i've been looking around for a pair of young pygmy goats to keep as pets. I've been convinced that 2 is better than one. maybe even 3. I assumed that a goat would cost me no more than 40 or 50 dollars. but after contacting the few breeders i could get a hold of...they tell me their goats sell from $250-$400!!!!! i almost fell off my chair. not only that...but the breeders live a few hours from here. I live in davis,Ca...close to sacramento. Someone on the forum already mentioned the fair...(thankyouuu)...but are there any other breeders or pyg. ownners anyone knows of around here?

what is the typical price for one of these animals? im willing to pay 250 if that is generally how much they cost...but i find that hard to believe.

thanks alot

D

-- D (muhawi@aol.com), July 18, 2001

Answers

Call some farm stores and see if they have änimal day. This is where people bring animals to sell, swap & give away. We have one here in Colo. that does this once a month all year...great fun. DW

-- DW (djwallace@ctos.com), July 18, 2001.

I sell my goats at a livestock auction (honestly never been to the selling part... so I don't know for sure if they have pygmies or not).

Mine have sold usually around $70 or so, and I bought 2 good milkers for about $100 each, privately. You may want to do some searching in the surrounding areas for a rural area that may have a similar auction house. Betcha you can do lot better than $400.

-- Dave (peasedj@sparc.isl.net), July 18, 2001.

I would sincerly doubt that all of thier stock is of such quality that they are all selling for this amount. Most serious breeders of any kind of stock have top dollar animals for sale, down to the pet type animal, and of course wethers (castrated males) that are the least expensive. I would bet that you have contacted only registered show folks and this is a pretty pat answer for them. But...contact them again, tell them you have a good home for their non-registered pet quality animals. Better yet ask them for the names of folks in their area that sell non registered stock. Though there is a farm of registered pygmies in my area, that sell for as much as my animals do, most of the animals of this kind are indeed 50$ animals. You have just not found them. Might want to go over to Yahoo groups and post on Goatads, asking for them, also put Pygmy in the search engine at the group site and sign up for some, asking on those lists. You could also go to the District 7 or VII list and post it there, most dairy folks know who has what in their areas. Good luck with this. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), July 18, 2001.

I've seen pygmy newborns for $30 and up here in southern California. Even see free ones on occasion. Quite alot of other full size goats averaging $60 for a doe. Look for a local classifieds paper, down here they're full of ads for livestock.

-- somebody (something@somewhere.com), July 18, 2001.

Goats can go up to that price and more. I have invested thousands in my herd because I want only the best; show quailty and milk production. And I sell mine based upon their quality as well. i have some starting at several hundred and then some for less than a hundred, depends on what you want.

But I don't even look at breeders unless they are top breeders of Alpines and have a long record of successful wins, quality and performance. But thats only if you are seeking the best. If you just want a doe or buck for a pet or personal use, then the suggestions vicki gave you are good places to start. i would think that you could pick up a nice goat for under 100.00 if you look. And... don't go to auctions, they are not the bes tplace to get goats from, you bring home more than a goat, you bring home diseases, etc that will only result in heartaches later.

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), July 18, 2001.

We're in Western Washington and raise purebred Nubians. Our weaned kids sell for between $250 and $400. We've had no problem selling wethers for $60-$65 each over the past three years. My impression of pygmies is that I would expect to have to pay slightly more for them than for dairy goats since they are often more in demand as a novelty pet.

Beware auction barns. There is a high likelyhood of bringing home a diseased animal. Just my opinion.

Skip at www.sundaycreek.com

-- Skip Walton (sundaycreek@gnrac.net), July 19, 2001.

It all depends on what you want in the way of pedigree and quality. If you just want a pet or a cheap family milker, it won't cost more than $200.00. considereing the amount of labor and feed it takes to raise a goat to milking age, that's actually a reasonable price. Then there is disease control, medication, worming, upkeep, paperwork, etc, it really costs quite a bit to raise a quality animal. I forgot to mention the breeding stock, which can go up into the thousands of dollars. Most reputable breeders of registered dairy stock that I have looked into ask at least $125- $150 for young kids from yearling first time fresheners, that may or may not pan out. That's why the kids are cheap. Kids from proven does are generally from $200.00- $900.00. I have found that for the most part you get what you pay for- a perceievd bargain often ends up costing you in th long run. One way that I did get a good deal was buying three young milking does that were being soldjust before winter. They are not perfect, but they were worth every penny I paid for them. It seems that often the yearlings or two year olds that are being culled from the breeding program are cheaper than the unproven kids.

-- Rebekah (daniel@itss.net), July 19, 2001.

Here in Kentucky, everyone's little family farm has pygmy goats running around. Nice little healthy goats, just pets usually. They are always in the papers for about 25 dollars for the kids. Sorry you are so far away, but check the papers like Thrifty Nickles and such, you should be able to find some pet goats. They used to be very expensive, but not any more, at least not around here. The only ones that bring a high price are pgymy bottle babies like a few days old, go figure!

-- Cindy in KY (solidrockranch@msn.com), July 19, 2001.

I have 4 pygmy goats I need to part with. I no longer live in the country, and they are too much for the city.

-- Margaret Fox (margaret.fox@gsa.gov), July 20, 2001.