What i learned about goats...

Copy and paste from the goat forum, because i am crashing hard and I am soo tired. To anyone who knows nothing about goats most of this will flitter right over your head. I'm still trying to get a grasp of it myself.

OK, what I learned from my visit with Anita... the minute I have live goats in front of me all of my breed preferences go out the window and i just like them all. She has quite a few goats of assorted breeds, her daughter shows them in 4H. The 2 day old babies were 75% Boer 25% Toggenburg. I really know nothing about udders yet, but i could see that the does teats were very nice (as in they looked like they would be easy to milk, not big sausage teats or anything). The babies really REALLY showed the Boer, and i was tempted to stick one in my pocket. Cute little redheads with adorable floppy ears and the sweetest little voices.

She has 4 or 5 yearling does she will be looking to sell. They are all 50% Boer crossed with dairy breeds, one is Saanen/Boer, two are Oberhasli/Boer (I REALLY like these two), and i don't remember what the others were, they were still in the barn so i didn't get to meet them. I saw the Oberhasli that was the mother to the two Ober/Boer crosses and she is GORGEOUS (at least to a complete newbie who knows nothing about goats yet). I know 4H may not mean much compared to breed shows but they have all kinds of ribbons and stuff for her from 4H the last few years.

She lost two of her bucks last year to old age (her Boer and her Oberhasli) and has a Kiko she just got. She said if i don't want to have my own buck she and three other local people have bucks they would let me use. So I may amend my plans and instead of getting 3 does and a buck just skip the buck and get 4 does. i REALLY fell in love with one of the Boer/Oberhasli does. She followed me everywhere and when i stopped to pet her she rested her head in my hand and sighed and closed her eyes. She had sold them as babies but got them back recently (because of this economy the people who bought them couldn't keep them, had to move or something).

So... so much for my original idea of looking at minis. She did have a Pygmy but those Boer/Oberhasli crosses just REALLY took my fancy.

She had a pitiful looking Mini Mancha wether with elf ears. She took him in a while ago because no one wanted him and she said he just lives there because he has no where else to go. I had to remind myself i am looking for animals that can earn their keep, not more rescue animals! I just wanted to scoop him up and tell the poor homely little guy that he was beautiful. I'm such a sucker.

At any rate, I am seriously considering buying the two Boer/Oberhasli crosses as soon as i get my tax refund, and will look at the others she has for sale at that point.

I also have recommendations for a local vet who knows goats and is willing to work with people who are capable of doing much of their own vet work (HIGH priority for me). Judging from the amount of milk and meat she says she gets from her dairy/meat crosses when breeding them to her meat buck it really sounds like that would work for what i want quite nicely. She also offered to coach me through milking and making soap if i want. And she said if there is another breed i prefer she can help me track them down. But i really think I like those Boer crosses.