After six years of waiting, I finally have the registration papers on the foundation does of my herd!! I had almost given up hope on ever getting them. It's been a lesson to me: always get the papers when you buy the animal, even if you don't think you care about papers at the time. Lots of people before you went through years of breeding and work to maintain those papers and records. Also, now that I know what it feels like, I'll be sure to transfer papers promptly when I sell an animal.

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), January 29, 2001

Answers

I bought two does recently. One had papers, one could be registered but never was. Well, when I went to fill the paperwork out, I noticed that the registered doe had tatoos in her ear. Sooo, of course, I have to look and there is no tatoo in either ear. Now, I know the breeder personally and am sure this is the right goat. They probably meant to tatoo it but never did but, how would I be able to sell her to someone else? I keep forgetting to call the breeder about it, too. Always something else to do.

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), January 29, 2001.

Dee, if you know the breeder personally I would ask her to come and tatoo the goat. If she is an ADGA member she is obligated to follow the registration procedures and is in violation to register a goat with out tatooing as reported.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), January 29, 2001.

Dee,take the doe back to the breeder and have him tatoo her.It's never too late.She is going to hate you for a few minutes! Goats are supposed to be tattooed before registration.All goat breeders but me do this.I am amazed to hear that another breeder has slipped up.He or she must be the only other one:>)

-- JT in Florida (gone2seed@hotmail.com), January 29, 2001.

Thanks guys. I know her personally and know she'll take care of it. I don't think she ever thought she'd sell these does but due to health problems, she had to reduce her herd. I had been waiting for the Boer prices to come down and she was looking for good homes so I made out. Like I said, I keep forgetting to call her because I'm always doing something else. (I've had a note on my wipeoff board to call her for three months now)

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), January 29, 2001.

Yeah, JT I have never slipped up ;>), except on a couple does I "knew" I would never show. Lost a "leg" on that one and now I take the papers right out to the barn with me and tatoo the same time I disbud.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), January 29, 2001.

Since we are on the subject of getting papers for our goats. I have several does that were born to papered does (and buck), yet, I never got papers for the kids...how do I do this? Also, what if I have lost papers? How do I go about getting copies? Thanks, Sissy

-- sissy sylvester-barth (jerreleene@hotmail.com), January 30, 2001.

Sissy, that is the problem that I had. If the goats had been registered, and I had a bill of sale listing them as registered, I could have gotten the papers from ADGA. But they weren't registered yet, so I had to request the papers from the breeder, for years. Ask nicely! Offer to pay for them! If the breeder is just busy, you can try filling out as much of the form as possible and send it to her with a nice, polite letter telling her how ell you like the goats she sold you and a SASE. if the lost papers are in your name, you should be able to get them from ADGA for a small fee if you know the full name of the animal.

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), January 31, 2001.