# Culling



## Retiredokjusttired (Jun 26, 2016)

How many of you cull? If/when you do...what are the reasons?
Thanks


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I'm a big time culler. The three major things that will land them on a one way trip is 1. Being mean to me or my kids......no second chance there. 2. Bad moms. I don't care if it's their first time if they don't end up taking their kids after a few days and raise them they are gone. 3. Fence crawlers. I want them to stay where I have them for a reason and they will also end up showing others how to jump and crawl under as well. I permed this the hard way and ended up having to cull a nice little bunch that started out with just one. Now that I have my herd basically established and I have nice doelings every year I'm getting more picky. So the list goes on lol singles twice, fast growing feet, any doe that is older and it seems to take a lot out of them (I've learned that's a sign they are to old and are done) anyone with any kind of chronic issues, I don't want to stand out there and give shots all the time and Doctor them, anyone who doesn't come when I rattle a grain can, I don't enjoy chasing down goats to do something with them, and this year since I do need to cut down anyone that I think only gives me blah kids. There's a few I do feel bad about because they are good moms and have twins but their kids just never really impress me :/


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## Retiredokjusttired (Jun 26, 2016)

Yeah, this was exactly what I was looking for. I feel a bit intolerant with the goats. I have had several different types of herd animals. With the goats, there are reasons to like them more.....but it just seems behavioral which does not fit into my very functional "box". I have 2 Moms that ...they are buggin me. I have not had enough time with them to make the decision and I will give them time but I have a feeling at least one of them won't last with me...if not both. I just needed a sounding board and some opinion to reconcile my feelings with reality. I'm not much on feeling base...but animals def pull at my heart strings.
Thanks for perspective.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I do understand that. I feel guilty when ever I do cull ones, except the one that had it out for my son. But when I first started my friend told me enjoy your goats, sell anything that causes you problems because it doesn't take much for you not to enjoy them. Well back then I was like ha! Whatever I love all my goats even my problem ones. It wasn't a big deal chasing after the crazy ones or putting Cinderella back in her own or even spending 3 months holding a doe to feed her kids until the year it all seemed to hit me at once. So now I do have the attitude of for every goat that doesn't fit me 100% there's one out there that does. So it doesn't matter if something seems silly on what you don't like do what you need to to keep enjoying them


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## Lstein (Oct 2, 2014)

I'm a bit more of a softie and they get away with a lot more than they should. 

So far what I've culled for is : worm resistance, the ones that just never seem to really get rid of them or bounce back.

Mothering ability. I've culled two for this, where the one flat out rejected her kids (after raising them just fine the previous year) and the other rejected just one of the kids. Also if they have singles more than twice in a row (I do have one exception to this rule, who is just my big baby and I would feel too guilty to cull, plus would just miss because she's my pocket searching shadow. She kind of makes up for it though, she always has a single monstrous bucking. 

Partially aggressive with me when they have kids. I have three that don't want me to be have anything to do with their kids right when they are born, but after that first day they could care less. Even then all they really do is sternly nudge/nip at my hand or will try to shoulder shove me away. The one that I did cull for this butted my elderly grandfather and knocked him on his keester, then butted him in the head when he was down. 

Confirmation: As my kid crop keeps getting better and better with each year, I'm replacing a lot of my does that had some minor/medium faults, with doelings.


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

Ugh, the culling guilt it the worst but it is so much better for the herd overall and afterwards you feel some relief at not having an problem animal any longer!

I'm in year 6 and have just learned SO much over the past 6 years that it has resulted in a lot of buying and selling but I've finally plateaued the last two seasons and haven't purchased any new animals since last June. I'm so much better at choosing animals now, and knowing when to send them for processing. 

The various cull factors really depends on your goals for your herd and also your physical capabilities and how much of a "pet" factor there is. My herd is first and foremost meat producing livestock. 

It really helped me to make a list of the top 10 attributes that I value for my herd, and that makes it easier to assess those that don't fit that ideal. Of course, there will always be exceptions. 

My list is much the same as Jessica's. Fence-jumpers, does that reject kids, chronic parasite or other issues, horrific feet, super wild/un-tamed.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Yes I should say they get a small pass on being mean when they kid, but I do mean small lol if they nip at me or anything else I kinda forgive them but they gotta knock it off when I smack them. It's not very fun having a dumb kid that your trying to help nurse and having them rip your hair out of your head! So far I've only had to full for this once and that was a doe that when I reached down to pick up her kid to move into a warm house in the middle of the night and she didn't just butt me and leave me alone to part threw the stars behind my eyes but she beat the crap out of me and I had to beat her off with my flashlight. That was a bit over the top!


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

And I do have to agree with salty you feel so bad at the time and after not so much because it's so much better without them! Or they do something like the last one I took to the sale and knocked me down and had fun dragging me on the ground and I couldn't move my left side for a day lol I got over my guilt REAL fast after that!


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## Lstein (Oct 2, 2014)

Jessica84 said:


> Yes I should say they get a small pass on being mean when they kid, but I do mean small lol if they nip at me or anything else I kinda forgive them but they gotta knock it off when I smack them. It's not very fun having a dumb kid that your trying to help nurse and having them rip your hair out of your head! So far I've only had to full for this once and that was a doe that when I reached down to pick up her kid to move into a warm house in the middle of the night and she didn't just butt me and leave me alone to part threw the stars behind my eyes but she beat the crap out of me and I had to beat her off with my flashlight. That was a bit over the top!


Oh yea, it was great this kidding season. I had forgotten about this one. My one doe got a bit over aggressive with me but I let it slide. Mostly because she's a wallflower in the herd and I don't get any other fuss from her. But I was there for her entire deliver and even assisted with the last two (she had triplets) just to get them out. She didn't care about that at all, let me move them and followed me to one of the small pens just fine.

But when I tried to start getting them to nurse, she did not want me down there at all. So when I was bending over by the backquarters with a kid, she turned her head around and did the shove thing, except that the horn scrapped all the way up my back.

:angry:Left a nice mark, as I had just a t-shirt on because it was hectic in there that night...three does kidding at the same time, all had triplets, the one I pulled all of them (she just wasn't making progress). So I was just running from one to the other making sure everyone was drinking and getting them dried off.

Back on track: I forgave her, because of the wallflower thing and because her and the other two does that get nippy at me came from a farm where they are out in the mountains by themselves basically. Defending themselves and babies from mountain lions and all. Which in a way, made them extreamly hardy and independent does, that give such nice daughters. (this will be the first year that their daughters kid, so we'll see if the trend continues. I pretty sure with the 2 of the three they will be fine because the ones my buddy and her sister grudgingly tolerates me since her sister is doing it.)

Otherwise I have been pretty pleased with all the goats and not being aggressive. I remember getting attacked by the ewes all the time when I was growing up, but then again I think they were just seeing a small target.


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## Retiredokjusttired (Jun 26, 2016)

Thank you for all of the responses. I especially gained from the idea of "being able to enjoy you goats." Great perspective there. I have had livestock for almost 20 years and their is definitely an ebb and flow we go through with our herds individual. At this point in life I find myself less attached to my animals. I have 2 mini's that are pets and one standard wether I am liking....other than that...they are work. Saying that I guess if they are bugging me for whatever reason...then they need to go.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Very good advice.


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

So...when you all cull do you "send them to freezer camp"? Or do you sell them and disclose their neediness or their bad behavior habits?


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Mine go to the sale yard. 99% of what goes threw ends up being processed plus their slow days is about 300 head so even if I told them oh she's a jumper they are not gonna stop the sale to say it. They run them threw as fast as they can since their workers are paid by the hour. I wouldn't mind doing the freezer camp thing but I'm afraid that I'm not going to like the meat and then I'll be out good money just to mix it in with hamburger. Beef is way cheaper then goat out here


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## Lstein (Oct 2, 2014)

groovyoldlady said:


> So...when you all cull do you "send them to freezer camp"? Or do you sell them and disclose their neediness or their bad behavior habits?





Jessica84 said:


> Mine go to the sale yard.


x 2

I sell them to a guy in town that buys a lot of the goats in the area and then takes a load to CO, KY, MN or wherever. He pays me for them and then he goes and resells them, I take a small hit but when you take in the travel, sales fees, missing work, etc etc, it works out because it's just a done deal. He of course makes a little, it's like $7-20 though so not that bad.

Once I get a big load of kids I might weigh the options on taking a load somewhere myself but for the ones and twos that get culled, it works great.


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

If it is a cull from my herd I make 100% sure that it won't be used for breeding anywhere else. Because when I go to buy stock, I don't want those crappy genetics in my herd. We either bring it to the local butcher for our own freezer or I sell it to one of my meat buyers (whom I all trust will not resell for breeding or as a pet...)


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## luvmyherd (Apr 9, 2011)

>>> My herd is first and foremost meat producing livestock.<<<
Same here even though we started it for the milk. I love my goat milk but you can only use/preserve so much of it. We can freeze, can, dry etc. etc. etc. the meat. (I have some organic ground beef in my freezer that is like two years old cuz their is just no reason to eat it.) We love knowing what we are eating.

I only sell those that I know are good but cannot stay. Like my two Toggs and their 5 babies last year. They could not take our valley heat and we just had too many.

Boys and most girls cross the Rainbow 'Fridge before their first birthday. We only have an acre and have to feed most of the year so a large herd is not possible. I am retaining one this year and if she is as good as her mom then one of my does will have to go. She will be seven and has served us well but I do not want to keep breeding her until she is worn out. I have to keep some younger ones.
It is never easy but once the deed is done and we have thanked them for their service; we are at peace with our decision. It is _WAY_ easier for us to butcher ourselves than to send them off to parts unknown.


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## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

I have never had to cull for much except for the fact that I had too many. I try to keep them until they die of old age. When I do cull, it's to sell them to new owners, usually as kids. I could never sell one of my milkers to a meat dealer or send them to freezer camp. They supplied me with milk for years, I feel they deserve my respect.

I am at the point where I do have to sit down and figure who to sell. I have way too many goats...why does a single person need 21 goats, 18 of which are milkers? Who needs 18+ gallons of milk a day?????

I am still not sure what to use for culling criteria. All my girls are pretty much equal producers of milk and kids, in health and worm resistance. I guess I am going to have to decide with personalities.


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## siberian (Jun 8, 2016)

We cull for parasite, bad mothering, feet issues (like limited trimmings), not meeting weights wanted.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

We have a meat buyer right down the road from us, that is where mine go.


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