Where have Nubian goats gone !!??

[Deleted]

Have+- had Nubian goats on our homestead for almost 40 years We  need to find another buck and new doe or 2 to change the blood line in our small horm herd.  Do you think I can find any in our upstate central PA area.  Not looking for registered or high priced ...just good milkers for family use.  I bought a few years back a wonderful Saanen doe that is a wonderful pleasant goat but, we bred her to our old buck who now has been gone for a few years and have no goat to bred her with and have let her son bred with our Nubian girls  Would like to find the old fashion big nose long ear goats again. One women wanted to sell me a young buck, no paper..at $175 !!   Even when i did register my goats I never asked that much.  Just bred them for good family milkers with nice dispositions.   That is really too much for me to pay and not in this area too.  A few years back it seemed as though every one was on the band wagon with breeding the Nubians to the Boer goats....and what is left now ??  Anyone finding this problem too ??

[Wendy]

Just wanted to say that $175 for a young buck is about the going rate around here & that is for unregistered. If they are registered they are going from $250 & up. I have some Nubians & also Saanens, Alpines, & Lamanchas. I just want them for milk & really don't care about papers. I have 2 Nubian bucks & 1 Lamancha buck.

[whisperwindkat]

Everyone I knew raising nubians around here have gotten out of goats. However, for an unregistered buckling 175 is a good price, especially from the old lines that produce the characteristics that you want. I have had my lines for years and have occasionally traded with someone else to keep different bloodlines in. However, I remember my neighbor purchasing several years ago to start her little herd of nubians and she didn't pay less than 300 dollars for a goat. Her buck cost her 600.00 and he was an unproven young buck. Nubians are just so darned expensive and there seems no getting away from that. People aren't raising them to be just "good family milkers". They are looking for the top bloodlines to milking stars and show points so that they can command the big dollars.

[woolybear]

Don't know if you are on facebook. Here are a couple of groups for Pa. goats/livestock (if I know what I'm doing with posting links). You may have to ask to join the groups.
www.facebook.com/groups/1605477999687871/ this is goat and sheep sale in Pa/Md
www.facebook.com/groups/314752021928704/ this is pa state livestock

[motdaugrnds]

Great "Nubian" bucks are not that difficult to find. They do cost and the price depends on what you are looking for. (Sometimes you can get a "trade off", i.e. get a buck for a doe of a different blood line.) Back in the mid-90s I bought my herd buck for $400. Of course, "Roman" was 3rd generation from Frosty Marvin with grand champions on both sides of his pedigree. Still he was worth every penny because he threw some very nice milkers.

I've raised Nubians for many years and, strictly using them for the home, I don't need registration. Also, since I want more meat on the kids (along with great milk production from the does), I'm looking for a "Kiko" buck. Hopefully I can find one in or around the south side of Virginia.

[Deleted]

I have mainly nubians yes registered and one NZ Kiko Buck. Just recently sold a buckling without papers for 150, still have his brother if I use him for breeding I will get him registered, have another buckling that is registered I would sell for no less than 200 or I will retain him and use him on my unrelated does since parents are registered I can trace their genetics and helps me develop excellent milk lines, nothing I hate more is buying a young kid raising it up only to have it not produce well. I don't raise for meat, I raise for milk production, ease of kidding, breeding drive, personality, ease of teaching (milk stand, hand milking, ect..), and health. Since I keep a small breeding/milking herd, one loss, one non producer is a handicap BUT on the other hand with all this management I do when I sell a goat I know it is genetically sound and should produce well and I price it accordingly.

[manygoatsnmore]

Costs of raising goats has probably gone up since you last were in the market for a new buck. $175 for an unregistered, nice buck is pretty standard anymore. The costs of raising the dam, and either the costs of breeding or keeping the buck, and feeding during pregnancy, are all reflected in the price of the kids. You simply can't expect people in the BUSINESS of raising goats to sell the kids at a loss.