# Sell at weaning or hang on to them



## Lstein (Oct 2, 2014)

Just curious what others have been doing for selling their kid crop as I'm thinking of switching strategies.

I've usually been selling them in September-November, because I have the pasture to do so. But instead I was thinking of selling them shortly after weaning; only keeping my replacement doelings, any I want to try to sell privately, ones that hadn't made the 35-40# cut. (which appears to no longer be a problem based off of this years kids, minus the two I kept from my lone quad this year.)

Possibly keeping more does....which leads to one more trouble. I've set a ceiling of 25 does in my mind, I haven't reached that number yet but more than likely will for the 2018 kidding season. (Going into 2017 with 20) I work a full time job from 6:30-5:30 so kidding season gets kind of hectic. I have several cameras up and I'm usually able to run home quick if I need to (though I try my best to not have to, don't want to push it). I've also been fortunate enough to have the majority of the kidding happening in the evening or at night. I could also maybe tinker with the does kidding at two separate times, split the herd in half....which would extend the kidding season and having to beg forgiveness more at work. What a pickle.

So it appears I need to do some calculating...it's probably going to come out roughly the same after I figure in having to buy more hay for wintering the extra does. 

Ok so that was a bunch of rambling, just needed to type it all out to work through it and possibly get some advice if anyone is able to wade through that.


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

Do you have access to the local livestock auction results for the past year? Like, here in CT the Dept. of Agriculture publishes a weekly "Agriculture Report" and it lists the market prices at the local auction. I have used this to see the price fluctuations and also see that there really are big price spikes near ethnic holidays. There are goat marketing calendars online for the yearly ethnic holidays that you can use for reference as well, this is one: http://sheepgoatmarketing.info/calendar.php

Because meat goats are not my main source of income, and because both my husband and I work full time, I choose to ignore the price spike for easter type holidays (April) and kid when the weather is more conducive in late March and early April. This means I also miss the start of Ramadan because my kids are not weaned yet. I could sell unweaned kids, but I do not sell individual goats off the farm as, for me personally, it's not worth the hassle. I have a buyer come get all the meat kids as a group off the farm for $2.50 per pound live weight at about 16 weeks. I could do better on the price selling them otherwise but for me the convenience cannot be beat and I feel it is the most humane option other than on-farm processing for them to go as a group together to a professional processor. I do creep feed so the kids are weaning in the 50-70 lb range at this point.

In past years I held on to the group of kids longer to let them grow but I did not find it to be worth it for me personally, the growth is slower after weaning if they are not on full feed.

I am fortunate to get 3 weeks paid vacation from work so I take 10 paid days off at kidding time. Using a marking harness on the breeding bucks allows me to pinpoint kidding date estimates and has worked super well in planning my time off the past 2 years!

Sorry this is so long-winded! Hope the thoughts help you decided what is best in your situation.


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## Lstein (Oct 2, 2014)

That's kind of what I was looking at as far as price ranges go. I sell them to someone in my area that buys them from me and takes them down to Ft. Collins (usually). So I get a bit less that what he thinks he's going to get for them. He swears buy getting everything sold before the 4th of July...which, going off of what this report says, is probably a good idea. Compared to keeping them until around now-ish + a few week.

So I think it would be safe to say that, if I sold the kids this year before the 4th. I would have got probably $2.20/# - $2.50 with them, as a guess, 40-50 no creep. (going to next year). When I sold kids last year in September, my take home price was $1.75/# So I can guess about 70-80 avg maybe (I weighed a mid-high size kid last night and he was 70#) I think I can hold out on pasture for a few more weeks, so safe to say they will add a few more pounds. Only have 15 head to sell this year so if my math figures...I will get about $500 more for selling in a few weeks than I would have back in mid June. (confirm)?

The horses wiped me out with pasture but we've been getting some moisture so who knows. Will be minus 1 horse maybe two for next years summer grazing. They did make the benefit of having the pasture nice and mowed vs it being taller than the goats though......lol

Another big ramble there. But I think I'm leaning more towards selling the majority of them, plus any cull does, in the June range; possibly bumping up the # of does, depending on what the pastures look like sans horses.

Lucky on having that much PTO, I hover at 2 days....and don't get another bump for 6 years. I'm hoping in the foreseeable future of moving into a different position in the company with salary vs. hourly.


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

Yep, I calculated about a $400 increase using the mid-ranges of your estimates between June and Sept. 

We are in a 6" drought right now and I don't have enough acres of browse so was even more motivated to sell right at 16 weeks than usual this year! One year I may hold back until later and see how I can do price wise in Sept. or Oct. with some other selling options (like driving them myself to a processor who was supposedly paying $4/lb hanging weight earlier this year.) 

We hang on to 3-4 cull does or meat kids each year to have processed for ourselves as well so I already feel like I'm feeding extra heads hay!


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Ok not sure if this will help you at all lol but this is what I do 
I'm trying to be more of a breeder for breeding stock but still most of my kids end up for meat. Anyways I breed my does for April/may. My biggest reason is because it's warm! Second it's 'off season' kinda. Most people breed right away for December/ January kids so my thinking is since everyone breeds for that time and to sell for Easter/ may 5th time I'll pretty much have the after market. What a lot of people don't think of is yes that is the best prices but everyone knows that. So everyone dumps there kids at that time so the buyers can be a little more picky on what they pay good money for and what not.....if that makes sense  anyways it works out pretty good for me. 
As for weaning, I do NOT wean. I spend all that time packing weight on them and it is so annoying to watch them spend days screaming for mom and loosing weight. If I could some how make them out of site out of mind where they can't see or hear mom I might do it but not worth it. I wean at 4 months old. The does seem to take it better udder wise and don't seem to suffer as much.
Now I am kinda changing my breeding up this year but can't tell you if it's worth it or not lol instead of keeping the doelings that I save and breeding them to kid at 2 with the herd I went ahead and put them in with the buck at 12/13 months for fall kids. But again can't tell ya if fall kiddings are going to be worth it or not yet or even if the dang things bred lol


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## Lstein (Oct 2, 2014)

Mine weaning range was about 4 months this year, I think I'm going stick with that range. I'm thinking I'm going to weigh my doelings I kept this year around December. If they weigh in that 90-100 # range I think I'm going to turn them out with the buck. But that's still kind of in the air because it would only give them about 2 months, after their kids being weaned, to recover. My kids from last year will kid right when they turn two, and they look nice but that's sure a long wait.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Yeah see that's why I'm trying the 2 batches a year thing. I'm super happy with my Spring kiddings but as you said kidding at 2 is soooo long. When I first started in goats the buck ran with the does 24/7 so I had doelings breeding at all kinds of ages (not super super young lol I had them locked up) but I tried 7 months, super unhappy with that! Tried a year and I really liked that age and didn't see much of a difference in how their raised their kids and kept their condition compared to kidding at 2 when I decided I was wrong and only would breed once a year lol but I as you said only 2 months off sure isn't that long so the plan for me is to just keep breeding those doelings every may along with the new yearlings and also would be income twice a year instead of just once, but this is my only income so that does play a big part for me lol I hate running out of money before I have more kids to sell lol


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I breed in Sept to get feb/march kids. I found spring kids are the best to have new springs grasses, which gives them a good boost. 

Tried Dec born kids but it was way too cold and I had to be on my toes more with them and couldn't let them stay out on cold windy days. 

Tried kids born in the summer time, I hated it, flies were so bad at kidding time and the natural feed wasn't there. I find the best time for buyers is feb/march babies so May/ June they are ready to go and a lot of buyers are there for them as soon as they are weaning age. That is the best time to let them go and you don't have to continue putting feed into them it does get costly.

I keep the best of the best and sometimes keep too many, LOL but I have a hard time letting go really nice ones. 

Starting them on a creep feeding and good alfalfa early on gets the weight on them quickly, especially when the lush green grasses dry up.
But even if you have a lush pasture giving some good protein grain gives them that extra boost.

You want to be sure someone is there at kidding time in case. It is wise to have camera's good idea to check on them if you are away. 
Working around the job can indeed get very hectic. 
My Does seem to come into heat at the same time and will kid within 1 week or 2. So mine get it done and over with, but with just 16 does it is a lot of work in a short time.

Yes, definitely more hay and shavings or straw will be needed throughout winter. More goats, more feed ect.

Best time to buy hay storage is to get mold free hay, store it in a barn if possible off the ground and buy it during off season. If you wait until closer to winter prices go up.


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## Lstein (Oct 2, 2014)

So I just found out that the person that I normally just sell all of them too, is going to do that anymore. So I get to take them to the auction myself..... Anyone know what the typical cut is at the auction? I'm going to see which one is going to work out better. There's 3-4 in that I'm considering, all between 1-4 hrs away and in the middle of the week. Yay, no overtime.....


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## Lstein (Oct 2, 2014)

I know I should know how this chart should work (going slightly kookoo today) but this is per hundred weight right? So for example, that group of 12 kids from arena, weighing 73 lbs. went for $150.38 ea? @ 2.06/#


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

Hrmmmm.. usually the reports I see say something about the price being per hundred weight. Sometimes demarcated as "CWT"... I don't see that anywhere on here. 

If $206.00 is the hundred weight price, then your math is correct, $150 per head.


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## Lstein (Oct 2, 2014)

It must be, I can't see them selling for $206. I was just kind of guessing it was, since it looks like the cattle are.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

It is confusing for sure.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

You'll need to ask the auction how much they take. Here it's 10% of what they sell for and $1 a head yardage. 10% is super high though. A friend of mine that is Nebraska only pays 3%


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## Lstein (Oct 2, 2014)

It's only 4.75 per head, so that's a relief. And a little bit more here and there... Overnight feed, vet inspection, etc, I estimated it at about $80 for my 15 head, plus another $80 in gas. But at least I have a place to stay, and can visit for the evening before the sale


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## RPC (Nov 6, 2009)

As soon as my kids are born I put them up for sale. I list them on my website and Craigslist. But I breed for 4-H so that may be a little different. Then I keep them for 10 weeks or so. They get weaned and I keep them 1 extra week to make sure they are doing well after weaning. Then they are out the door. Last year most of my kids were sold at 1 week old if not sooner but I had 1 that took 3 weeks. I just like to know they are sold right away or I stress out lol. Since I sell to 4-H kids my prices vary a lot and I am normally cheaper. I know I loose money but this is a hobby for me. This year all the Wethers went to first time 4-H kids so I taught them how to negotiate prices because I think it's an important lesson. The parents were really shocked when I told the kids to talk me down. But I felt good and even got a dozen cookies out of it hahaha.


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## Lstein (Oct 2, 2014)

RPC said:


> This year all the Wethers went to first time 4-H kids so I taught them how to negotiate prices because I think it's an important lesson. The parents were really shocked when I told the kids to talk me down. But I felt good and even got a dozen cookies out of it hahaha.


Ahh good to start them early, lol.

In reference to the cookies....I've also found bribery to be a good negotiating tool. I sometimes take an 18 pk. of fresh farm eggs when looking at buying, goes along ways. :shades:


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## Lstein (Oct 2, 2014)

Confirmed, it is per hundred weight. My wethers went for 2.11 /# and the does went for 2.08/# I didn't creep feed this year though, so they came in a bit lighter than I would have liked 63# avg on wethers and 55# on does. That's about right for a 5 month old right? Maybe a little light? 

This group had kids from my last commercial dairy does, so I think they were kind of dragging them down a little. Next year will be interesting because all my does are now 50% or more boer. 

I was satisfied with that price, idk. I figure I made about a quarter /# more than I would have if I had sold them to the guy I used to just sell them to.

Just kind of second guessing on what I should do for next year.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

If it is close by and easy to do, it is worth it.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Lol my fiend and I always talk about decisions and I've just come to the conclusion it's all a gamble lol I know that's totally no help at all but really all you can do is sit down and lay it all out on the table and decide what way is best. If it's 0.25 a pound more that you got cutting out the middle man it's probably worth doing it this way from now on unless you only have a few kids and you don't think it will cover the gas. Get your check and figure out what 1/4 of it is and see if it covered the gas. Even if it at least covered that that's where that gambling comes in. I personally think it's worth it to try and get the profit not the middle man.
I've never really paid much attention to weights before this year, I guessed and weighed a few here and there but this year I'm weighing everything before they go to the sale and most are between 3-4 months old and always in the 60's. But I do creep feed and I'm seeing a big difference in growth with this new buck then the other bucks I have had over the years. I sold one of gizmos kids a week before he turned 3 months old and he was 49.something (I'm not in the house) and there's no way it could have gained at least 10 pounds in about a month and before this guy I thought gizmo kids were the bomb


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