Lorihadams-- hi guys...been busy!

[lorihadams]

I agree....she is going to play out all the different scenarios and we will decide what to do. I would love to take Bered....she threw quads this year and she is tri colored and sweet to boot. I originally wanted one of her kids last year but she only had one and it was a buck.

Aliana is also tri colored and had triplets this year. I would take her or her remaining doe that hasn't been spoken for. The question of value on the older does is tricky. They have longer teats and are easy milkers and this was their second year freshening and they had good births. Both are also excellent mothers (she dam raises all her babies until 2 months of age). The other thing is future value. Both are proven moms and milkers. She is doing milk tests on several of her does this year. Bered's kids sell for $400 each and so do Aliana's. They had seven altogether this year so if they did a repeat next year then that's a potential $2800. So far all the babies are spoken for but 1.

My concern is that I get at least one milker this year. I really would love to have Bered....:/

 

[freemotion]

Goodness, take the two does, and if it makes you feel better, give her the kids from one of them (chosen in advance) next year and have her breed them both for you this fall. Or give her back one doeling next year. That would be fair. You deserve two does in milk. That is what you paid for...two good does in milk. Take 'em! Really, it is fair. I don't know either of you so I am unbiased here.

 

[Javamama]

Yep, I'm with Free. And kudos to her for being a responsible breeder and not passing on bad genetics.

 

[savingdogs]

I'm certainly not an expert on these matters but having read this thread, I agree with Free. To me, for 900.00 I would want something really nice. I don't have pedigreed goats, but I'm sure I have nowhere near 900.00 invested in my two does in the entire TWO YEARS we have had them, we raised ours from doelings.

That is very nice that she is offering an exchange, but if she had not, the deal would have been a rip-off for you, 900 for two does you couldn't breed? She is RIGHT to offer you a nicer deal, don't feel guilty.

 

[ksalvagno]

I still say take the 2 older girls being offered. The breeder would not have offered them if she felt she was cheating herself. The bigger teats and easy to milk makes a HUGE difference when milking.

 

[lorihadams]

I know you guys are right.....I just wanted to make sure that she isn't losing out either cause I don't know what the vet bills were with 2 c-sections either. She is very responsible but she is also very attached to the older does so it will be hard on her as well. I'm just a softy I guess. I just want to make sure that she isn't getting cheated either. It has been a hard year on everyone with goats it seems....she had 5 that didn't settle and one was one of her champion milkers and now she is down to 6 milkers from her usual 12 and then she wants to give me two. She assured me that she will be okay but she wants to sell Janoah and Caris and their kids as "pet quality" goats and make sure that they don't get bred next year.

It is just gonna be weird....I love both does she wants to give me. Aliana was born in 2005 and Bered was born in 2008.

Here's a link where you can see them....Aliana and Bered
http://cornerstonefarm.net/gtdoes.html

 

[ksalvagno]

When you are in livestock, you have bad years. That is just the way it is. I would take the girls. The breeder can buy more if she wants more goats. Maybe being downsized for a year will be good for her. Who knows. Vet costs are part of being a breeder and some years the vet costs are low and some years they aren't.

 

[lorihadams]

Would you be concerned about Aliana's age? She was born in 2005....

 

[freemotion]

I thought they were both second fresheners?

 

[ksalvagno]

The age doesn't concern me but the fact that she didn't settle 3 different times does. I would talk to the breeder about why she doesn't think she settled those 3 years. They are so well known and I really think she will be honest with you about it. I wouldn't think that she would want to tarnish her reputation. Maybe you can get some type of guarantee that she will give birth again.

From what I can tell, they are 3rd fresheners if they gave birth this year.