# My neighbor wants to buy me a goat! Help!



## Cinder (Mar 3, 2008)

My neighbor (whom we are good friends with) has been driving an hour each week to get goats milk. When she found out I got goats she immediately proposed the following idea:

She will buy me a milk goat (Alpine or Nubian) if I will milk it and she will buy the milk from me! She just doesn't want to make that hour drive every single week and she can't milk due to back injury. The reason she wants to buy my a larger dairy goat is for more milk. We don't think my two ND's will supply us both with enough milk.

Up front ... I'm not ready for more goats yet as we have to finish putting up a larger fence area. Plus, with another goat I'd have to build a goat house (my hubby can do it), it just all takes time. So, I told her that I'm certainly not ready yet, but would consider it ... it could be months before I can be properly prepared. She's willing to wait.

What are all your thoughts about this arrangement? I know the laws regarding selling milk here but what else can you help me with? Actually, thinking about it .. if it's legally her goat (she buys it) but I keep it here and milk it do I have to be concerned with the laws?


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## Di (Jan 29, 2008)

Well, you know, half the fun of getting new goats is "shopping" for one. So, keep hubby working, while you "find" the perfect goat. She may be close, or not, but when you find her, the current owner will probably be able to work with you on when you can take posession. Meantime, you'll have improved the "facilities". Sounds like a great situation for you. You can sell goat milk as "pet food" to get around the milk laws. What she does with it is her option. :wahoo:


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## enjoytheride (Oct 5, 2007)

Do you want a full sized goatat all? If not, I wouldn't go there. I might offer to get another Nigie that you would be willing to devote to her if that's more to your situation.
But of course being me, I think of all the things that can go wrong with this.

If the goat gets sick or needs vet bills- is she willing to pay? Does she really know how much it costs to keep a goat? Or how much effort can go into it? Maybe she's not able to take that on. If we all added up the real cost of goat keeping, I wonder how many of us would really keep them.

You might tell her that she could purchase her own goat, subject to testing and your approval and that you would be willing to do full board on her, which could include milking. That way, she is responsible for the animal (she may not realize what that means either.) Or that she can get her own goat and you will milk for her for a price.

But one goat is not going to be in milk forever- what about the kids? Who deals with that- what about about selling them? 

Basically I might think of getting an additional goat of the breed that I was interested in already based her her saying she would buy the milk but it would have to be a person I've known and trusted for a long time before I would risk anything of my time or money to do anything else. Words are easy but when it come to ponying up the money, people of a tendency to weasle out. 

Are you willing to risk having a neighbor you have as an enemy if things don't go right. I would prefer to just sell milk if I was in a position to do so- no obligation either way.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

ETR has some VERY good points there. A Nigi can produce a good amount ....my reg. nd gave me 2 qs a day since the end of February and she freshened the end of January. Now I also milk 2 other doe...pygmy/nigi crosses and the 3 does combined are giving me a gallon and a quart each day...which I do sell as "pet food" and still have enough for myself and hubby as well as a freezer full and lots of cheese!

3 does fresh within weeks of each other is more than enough milk with 2x a day milking. They will begin to slow down as it gets closer to fall, at least mine do and then I dry them off and use the frozen milk til they freshen again.


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## sparks879 (Oct 17, 2007)

if a nigerian isnt producing you with enough you may want to consider a kinder, or a mini dairy breed. They wont be quite as big as a full sized doe but will produce about the same as one.
is she going to pay to feed the goat as well? what other benifit besides making money off the milk is in it for you?
beth


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

first off - is she going to consider the goat hers or yours? If it is then yours you need to decide on a milk price that will offset your cost (larger dairy goats require more grain and more hay so figure that in). She maybe figuring that if she buys you the goat the price of the milk will be cheeper. YOu need to settle that upfront.

Any and all kids would then belong to you as the goat belongs to you. But if she wants to have a part in the goat after purchase then things could get sticky as you decide who pays for what etc.

Best to decide WHO OWNS the goat before anything is set in motion. 

Vet costs, kids and breeding etc are only a factor IF she wants a share in the goat.


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## Cinder (Mar 3, 2008)

Excellent help from all of you. I knew you'd think of all the things that I'm not right now. Thanks so much. The good part of this is that she knows it's not going to happen quickly - if at all, so I have lots of time to thoroughly think this through with all your helpful points.

I need to write the pros and cons down and first decide if I can or want to do this and then if I decide yes - sit down with her and hash out all the details. I know I'll need things in writing just to cover both of us if we go into this as a kinda partnership.


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## Suellen (Mar 9, 2008)

I have 3 dairy goats, Alpines and Alpine/Obers. The reverse question I asked myself is, "would I put a mini in with my big goats?" No, I wouldn't trust the biggers goats to understand that they can't play as hard with the minis. Sometimes they don't understand that they can't play hard with the young kids I have. I would have to keep the mini separate from the big goats and unless I got another mini she would be lonely. To me it would make more sense for her to buy a goat the same breed as what you have.

_*Suellen*_


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## Di (Jan 29, 2008)

Good point Suellen, I never put my big goats in with the Nigerians.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

I actually for a couple weeks to a couple months had my nigerians with my oberhaslis. So it just depends on the temperment of the goat and if they grow up together or if you bring in a dominant full grown doe. They need space to get out of eachothers way and also separate hay feeders just in case (I have 4 with just my nigerians because thye can't get along!)


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## sparks879 (Oct 17, 2007)

i know a gal that has nubians alpines and nigies, she runs them all together. if the big goats pick on the nigies they actually dart between the legs of other big goats and protect themselves. but for the most part the co exist quite well.
beth


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## Cinder (Mar 3, 2008)

Well, that's a huge issue for me since I can't afford to build separate pens and they'd have to be together. That may be the deal breaker then. Thank's for the well thought out help.


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## mamarobs (Sep 9, 2008)

Here in IN the law is that you have to own the goat, so if she owns it she is just paying you for taking care of it and that's perfectly legal. 
I hope you are able to do it, that's such a nice thing to do for a neighbor!


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## heathersboers (Sep 5, 2008)

If she just wants the milk and nothing else to do with the goat-(breeding, kids, etc)-I think it would be OK- that is if you want to get a larger goat. the only problem I can forsee is if you had to eventually sell the goat beacause of her getting out,hurting other goats, (anything can happen)etc.. You would not want to get rid of her because of your neighbor, and you will be stuck with her..


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## Cinder (Mar 3, 2008)

Since this thread came back up, I thought I'd update on this.

I did a lot of research and talking to people, with my neighbor, and we went ahead and bought (she paid but I'm going to buy one back from her) two Alpine does, in milk. I have them here and am milking .... and loving it!

My neighbor wants about 1 to 1 and a 1/2 glns. of milk per week, my family gets the rest. She is helping with feed costs, etc. since I do all the 'work'.

Right now it's a perfect situation, I'm hoping things always continue to work out this well for both of us. If she ever decides she doesn't want her doe, I'd find a way to buy her myself. But, we both love goats milk and want it for health reasons also, so I'm not thinking either of us is going to want to give up these goats.

My neighbor is 'on call' if I ever need a back up milker also, so that's a huge benefit to our situation.


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## kelebek (Oct 5, 2007)

I have someone who purchases a gallon a week from me and they asked last night if I am able to go up to more. I wasn't thinking that I could, and I remembered this thread.

I know someone locally here that has wonderful milking nubians and she had a huge doeling year last year and needs to slim her herd down - so she is selling them CHEAP. I proposed the same situation to the couple and am now waiting for a reply to see if they want to do it.


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## Cinder (Mar 3, 2008)

Allison ... I wish I loved closer to you. I want to add a milking Nubian to my herd and am looking around here for one. Hope it all works out for you well.


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## kelebek (Oct 5, 2007)

Where are you? From what I have heard, you can ship pretty cheap right now!!


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## Cinder (Mar 3, 2008)

I'm basically an hour southish of the Denver metro area in Colorado. People ship goats? That would scare me.


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## Di (Jan 29, 2008)

I've heard of a service called U-Ship.com. You list what you have to ship and the shippers bid on the "job" and then you pick the one you want to use. You might want to check it out.
I have never used the service myself, so can't give personal reference.


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