Buy A Goat

Success Guide For Raising Healthy Goats

Buying A Goat

Once you have selected a breed of goat, you must decide whether you will raise female does, wethers (castrated male goats), or male bucks, and find out how you go about registering them, if needed.

If you are keeping goats for milk, you must, of course, have female does. Even if the milk from one doe is plenty for your needs, your doe will need a companion, which may be another doe, or a wether. Also if you want milk available year-round, you must have a second doe; a doe will be bred to produce milk, but during the 2 months just before she gives birth, she will not produce any milk. A wether is a good choice if you want to engage in goat packing or driving, since it can handle more weight than a doe. If you raise fiber goats, a wether produces more hair per shearing than does a doe, and the quality of the hair is more consistent for a longer part of its life. If you are raising a goat for meat, a wether is cheaper and grows bigger than a doe.

Getting a buck (an uncastrated male) as your first goat is not a good idea. A buck must be housed separately, so he won't fight with other goats, or attempt to breed does that are too young. During breeding season, a buck becomes aggressive and hard to handle. In addition, a buck develops a strong odour that gets onto skin and clothing, when he rubs against you. Unless you have a lot of does to breed, keeping a buck is an unnecessary expense. You'd be better off finding a buck owner nearby, who is willing to breed your does.

If you choose to keep a buck and you are raising dairy goats, you'll need to provide separate facilities, so the buck smell won't affect the taste of the milk. Bucks are often relegated to a back shed, which may have poorer living conditions than those enjoyed by does or wethers. This practice is not fair to the animal; bucks require the same amount of shelter and grazing land as the others. A buck kept confined to a dark shed, or stall will become bored and difficult to handle. Except when bucks get excited during breeding season, they are generally just as gentle as does or wethers.

Registration

When purchasing a doe or a buck, find out whether the animal is registered. A registered goat has official papers issued by an organisation that keeps track of production records, show records, and pedigrees for that breed.

A good goat need not be registered, although you may want registered animals if you wish to compete at shows, or you might someday sell your goats. Insist on receiving the registration papers when you pay for the goat. A registered goat will cost more than a goat without papers. Exactly how much more depends on how easy it is to find the breed you want in your area. The more common the breed, the less your goat should cost, regardless of whether it is registered.

Before You Bring Home a Goat

Once you have selected the goat you wish to purchase, the final matter is to make sure the animal is healthy and sound. A healthy goat has a clean coat and bright, alert eyes. It should be as curious about you as you are about it. A good goat has a strong, wide back, straight legs, sound feet, and a wide, deep chest. Avoid a goat with a swayback, a narrow chest, a potbelly, bad feet, lame legs, or a defective mouth. Always check the teeth.

If you keep other goats, initially you may wish to keep the new goat apart from your existing goats to prevent any cross-infections, in case the goat you have purchased, has any illness, or is contagious.

Article Copyright:
© 2019 Felicity McCullough

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Copyright Felicity McCullough

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