Stud Servicing Goats

BirchHatchery

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i am thinking about gettin 2 pygmy goat bucks paperd and keeping them housed together maybe with a weather also and studding them out for a fee would this work to make a litle money i have had bucks and bred does and hav raised lil goats before so i no about them the smell does not bother me i just figured since people dont want to feed smell or have a buck on the farm maybe people could bring their doe and i could keep it for a set amount of time on a set price what do yall think?

also ive only ever had one buck at a time would the 2 bucks be fine together if raised together ?
 

Wifezilla

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Not sure about 2 being together, but I know with many animals, if there aren't any girls on the property to distract them, they get along fine.

I do know quite a few people on here were having issues finding a good stud. While it will depend on your area, it could be a good idea.
 

freemotion

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I'd put them together, but have a different area, out of site of the other buck, for breeding. It depends on the individual as to whether they will get along. I'd also be ready with another area if they need to be separated while in rut.

What about getting two different breeds of buck, and then you would have more potential customers?

Are you aware of the "driveway" breeding method, where people bring their does to you when in heat, and you bring the buck up to the driveway and the doe barely gets off the trailer/truck, just long enough for maybe 3-4....um....you know.... ;) You can charge less for this, more for boarding the does.
 

PamsPride

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I agree with keeping a couple of different breeds of bucks. Unless you have a regular list of clients and can get a new buck every other year or so to service the same list of clients with out inbreeding I am not sure you are going to make more than just enough money to cover feed unless you have REALLY good lines.
 

BirchHatchery

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very true and good replies i could get a couple diffrent bucks if i get bucks at a young age they wont cost me much and feed is purdy cheap hear 2 dollars a bail hay grain is harldy much money wont feed much grain id just have to figure my price 50 dollars a doe and so many dollars a day if they stay some people say o that aint much money to cover things well pygmys fainter goats dont eat much and the time involed in doin it i never add my time to price of eggs and chicken meat i sell because i love to do it so have goats to tend to is not a problem i like them. i live in indiana just south of fort wayne so any ideas on breeds would be fine im not looking to get rich off this just lookin to have some fun while makin a lil money thank you
 

patandchickens

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Well, just remember that you will end up collecting pretty much every disease that exists, into your herd. (Since the people who don't mind exposing their does to *your* buck won't have minded exposing their goats to *other* disease sources either and probably got them at auction in the first place.)

This is not necessarily a problem as long as you are the kind of person who takes an "oh well, such is life" attitude towards giving ineradicable diseases a foothold and just dealing with the fallout as it occurs... I just want to make REAL sure you recognize that's almost certainly what will happen.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat
 

savingdogs

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I would make sure that people bring their 50 dollars AND show that their goats have been tested for diseases. Being exposed to so many does, they would be more likely to get something. At the very least I would question people using the stud service about the health of their does before exposing your bucks to them and look them over.

If not, your bucks could become worthless as breeders if they are unhealthy and spreading disease around. You might ask a local goat expert or veterinarian what diseases are common in your area and have your bucks tested for them. Some people will want to see that paperwork before bringing their does to you, and you can charge more for breeding to a tested stud. At least, I would pay more. But we have some bad diseases locally, perhaps your area is different. I'd ask a local expert about that factor if I were you and at least learn how to recognize the signs of what your goats might be exposed to, such as abcesses, lameness, etc., and feel free to decline to service someone's doe who looks sick.

Around where I live, I found lots of pygmy studs and nothing else. So you might research a little what is lacking or in demand in your area. I had to buy my own nigerian dwarf stud and re sell him later in order to breed my does for a reasonable amount because I did not want pygmy. Nigerian dwarf might be a good choice for you because they use them to make other dairy breeds have a mini version....I did not have too much trouble selling him because someone wanted to make mini-nubians, although it took awhile. But several mini breeds are made using a nigy stud, you might think of getting one of them. Mine was very sweet and easy to handle. I hope my imput helps, I'm new to goats but that is what I've learned over the past two years about the bucks.
 

patandchickens

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Unfortunately it seems like there are more not-reliably-testable serious diseases in goats (and sheep) than there are in most any other livestock or pet animals; particularly if you do not want to pour *lots* of money into each animal. As people who are willing to breed their does to someone else's "all comers" stud are probably not *going* to be willing to do, at least not most of 'em.

(That is probably of course why those diseases are still so common in goats or sheep; if they were easy to reliably test for, it'd be much easier to eliminate them from herds or regions!)

So while requiring vet certificates is a pretty effective way of preventing disease transmission during stud service in, say, horses, it seems like it is not as realistically useful for doing that in goats or sheep.

Of course you can try and see what you can get people to do for ya; and something is better than nothin'; but, still.

Pat
 

savingdogs

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So I was perhaps being too optimistic for him?

No wonder I had trouble finding a buck for stud service!
 

ohiofarmgirl

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oh hey BirchHatchery! glad to see you over here.

hope you got some good ideas and found that folks here are a bit more positive and welcoming than um.. "other sites."

we use a stud service as its not practical (or desirable) for us to have a buck. and i think there are a lot of small, backyard herd keepers that just dont want bucks who would be glad to have a reliable breeder around. while there are risks of disease - getting referrals, doing your homework, asking the right questions, and using common sense get you pretty far.

so for small non-professional herd owners its a good option. you can imagine that folks who make their living from their herds have strong opinions about this - which is fine. but it doesnt scare me off. if one of the goats gets one of their dreaded diseases then we'll just get the gun and a shovel. but honestly the likelihood that one of my goats will turn to the other and say "here, hold my beer and watch this" then go and do something completely stupid is what keeps me up at night.

we used the neighbor's buck one time...and then have two really reliable, reputable breeders that we go to. pricing is $50 per doe and a little bit per day if the ladies stay over.

we know the breeders we use and also they have statements of health on their websites. some keep their bucks separate from their main herd - kinda like Free's mention of the "drive way" service. and having the paperwork would probably be a plus for your customers. also if you have a relationship with a vet you could probably get some references - same with the local 4H clubs.

good luck and hope you visit us over here often
:)
 
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