Chat
02-06-2017, 09:50 AM
I don't know of any breeders who sell adult packers. Breeders like to sell kids and let the new owner do all the bonding and training and feeding for those first three years. Otherwise they'd never make their money back. 
The best bet for finding adults is to keep your eye on classifieds as I suggested. Every year it seems there are at least 2-3 people who end up getting out of packgoats for one reason or another. We've seen some really nice packgoats come up for sale over the years.
Larger packgoats aren't necessarily the best. Big is nice, but only if coupled with very good feet and legs to support the extra height and weight. I tend to think 185-220 lbs. is a really good average size for a packgoat. If you go much smaller their weight-carrying abilities are limited. Much bigger and you risk having a goat whose own body weight starts limiting its athletic ability and endurance. It is imperative for a really tall and/or heavy goat to have exceptionally good foot and leg structure with very solid joints. A big goat on faulty legs is going to have a relatively short working life.
Alpines are the most common packgoat breed and tend to be nicely built for packing and have an excellent work ethic. Alpine size and conformation can vary wildly from breeder to breeder, partly because they are so common and also because other breeds have been mixed with them over the years. Saanens are the tallest breed, but they can tend to be fine-boned with weak pasterns and splayed toes. Breeding is improving these flaws, but it's something to watch out for. Saanens have very laid-back attitudes and are good workers but are not typically go-getters like the Alpines. Toggenburgs are usually shorter than your average packgoat but are powerhouses. They typically have exceptionally good feet and legs and heavier bone structure than the other dairy breeds. They often have quite long hair that may need to be shaved in hotter climates. Oberhaslis are typically a smaller breed but there are some notable exceptions. Some Oberhasli breeders are going for big and have turned out some really nice packgoats. Oberhaslis don't tend to fear water like other breeds. LaManchas are a good all-around goat with typically good conformation and nice average size. They have no external ears which a lot of folks have trouble getting past. Nubians are tall, leggy, and deep-chested, but are known for being loud and lazy. They also tend to have rounded backs with a dip behind the withers that can make saddle fitting difficult.
Some packgoat breeders are introducing Boer blood into their herds to add bone and muscle. Boers are a meat breed and very strong but tend to have conformation not suited to packing. They have dippy, round backs like the Nubians, and their width often makes saddle-fitting a real pain. Their short, stocky legs and excessive muscling means poor endurance and limited athletic ability. However, crossing them with dairy breeds can turn out some very nice, sturdy packgoats with strong feet and legs. Many of the dairy breeds have also been crossed with each other to produce some really fine packgoats. I cross Nubians and Alpines because I like the long legs, deep chests, strength, and personable attitudes of the Nubians, but purebred Nubians are not usually very good packgoats. They seem to cross well with Alpines. I've also seen some really nice Alpine/LaMancha crosses. Many people cross the various Swiss breeds with good results.
So that's a very brief rundown of the various breeds and their stereotypes. Of course, you will always find exceptions to these "rules" within every breed. Best of luck finding some good packers to get you started!
The best bet for finding adults is to keep your eye on classifieds as I suggested. Every year it seems there are at least 2-3 people who end up getting out of packgoats for one reason or another. We've seen some really nice packgoats come up for sale over the years.
Larger packgoats aren't necessarily the best. Big is nice, but only if coupled with very good feet and legs to support the extra height and weight. I tend to think 185-220 lbs. is a really good average size for a packgoat. If you go much smaller their weight-carrying abilities are limited. Much bigger and you risk having a goat whose own body weight starts limiting its athletic ability and endurance. It is imperative for a really tall and/or heavy goat to have exceptionally good foot and leg structure with very solid joints. A big goat on faulty legs is going to have a relatively short working life.
Alpines are the most common packgoat breed and tend to be nicely built for packing and have an excellent work ethic. Alpine size and conformation can vary wildly from breeder to breeder, partly because they are so common and also because other breeds have been mixed with them over the years. Saanens are the tallest breed, but they can tend to be fine-boned with weak pasterns and splayed toes. Breeding is improving these flaws, but it's something to watch out for. Saanens have very laid-back attitudes and are good workers but are not typically go-getters like the Alpines. Toggenburgs are usually shorter than your average packgoat but are powerhouses. They typically have exceptionally good feet and legs and heavier bone structure than the other dairy breeds. They often have quite long hair that may need to be shaved in hotter climates. Oberhaslis are typically a smaller breed but there are some notable exceptions. Some Oberhasli breeders are going for big and have turned out some really nice packgoats. Oberhaslis don't tend to fear water like other breeds. LaManchas are a good all-around goat with typically good conformation and nice average size. They have no external ears which a lot of folks have trouble getting past. Nubians are tall, leggy, and deep-chested, but are known for being loud and lazy. They also tend to have rounded backs with a dip behind the withers that can make saddle fitting difficult.
Some packgoat breeders are introducing Boer blood into their herds to add bone and muscle. Boers are a meat breed and very strong but tend to have conformation not suited to packing. They have dippy, round backs like the Nubians, and their width often makes saddle-fitting a real pain. Their short, stocky legs and excessive muscling means poor endurance and limited athletic ability. However, crossing them with dairy breeds can turn out some very nice, sturdy packgoats with strong feet and legs. Many of the dairy breeds have also been crossed with each other to produce some really fine packgoats. I cross Nubians and Alpines because I like the long legs, deep chests, strength, and personable attitudes of the Nubians, but purebred Nubians are not usually very good packgoats. They seem to cross well with Alpines. I've also seen some really nice Alpine/LaMancha crosses. Many people cross the various Swiss breeds with good results.
So that's a very brief rundown of the various breeds and their stereotypes. Of course, you will always find exceptions to these "rules" within every breed. Best of luck finding some good packers to get you started!