Since we are brand new in the goat market, someone wants to sell me a 100% w/papers Boer buck, 7 mos old, approx. I was floored. Is this the going rate? She told me otherwise I could get some "bush" goats. What is she talking about? I want a milker and a buck to also give us some kids for the freezer. Please enlighten me about the goat prices. I could buy a cow for that at the auction barn. Sherry in East TN

-- sherry byington (lucricausa@highland.net), April 03, 2002

Answers

Out here in Oregon it is. They are pricey for sure. If you aren't going for show at all, just milk and meat, a Nubian/Boer might be more in your price range. The thing is, you'll most likely need to reserve one before kidding, otherwise most will be castrated within a few days of birth. Hope that helps! Cara

-- Cara Dailey (daileyd@agalis.net), April 03, 2002.

Ha, ha. You should see what they sold for ten years ago- up in the thousands.

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), April 03, 2002.

That's cheap around here, some folks are asking 1000.00 to 1500.00 for a fullblood boer buck.

-- kathy in NE Ohio (kathy0801@msn.com), April 03, 2002.

Wow! I was really ignorant...because at the local flea market they were selling kids for$25.00. Is a Boer a good milker as well as meat? She told me she also had two Boer nannys. Sherry

-- Sherry (lucricausa@highland.net), April 03, 2002.

Sherry, don't go buying anything without talking to us first! Go to http://hv.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a.tcl?topic=Dairygoats and visit with us. You don't need a 100% boer to do anything if you want milk, and no, unless they are 50% dairy of good quality and 50% boer that didn't throw extra teats onto these does, run from does like that for milkers. A 100% purebred buck in Texas is lucky to sell for 300$, while a 100% fullblood buck can go for much much more, and when they do sell for 300$ they have behavior problems. If you want a milker than you want a dairy goat, Nubian, Saanen, Alpine or LaMancha, even then you don't want to breed her to Boer because it lessens the amount of milk she will milk and also ruins her daughters, unless you really are going to eat all the kids! And though you don't get the really quick wieghts that Boer will give you, for years all that were in the states for meat were dairy and or brush/scrub/spanish goats. Done right you can even make yourself some spare change by breeding nice dairygoats with your excess bucks and does going for sale, rather than only to the freezer. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (Nubians) (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), April 03, 2002.

Thank you! So, what your'e saying it that a much cheaper mix "brush" doe will milk just fine, right? I have another question...the fencing. What is the best for goats-electric, barbed wire, what? Thank you, again. Sherry

-- sherry (lucricausa@highland.net), April 03, 2002.

I'm the wrong guy to offer an opinion about pricing as I am a goat greenhorn but I was just given a Nubian/Boar cross buck a week ago. $0.00 fit my budget just about right. he is a handsome, friendly little guy and I've heard that this mix is a good one for multi- purpose goats. my plan is to breed him with a Toggenburg doe that I'll be buying next month. she is a full blood but unregistered Togg. going rate for her is $40.00 unregistered and $75.00 with papers.

while checking around for registered, proven Nigerian Dwarf bucks figures along the lines of $600.00~$700.00 kept popping up. sounds like "bush" goats might just be a term for unregistered mixed breeds. for what that's worth. goodluck!

-- B. Lackie - Zone3 (cwrench@hotmail.com), April 03, 2002.

No- a brush doe will not milk just fine. Once in a while you will see an exception. But if you want milk, get a good quality dairy goat from a decent herd, definitely not from a sale barn.

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), April 03, 2002.

We raise good 100% Boers and if You Email me I will be glad to tell You what we have for sale and send Pictures of them.They are this Years babys but will be ready to breed in the fall.

God Bless.

-- Charles Steen .. C&C Boer Goats (Xbeeman412@aol.com), April 03, 2002.

How much would be a reasonable amount for a Nub/Boer mix? Is this a better milker than a bush goat. The woman with the Boer Buck also has some of these mixes. I just don't want to pay too much. All your answers have been great. Sherry

-- sherry (lucricausa@highland.net), April 03, 2002.

Sherry, I think boer crosses grow as good as if not better than a full boer, especially if they are nursing a dairy doe. Having a kid with some meat goat genetics getting the quanity of milk that a good dairy doe gives makes for a fast growing kid for the freezer. IF it's just meat for the freezer you want I don't think a $400 buck would be justified. A good boer cross goes for under $100 in our area. As for the milking ability of boer crosses, some will give 2 to 3 quarts a day but they usually have smaller teats that make them harder to milk.

-- cindy frazee (cindy@tctc.com), April 03, 2002.

Oh, I'll answer the fencing question. I found that woven wire with a low strand of electric works best. Some people like using cattle panels with the electric. I wish I could do that but I have too many hills and rocks and have to bend and cut to fit which wouldn't work with the panels. Don't use barbed wire.

By the way, Dwarf Nubians are an up and coming milker. They are mini's and when I looked into it, a doe cost $300. The buck kids could be eaten or nuetered and sold a cute pets, especially if they have blue eyes.

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), April 03, 2002.

Vicki I'm curious as to why you would say what you breed a dairy goat to would make any difference as to how much milk she gives?

-- Gary (burnett_gary@msn.com), April 04, 2002.

Hi sherry; I'm in east tenn. also, and I have a couple goats for sale. A tottenberg doe, 2) spanish(brush) does, any or all for 65.00 ea, 2)boer/nubian bucks (1 year old), 1 tottenberg/boer/nubian buck, any or all for 40.00ea. e-mail me if you're interested. Thanks bill

-- bill vanfossan (van37725@yahoo.com), April 04, 2002.

sherry, you don't need to keep a buck unless you have several does to breed. lots of people will lease you an extra buck they aren't using, or you can haul a doe or two to a buck. bucks are as expensive to keep as a doe, and all you get out of them is kids. a milker doesn't justify a buck also-some people will even sell a just weaned buck for less than $100, registered, and he will be ready to breed in the fall. keep looking. don't jump into a buck right away. learn your stuff on does-bucks are a whole different creature!!!

-- laura (okgoatgal@hotmail.com), April 04, 2002.

soory, but , i wouldnt get a registered buck , not if its not something you can afford, while looking at any goat owner they will give you a diffrent reasoning. my personal farm style opinion is , if youre getting it for family milk, and want to not have to rely on someone else for breeding,

get a buck and about 2 does, keep them all together, bucks will not smell as bad as some folks say , i think self sufficency is key here and i would go with the nubian crosses, you can later decide to breed back to nubian(recc. for milk) , or boer(for meat), remember of course that the buck you get if youre breeding for milk should be from a good milking breed as it will affect the amount of milk you get from the doe. you can eat any breed of goat, not just milk breeds.

-- Beth Van Stiphout (willosnake@hotmail.com), April 04, 2002.

FYI - I wouldn't keep a doe that is milking in with any buck over 2 or 3 months old. The milk will taste like the buck, and you or anyone else will not want to drink it. The buck should be kept at least 100 feet away from the doe. Now if you are not milking her, let her have her honey.

-- Bear (Barelyknow@aol.com), April 04, 2002.