Chat
10-06-2016, 11:04 AM
It never hurts to go look at Craigslist goats. I've found some nice goats on Craigslist before.
I definitely agree with Taffy that you want goats that are disease-free. CAE and CL are common diseases among goats, but many people do not test for CL since it is not normally a deadly disease. That said, it's also not a disease you want lurking on your property or among your herd. CAE is crippling and deadly if the disease becomes clinical. Johnes is not terribly common, but if the goats were kept near cattle then it is a possible concern. You can't accurately test goats under 2 years old for Johnes. If a seller has never had their goats tested for diseases, it is ok to ask that the tests be done before you buy. I have done that before and I paid for the tests and the seller held the goats for me until results came in. Other goats I bought without testing but quarantined them on my property until I got clean test results back. These tests are not terribly expensive and turnaround time is 1-2 weeks depending on what lab you use and what day the samples get there. Many people use the WADDL lab at WSU to do their testing.
The buck looks like he might be real nice (hard to see how big he is and they don't mention his age). The price is outstanding, but be aware that most mature bucks have not been handled very much and he may require more training than you have time or experience for. Also, if he has not bonded to humans by this point in his life he may never start. The young Saanens might be a good choice but look carefully at their feet and legs. I love Saanens, but the breed has a reputation for bad feet and legs. Look for good substance of bone in the legs, toes that are well-developed and not splayed, upright pasterns, and straightness. With packgoats you want ones that are physically built for the job, are well-bonded to people, not skittish, and are obedient on a leash (unless they are little babies, in which case you have time to train them). If a goat is six months old and not been worked with then it's not one you want to consider for a packgoat--particularly not one of your first packgoats.
I definitely agree with Taffy that you want goats that are disease-free. CAE and CL are common diseases among goats, but many people do not test for CL since it is not normally a deadly disease. That said, it's also not a disease you want lurking on your property or among your herd. CAE is crippling and deadly if the disease becomes clinical. Johnes is not terribly common, but if the goats were kept near cattle then it is a possible concern. You can't accurately test goats under 2 years old for Johnes. If a seller has never had their goats tested for diseases, it is ok to ask that the tests be done before you buy. I have done that before and I paid for the tests and the seller held the goats for me until results came in. Other goats I bought without testing but quarantined them on my property until I got clean test results back. These tests are not terribly expensive and turnaround time is 1-2 weeks depending on what lab you use and what day the samples get there. Many people use the WADDL lab at WSU to do their testing.
The buck looks like he might be real nice (hard to see how big he is and they don't mention his age). The price is outstanding, but be aware that most mature bucks have not been handled very much and he may require more training than you have time or experience for. Also, if he has not bonded to humans by this point in his life he may never start. The young Saanens might be a good choice but look carefully at their feet and legs. I love Saanens, but the breed has a reputation for bad feet and legs. Look for good substance of bone in the legs, toes that are well-developed and not splayed, upright pasterns, and straightness. With packgoats you want ones that are physically built for the job, are well-bonded to people, not skittish, and are obedient on a leash (unless they are little babies, in which case you have time to train them). If a goat is six months old and not been worked with then it's not one you want to consider for a packgoat--particularly not one of your first packgoats.