[Roxy]

I have always had a few goats - started in my teens, so thats a while back.  In those days a goat was no more than £25 - and sometimes not even that much!!  I got left 4 goats in an elderley relatives will, so had 8 goats for quite a while.  I had a couple of nannies and kept some kids, so never really bought any goats after the first couple.  Had British Alpine, British Sannan, British Toggenburgs and Anglo Nubians.

When the foot and mouth broke out, I was down to my last old goat.  They all lived to well in their teens .....one being 18 when she died.  I did not replace the goats , for fear of foot and mouth coming to the farm.  Having watched 1,000 sheep and cows being burnt just 4 miles away, and the smell lingering, I was not happy to bring new livestock in.

At the moment I have Cain and Abel, two Anglo Nubian castrated boys, who I rehomed for a friend.  I have been looking to have a couple of milking nannies again, but as I have looked I have been amazed at the prices.  I would expect a cow for some of the prices quoted!!!  And that was for nanny kids.

Also, most of the goats advertised have been pygmy, and to be honest I am looking for the breeds I had before ....big enough to mix in with my very big male goats.

We do have a large goat rescue place not too far away, so may give them a call, as I would rather rehome a couple of homeless goats (quite a lot of my animals are rescue cases)  But I am curious to know what you would expect to pay for a young goat not yet in kid, and a milking nanny (Toggs, Alpines, nubian) or any other breed prices appreicated so I know what sort of money to expect to pay.  Not bothered about fancy breeding or high milk yields.

[ballingall]

Hi Roxy,

The trouble is, that most people who sell goats are selling their surplus show stock. Prices in England and Wales are a bit higher than up here I think. For our goats- all pedigreed, registered with the BGS, disbudded, vaccinated etc, we would charge £75- 100 for a female kid. Up to £120 for a goatling- a 1-2 year old, and probably at least £150 for a milker.

You could possibly pick some up cheaper than that, via a local market, or if you find someone who is looking for an excellent home above the price. Pygmy's are really expensive, you can pay £200 for a castrated male with no faults, never mind anything for breeding purposes.

We will sell castrated male kids for less than a female- we just look for enough to cover our costs of stud fee, vaccination, disbudding and castration.

I'd be interested to know how much James paid for his 2 Golden Guernsey's.

Another thing I would say is that, since this time last year, there have been more people looking for goats than there are people selling goats.

Beth

[Roxy]

Thanks for your reply, Beth.

Although my goats were not registered goats, or show goats,  I did always take them to a registered Billy, and got some lovely kids - but never sold any!!  To be honest, I am not interested in showing, or indeed high milk yields come to that (although I was very pleased when my British Toggenburg gave 10 and three quarter pints one summer!)  and looks are not high on the agenda either!!

When I was young, everyone seemed to keep goats, but the old goat owners have died off, and  they have all but disappeared round here.

[ballingall]

Its the same here Roxy. Time was when every farmer and smallholder would have one or two goats, but the majority of people who have goats, are either the showing core, or people who keep a couple as pets- and often as pets its pygmies instead of dairies. In the eighties we used to get over a hundred visiting goats in the breeding season to be mated (and that was just us- they would be several other stud males who worked just as hard in the area!) now you have had a really good year if your male has served 10 females.

Beth

[jinglejoys]

It's all the regulations that's caused it,ear tagging (Would be easier if they'd make up their minds)vaccinations,Cae,movement records amd papers,can't sell the milk,can't sell the meat....no wonder the only people who want them are pet owners,its easier to keep Alpaca's!

[jameslindsay]

This info was posted yesterday on the Golden Guernsey
Site.


I haven't heard back from my MP or DEFRA yet-but animal health
thought ear tagging may be replaced by electronic means in
December.If so this would only be new goats but possibly with a good
medial excuse one could replace old tags for microchips in older
goats too. Meantime on the current double-tagging of kids Animal
Health -Trading Standards said 1of the 2 ID's could be a tattoo & the
other isn't needed till a year of age ( so micro-chips may be in
then) & unofficially you can "hold" the 2nd tag anyway so no tagging
may be SORT of ok! Will try DEFRA again soon.