I'm selling a goat orice range ??????

Question

I'm selling a brown healthy goat with two, two week old healthy babies. How much should I ask for them.

Answer 1

Whoa - not even sure where to begin.  There's alot of factors when setting prices on livestock.  I have no idea what kind of goat you're selling.  Meat, dairy or pygmy?  Registered?  Unregistered?  Crossbreed?  Grade? Purebred?

I'm assuming it's a doe in milk with two kids, but are the kids bucks or does?  A dam and daughter is going to be worth more than a dam and buckling.  Are their shots up to date?  Did she receive a CDT prior to kidding?  Has the doe been tested for CAE, as this is a major consideration for some buyers, as they want to know the animal tested negative and CAE prevention was used on the kids (i.e. pulling them and bottlefeeding pasturiezed milk only).  Have they been disbudded?  If a buckling, do you plan on banding?

Temperament is also a huge consideration when selling.  Is she friendly, easy to handle and milk, or is she skittish and kicking?  A standard grade milker who is relatively friendly and fairly productive should go for around $75-100 alone.  If she is a meat breed, probably about $75, with the kids $125-150 for the three of them.  Separately, bucklings are worth very little and are usually sold as wethered pets or meat goats.  I think the most I've ever sold a wether for was $75.

If you are looking to increase the value for the kids, handle them every day, and consider pulling them from the doe, bottlefeeding and start milking her if you haven't already.  This will make her worth more as a milker (unless she's a pygmy), and bottlefeeding kids make them friendlier and more valuable, and they've bonded to people.  Handraised kids are much easier to find homes for.

Pricing goats gets complicated.  Purebred ADGA goats can be given linear appraisals that help set a value of a herd.  I have grades and purebreds, and I could sell animals for anywhere from $75-500, depending on which bloodline and conformation.  Without more info, I can't be more specific, but I hope this helps.