cross_7":1zpsv3cn said:
wean at 4 months ???
do i buy bred doe's or open or does it matter as long as they will kid when i'm ready ?
do doe kids sell cheaper than wethers ?(like steers and heifers)
what do i have wrong and what else do i need to know ?
I wean my bucks at 3 months of age, and my doelings at 4 months of age. Unless you band/castrate, you're likely to have does bred that you don't want bred if you wait to wean bucks at 4 months of age.
In my area doelings do tend to bring less than bucks/wethers - depending on the time of year. Not a lot less, but still less.
As far as buying bred or open - goats are just like cattle. Not all people know how to breed, and you are looking at the same problems as with cattle - just with 2 -5 babies instead of one. Trust me on this - you haven't lived until you've tried to sort out 2-5 babies in the dark!
On another note, instead of worrying about CL I would take whatever measure is necessary to make sure my does were not infected with CAE. I no longer allow ANY animal in my herd until I've tested for CAE. Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis will considerably shorten a does productive years, is passed on to her offspring through the milk, can kill young kids(the encephalitis part), and can be passed to other members of the herd through bodily fluids. There is no cure for it, and it can also cause reduced milk production, hard udders, interfere with their immune system, and cause other problems, as well. Something else I would test for is Q Fever. Q Fever is a zoonotic(sp?) disease that can be passed on to humans, and it causes abortions in the goats. Make sure you test BEFORE you bring the animal to your place because most states will slap you with a quarantine for an animal that tests positive - it's on the list for biological warfare agents.