# Should I or Shouldn't I?



## goatnutty (Oct 9, 2007)

I have been thinking about getting a 2week old bottle baby.He is boar/lamancha cross.He's approximatly an hour away and is $75.Is it worth it?What are the chances of him having lamancha ears as I don't think that will go down well in the 4-H show ring and auction.Will he be good for meat since he's part lamancha.I've nener had a boar or lamancha so any help is appriciated! Thanks,
*Sara*


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## trob1 (Oct 5, 2007)

The breeder should be able to tell you if he has lamancha ears or not now. The ears won't change.


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## goatnutty (Oct 9, 2007)

I will ask her.


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## goatnutty (Oct 9, 2007)

He's got "the ears" but I'm going to look at him because otherwise he's perfect.At 2weeks is feeding him at 6:30a.m.,3:30p.m.,&9:30 o.k. THis is the schedule I have working around school.The bus comes at 7 a.m. and I get home by 3:30.I usually try to be in bed by 10.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Not sure of the feeding times, maybe try and continue what he has been scheduled on for a few days, then go to your schedule, I have heard of breeders crossing dairy with the meat breeds as it is supposed to make the meat better quality.


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## goatnutty (Oct 9, 2007)

Thanks Liz.The owner has just told me he's still being dam raised but will be able to switch.


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## LiddleGoteGurl (Nov 29, 2007)

If he is already two weeks old it is NOT going to be easy to switch him to a bottle. He will resist it quite ferociously, and will only want his mother. The best way to start bottle babies is right at the beginning. Unless the breeder already has him on the bottle and on his mother also, it is going to be a battle.. you may want to wait until he is weaned.


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## goatnutty (Oct 9, 2007)

She said he was ujusting so I asume she is doing both.


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## trob1 (Oct 5, 2007)

I wouldnt buy him unless she can show you that he takes a bottle. Other wise you are gonna be in tears trying to get this boy to take a bottle and could risk losing him.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

trob1 said:


> I wouldnt buy him unless she can show you that he takes a bottle. Other wise you are gonna be in tears trying to get this boy to take a bottle and could risk losing him.


I totaly agree with this.

if she says "he is adjusting" that doesn't mean he is taking the bottle willingly if at all.

I would want proof that he is nursing from the bottle before taking a 2 week old kid from his mom to bottle feed.


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## goatnutty (Oct 9, 2007)

I plan on taking bottle and seeing if he will drink it before I buy it.


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## enjoytheride (Oct 5, 2007)

I don't know what your prices are there but that sounds high to me for a 2 week bottle baby. 
A lot of the time crosses do make more meat that pure or full bloods so I don't have a problem with that but that sounds like a price for a 2 month old not 2 week.
Also changing could cause a bloat in him so I think that she should switch him and have him solidly bottle feeding for that price.


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## goatnutty (Oct 9, 2007)

I'm asking her to go down to fifty or at least negotiate.She had it sold before and called the people to ask them if she could sell it to me and they agreed.If I don't buy it I will feel terrible.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

75 for a wether isn't a bad price. I sell my wethers for 75.00

to me age doesn't matter unless they are really old. 2 weeks or 8 weeks to me the price would be the same.


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## goatnutty (Oct 9, 2007)

I wasn't worried to much about the price.Will the ears hurt him in the show ring?


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## enjoytheride (Oct 5, 2007)

Meat goat wethers usually run less then pets or show wethers- at least I know one lady here who sells 4h market goats at 3 months for $125- she just picked up 6 two week old bottle babies (boer crosses) for $10 each.
All the market goats I've seen here look like boers even if part bred. So I don't know about the ears.


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## trob1 (Oct 5, 2007)

If you plan on showing him in the meat goat class then yes I think the ears or lack there of will hurt him as it will show the judge that he is part dairy goat. I think I would be asking your 4-h leader what they thought before I bought him. $75.00 for a meat wether that is only 2 weeks old is alot to me. You will have alot of milk money in him by the time he is weaned. When I first got started in goats 4 years ago I could get nubian/boar cross 1 week old bucklings for $20.00 and the doelings were $25.00 from dairy farms. A registered Nubian buckling at 1 week was $50.00.


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## goatnutty (Oct 9, 2007)

WE aren't getting him due to the time of year.I feel bad but I can't afford to buy him and lose him right now.


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## Nupine (Nov 13, 2007)

So he has lamancha ears. I don't mean to burst your bubble, but that may effect him in the show. Some judges discriminate against dairy or part dairy goats. You probably would do alright, but not as good as someone with a boer.


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## Nupine (Nov 13, 2007)

Also lamancha ears are very hard to get rid of, one of our friends has a 1/16 lamancha with elf ears!


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## goatnutty (Oct 9, 2007)

Nupine,we aren't getting him.The ears really didn't affect our desition though.


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## Shelly (Oct 5, 2007)

I know you're not getting him. But I would be looking at his body build more then ears. Yes his ear may hurt him in the ring under some judges. But length of loin, square build, width between legs, size of leg, head and tail set will matter more. Also 75.00 for a market wether would be a steal here. Prices start at 150.00 and go up. Shelly


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## alyssa_romine (Oct 5, 2007)

I sell my market wethers for $50 and not as bottle babies. I make sure that they are tame and sweet. I sold 2 last year for $25 each.


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## goatnutty (Oct 9, 2007)

Alyssa,I wish you were up here.Shelly as I said preveously the ears didn't influence our decition we just didn't think it was the right time of year and we didn't have time.


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