Got Goats?

Thanks Dog. I know exactly where Winchester is, we have friends that live down there. They were/are tobacco farmers and have a few head of cattle. They started a greenhouse a few years ago. We purchase our flowers/vegetable plants from them each spring.

I will definetely be floating him a call. Thanks for the tip.

My daughter is a sophmore there. Transfered from Waverly district when we moved here seven years ago. BTW that breeder that BigDog sent you is a good one to do business with. Talk to the other parents and see what they are doing but remember you get what you pay for in young goats just like any other purchase. It takes just as much work and money to finish an animal that has poor genetics and form as one that has good show potential. We don't have market goats but I can give you my two cents worth as far as caring and housing the animals. It all depends on your expectations this first year with 4-h goats. You have to spend a little to get started on shelter and yard area and then you want to give the kids a good experience caring for the goats. It might not be so important that they win their class just that they learn how to raise and care for healthy animals.

Thanks for the confirmation forester. From what I saw on the website for Triple J, their prices pretty much looked in line with others that I had been seeing - that I didn't know how good/bad they were.

One of the issues that I'm running into with this, no one in our 4-H club has ever taken goats. Looks like I'll be doing a lot of research and asking a lot of questions to become the goat expert of our club. Poor kids.

Jim,
Sorry I have not replied sooner, I had to wait for the snow to melt off of my satelite dish so I could access the internet. That's one of the drawbacks of living in the sticks and having a dish on your roof I guess. Let me know if I can help with your learning process on the goats.

Things are progressing, albeit very slowly. I purchased some chain link panels from a lady here at work. These are 10x6 chain link dog kennel. Bought enough of them that I can build a 20x20 area. Got them for $20 each, so right at $160 for the cage and a little bit of fun getting the truck and trailer in and out of her 2000' unplowed driveway

With what I've been reading and other folks have told me, I think I have a preference for Nubian/Boer mixes. I've gotten the names/numbers of a couple of local breeders. One was friendly when I talked with him, but really wouldn't tell me much other than he would post what he has for sale on his website March 22 - brokenbowboers. Other one I couldn't get an answer for awhile, finally yesterday when I called I got an answering machine and left a message. I've called Triple J farms several times and left messages twice. So far no one has returned my call and their website hasn't been updated since 4/09. So I'm not sure what/if any any of these people have. Then I have another option. I found these people on Craigslist the other day chickenmashfarm/index.html They have Nubian and Nubian/Toggenburg mixed for sale. I know I don't want that mix. Not 100% sure on just a pure Nubian. I think we would get killed on size alone. They are asking $40 for bucks and $60 for does. This seems cheap compared to everyone else and I'm wondering what is wrong with them. Maybe nothing, maybe they just bread them so keep their Does milking for their soap making business. Everyone I've talked to locally says I need at least some boer to compete on size. Actually just found another CL list for Nubian/Boers so I just sent them an e-mail.

I had them take goats because I thought this was going to be an easy project. Stupid me.

BTW, if you know of any local breeders forester, I would be interested. Preference is Ross County as I would like to be eligible for the Born & Raised in Ross County class, but at this point, I'm starting to get anxious....OK desparate, I need some goeas.