buy your goats at a production sale or herd dispersal sale. Breeders associations and ranches have these sales to sell their best stock or for herd liquidations. I have found that most of the goats at these sales are a good buy. You can get in there and look at the goats and ask the individual breeders any questions you may have. One of the drawbacks is that if you have your eye on a good looking goat, someone else probably does too! Another drawback is that if you try to get a goat at a really good price and bid low, you may not take that goat home because the breeder has given the auctioneer a bid limit higher than what you bid. Your perception of what the goat may be worth can be different from the owners. I'm not trying to choose sides in this instance because I've sat on both sides of the fence, but the breeder has put a lot of time, effort, and money into what they think is a good goat. Conversely, you, as the buyer, may think that the goat just is not worth that much. Unfortunately there is no winner in this situation. Dispersal sales usually happen when a breeder is getting out of the business due to various reasons i.e. health, etc. You can get some good goats of all ages and conditions in this manner. The aforementioned drawbacks apply.
Breeder associations have pen sales, where they pen their goats in small lots and sell them as a private treaty sale. The price is set by the seller and is negotiated between them and the buyer. This is an excellent way to buy goats. If you don't like the price you can do some bargaining, and if the seller is flexible then the sale is done. If things don't work out then there's no problem. Buying at a production, dispersal, or pen sale is usually a good deal because you can be assured that the goats you get are in good condition.
Whether you buy your stock at the sale barn or at a pen sale, you want to buy goats in good condition. I can admit I've bought some bums and some good goats. If you have doubts about your abilities as a goat picker then keep your ears open and ask a lot of questions when you go to sales. Go to sales with no intention of buying at all and ask others why they like certain goats. When you go to goat ranches and see something you really like, don't be an impulse buyer. Reputable goat breeders won't pressure you to buy right away, if they try to then leave and come back later, or don't come back at all! In most associations you can find someone that will be willing to go with you and take a look at what you are going to buy and give you their honest opinion. Once again, this is a good practice, but everyone has their own preferences and that other person may see faults that you don't. One mans fine breeding nanny may be another mans cabrito!
You need to decide if you want full blood, registered stock or stock that is a percentage of a certain breed. Many breeders with small acreages prefer full bloods because of their higher value. Some of the prices at sales for this type of stock are very high, up into thousands of dollars. When Gwen and I got our start, we bought percentage nannies. If you are just getting started, and are worried about the cost of goats until you become accustomed to raising them, then percentage goats may be the way to go. When we first started, we bought five mixed breed goats. As our area that we pastured them in grew, so did our herd. We increased our herd by breeding our nannies to borrowed Billies (of radically unknown blood lines), and purchasing a few nannies here and there. As our knowledge of goats increased so did the percentage of Boer blood lines in our goats. You can do this with whatever breed you decide to go with. Percentage nannies can be registered with various breed associations. Check with the breed association of your goats for more information.
Well, I've told you of some of the ways to buy goats, now here's some ways to find sales. For information on dairy goat sales there is the United Caprine News out of Crowley, Texas. Phone: 817-297-3411 Website: http://www.unitedcaprinenews.com. For information on meat goats there is the Goat Rancher out of Sarah, Mississippi. Phone: 888-562-9529 Website: http://www.goatrancher.com. If you want to know all about raising meat goats and need comprehensive information about them, then this is the newspaper to subscribe to. It is well worth the subscription price! The Showbox out of Crockett, Texas is the official publication of the Texas Club Meat Goat Assn. and have a lot of ads about meat goat sales. Phone: 936-544-2787 Website: http://www.theshowbox.com. The Country World is a weekly rural newspaper that is very informative and carries goat sale ads. Phone: 903-885-2030 Website: http://www.countryworldnews.com.
I hope that this information will help you when it's time to make your big purchase. My best advice is to take the time to do your research and don't be an impulse buyer.


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## beefy (Aug 3, 2009)

congrats on your new goats. so far so good, looks like. man that boys got some ears on him!


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## Kelsiekoos (May 25, 2009)

Sealawyer- Thanks so much for the info...any is much appreciated!! There is so much out there it can get real confusing real fast! I'm a very hands on type person so I learn best by doing but also love reading to learn so I'm ready whenever a new situation presents itself. 

I've seen The Goat Rancher at our local TSC but didn't want to waste my money incase it wasn't a good magazine for learning about goats (lots of horse magazines a geared to show poeple, which I'm not interested in.) Think I'll go ahead and try it out though!

I just may take you up on that offer to give you a call here sometime but be forewarned...I can ask ALOT of questions!! :wink: 

Beefy- First off thanks for the compliments on the goats! Second, can I ask what breed you raise? I'll be looking to get a nice Kiko buck around November this year and I also live in Gerogia ( Middle Georgia.)


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## AlaskaBoers (May 7, 2008)

good job worming, that little buck looks a little behind in growth. just be sure to follow up with the treatment, eating good and keep us updated on how theyre doing! :thumb:


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## sealawyer (May 31, 2009)

Next time you are at TSC buy yourself a copy and see if it suites you. The subsciption is a lot less than the monthly purchase. Take a FAMACHA class and you will learn all you need to about worms and worming your meat goats.


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