[Isla]

Any advice on how to manage numbers?

I have:
1 AN milker (3 years)
1 ANxBS milker (3 years)
2 AN goatlings
2 AN female kids
1 AN wether kid

All lovely and bring me much joy but I was just as happy with 2 as I am with 7! I love the milk, the shows, their personalities and constantly learning new things. The goatlings ought to be put in kid this Autumn along with the ANxBS who is milking through. That would mean 3 kidding in Spring 2019 and so far the adults have always produced triplets. I have the space for more goats but perhaps not the time as we’ll soon have a human kid on the smallholding. I look after the goats myself with my partner and family stepping in only in emergencies.

So who should I advertise for sale? I am keeping my original two and the male kid will be for the freezer (unless someone particularly wants him as a companion goat - not putting him to an inexperienced ‘pet home’ as that has been too problematic in the past). And when should I sell? Is it worth selling the goatlings next Spring with their kids at foot? Is it worth raising the female kids to goatling age or should I just sell when I find the best home?

[Big Mat]

If I was downsizing, I'd keep your two milkers and sell the rest.

We've got 9 in our herd currently, the 3 kids will go for meat once they hit 40kg and I think one of the breeding girls will go as well as she's failed to produce twice, got to fatten her up first! I won't buy any more than that, we've got a 4 month old baby as well so time is precious!