jwstewar
Active member
As most of you know we raise goats. We used to do dairy and meat goats. We made the decision on July of 2016 we were going to get out of the meat goats, but we weren't going to give them away either. So we were gradually selling them down. We continued breeding, etc as normal. We had them down to a few of the nicer does and a really nice buck.
One day last March a guy shows up looking for a doe. After talking, he asked how much for all the does. I threw out a number and then finally we came to an agreement for all of the does and the buck. Before we agreed to sell them, we said want to make sure they are going to a good home and will be cared for properly. He assured us they would be because he had cattle. We sold him 18 goats. We told him that would be a lot to start, but would be manageable. They went to his house late April. My wife spent hours putting paperwork together of what we feed, when we feed, what vaccinations to use, when, how much. What to look for and everything.
A month or so later. He buys some more goats and trades his cattle for yet more goats. From a mutual friend that we bought hay from - even though we bought hay from him, we didn't like his management practices or how he bought goats from the sale barn. So now he is up to over 80 goats. No clue who is who or what is what.
Time went on we didn't hear much until about September/October. He was supposed to be getting his best barn cleaned out, but still hadn't done it, so they were still in a shitty one that was over crowded and not protecting. Then one of "our" goats had died. A hay feeder fell on it. OK, accidents happen. But then, they start calling. They have goats dying right and left and aborting. Mainly from the other farms. Monica goes over to figure out what is going on. The goats had worms so bad it was crazy. The best goat that we had (it had gone Grand Champion a few times and beat a goat the owners had paid 15k for) weighed about 250 pounds when we sold her Now weighed about 100. Monica told them she was on death's bed. Either they let her die or treat her and hope for the best, either way she would be dead by morning. She was dead by 10:00 that night. Monica helped them treat the rest of them, they still lost several more because they were so far gone. Monica also told them they needed to up their feed, 50# of feed a day wasn't enough, they needed lose minerals, they needed more hay and to keep it off the ground, and they needed to give them clean water daily. They didn't do any of it except maybe a little more hay. Monica even ordered the minerals for them, but it took a month for them to pick them up. Monica came home in tears on that day because she felt so sorry for the goats and how they looked. She said she could hardly recognize our goats, but once they figured out who she was, they looked at her like take us home.
So then they have a few does to kid that Monica was able to save. Monica said to give them their BOSE shots for selenium deficiency. When she was there she said give them 1/2 cc each. They texted Monica and said how much again. Monica responded .5 cc. They didn't question and assumed she miss-typed and gave each of them 5 cc. Killed all of them within an hour including the one that Monica had brought home and nursed back to health and spent the entire night up with it to get to eat and to a point it would live. So finally a few more kid. Monica gives them their shots. So now they have 3 kids alive out of what should have been about 150-160.
So then last night we get a call. That "our" buck Cyclone killed one of his other bucks that he bought from the other farm. It broke its neck. Then he proceeded to tell Monica that Cyclone was also down with snot running out of his nose. Monica said get him up off his side he has pneumonia. She said start him on LA200. Then he kept talking and Monica said, if he is still alive in the morning, I have something that is stronger that will take care of it, but it is $25 a dose - a lot of the medicine Monica has been taking from our supply and just treating their goats. He then asked Monica what he should do, so she was frank with him. She said, you are in over your head, you need to get back to a reasonable number of goats, you need to cull and cull hard. Learn how to manage them. She put it all on the line. So she is supposed to go this week and help them decide who goes and who stays. About 10 minutes after hanging up, she got a text. Cyclone was dead.
I feel like they are using Monica and not trying to learn. We are helping them A.) we said we would B.) we don't want our animals suffering any more. We already put them in a bad situation. I feel like they are taking advantage of Monica and the situation though. And combined with the fact they just won't listen. I know some people would say, well you sold them, they are no longer yours to worry about. We can't do that to the animals as stewards as well as, they are carrying our name. We don't want to folks to think that is how they were when we had them.
Sorry for the long post, just needed to rant.
One day last March a guy shows up looking for a doe. After talking, he asked how much for all the does. I threw out a number and then finally we came to an agreement for all of the does and the buck. Before we agreed to sell them, we said want to make sure they are going to a good home and will be cared for properly. He assured us they would be because he had cattle. We sold him 18 goats. We told him that would be a lot to start, but would be manageable. They went to his house late April. My wife spent hours putting paperwork together of what we feed, when we feed, what vaccinations to use, when, how much. What to look for and everything.
A month or so later. He buys some more goats and trades his cattle for yet more goats. From a mutual friend that we bought hay from - even though we bought hay from him, we didn't like his management practices or how he bought goats from the sale barn. So now he is up to over 80 goats. No clue who is who or what is what.
Time went on we didn't hear much until about September/October. He was supposed to be getting his best barn cleaned out, but still hadn't done it, so they were still in a shitty one that was over crowded and not protecting. Then one of "our" goats had died. A hay feeder fell on it. OK, accidents happen. But then, they start calling. They have goats dying right and left and aborting. Mainly from the other farms. Monica goes over to figure out what is going on. The goats had worms so bad it was crazy. The best goat that we had (it had gone Grand Champion a few times and beat a goat the owners had paid 15k for) weighed about 250 pounds when we sold her Now weighed about 100. Monica told them she was on death's bed. Either they let her die or treat her and hope for the best, either way she would be dead by morning. She was dead by 10:00 that night. Monica helped them treat the rest of them, they still lost several more because they were so far gone. Monica also told them they needed to up their feed, 50# of feed a day wasn't enough, they needed lose minerals, they needed more hay and to keep it off the ground, and they needed to give them clean water daily. They didn't do any of it except maybe a little more hay. Monica even ordered the minerals for them, but it took a month for them to pick them up. Monica came home in tears on that day because she felt so sorry for the goats and how they looked. She said she could hardly recognize our goats, but once they figured out who she was, they looked at her like take us home.
So then they have a few does to kid that Monica was able to save. Monica said to give them their BOSE shots for selenium deficiency. When she was there she said give them 1/2 cc each. They texted Monica and said how much again. Monica responded .5 cc. They didn't question and assumed she miss-typed and gave each of them 5 cc. Killed all of them within an hour including the one that Monica had brought home and nursed back to health and spent the entire night up with it to get to eat and to a point it would live. So finally a few more kid. Monica gives them their shots. So now they have 3 kids alive out of what should have been about 150-160.
So then last night we get a call. That "our" buck Cyclone killed one of his other bucks that he bought from the other farm. It broke its neck. Then he proceeded to tell Monica that Cyclone was also down with snot running out of his nose. Monica said get him up off his side he has pneumonia. She said start him on LA200. Then he kept talking and Monica said, if he is still alive in the morning, I have something that is stronger that will take care of it, but it is $25 a dose - a lot of the medicine Monica has been taking from our supply and just treating their goats. He then asked Monica what he should do, so she was frank with him. She said, you are in over your head, you need to get back to a reasonable number of goats, you need to cull and cull hard. Learn how to manage them. She put it all on the line. So she is supposed to go this week and help them decide who goes and who stays. About 10 minutes after hanging up, she got a text. Cyclone was dead.
I feel like they are using Monica and not trying to learn. We are helping them A.) we said we would B.) we don't want our animals suffering any more. We already put them in a bad situation. I feel like they are taking advantage of Monica and the situation though. And combined with the fact they just won't listen. I know some people would say, well you sold them, they are no longer yours to worry about. We can't do that to the animals as stewards as well as, they are carrying our name. We don't want to folks to think that is how they were when we had them.
Sorry for the long post, just needed to rant.