selling kid problems

[RPC]

I wish someone would even inquire about my buckling. I just want him gone. And not one person is interested. Well I take that back one lady said when she got the money she would come look at him 4 weeks ago. So i e-mailed her and she said she already got one but thanks anyway.

 

[20kidsonhill]

The market still seems to be pretty good around here, I took some 40 and 50lb kids into the stockyards around a month ago and got a steady $2 a pound for them, eventhough they were the bottom of my February kid crop, my left-over whethers that didn't sell for fair projects.

We had 32 kids and we only ended up with 5 left that we couldn't sell off the farm. We just don't have room to keep feeding them out so at some point no matter how much or how little they weigh we take them into our local stockyard and move on with the next group.


You all don't butcher any for yourselves? My son was wanting us to butcher a couple this year, and I told him if I didn't sell the June kids, I would hold a couple to butcher, but that doesn't look like it is going to happen. I will have to promise him one or two next time. and just decide for sure that I am keeping them back for him.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

You all don't butcher any for yourselves? My son was wanting us to butcher a couple this year, and I told him if I didn't sell the June kids, I would hold a couple to butcher, but that doesn't look like it is going to happen. I will have to promise him one or two next time. and just decide for sure that I am keeping them back for him.

I think that's what we're going to have to do with our Oberhasli wether. I had no luck selling him, so I banded him and I'd rather not sell him until his scrotum falls off. It's taking a while and I'm having to battle flies to keep it clean. At this rate, it'd be better for me to feed him out and for us to eat him come fall. There won't be much meat on him I'm guessing, but at least we'd get something out of it and won't have to feed him through winter.

 

[ksalvagno]

RPC - do wethers sell better in your area? I made the decision that if any of my male kids didn't sell by 8 - 10 weeks old, then they get banded and sold as wethers. I just can't afford to keep a bunch of intact males around. I learned my lessons from alpacas that you don't hang onto a male as a breeding prospect even if he really is a good one. There are too many males out there and not enough need for breeding males. Needless to say, I did band some males that I really felt would have made great bucks but they sold like hotcakes as wethers.

I did also recently take a buck in to the processor that didn't sell. I needed to bring my buck count down to 3. So we will have some ground meat for the freezer. I have to admit that it was sort of hard to do since he was such a nice male (meaning very sweet personality and loved attention) but my males have gone into rut and the smell is becoming something else. I have Nigerians so it will be interesting to see how much meat I get back. But honestly, taking him to the processor is significantly cheaper than having the vet put him down and no matter how much meat it is, I'm getting something for the money I'm spending.

 

[RPC]

Honestly this is my first male I am selling so I don't know if a wether would sell better or not. We just started 2 years ago with 2 does and the kids were shown in 4-H. That is the sole reason we have them is for my nieces to show them. I do know that at the sale barn the bucks sell better then the wethers.

 

[20kidsonhill]

Honestly this is my first male I am selling so I don't know if a wether would sell better or not. We just started 2 years ago with 2 does and the kids were shown in 4-H. That is the sole reason we have them is for my nieces to show them. I do know that at the sale barn the bucks sell better then the wethers.

I would think you are better leaving him intact, gives you more opportunities in the market, can always castrate him if someone wants it done.

 

[RPC]

That was what I was thinking.....Plus for some reason the ethnic community at the auction likes them intact. So what is a good weight range for market?

 

[jodief100]

I get the best prices at 45-60 lbs. 60-80 is slightly less. Over 80 and it drops considerably.

 

[20kidsonhill]

The best price per lb seems to be 45 to 60 lbs, like jodie said, then 60 to 80 maybe a little less per lb, and finally the 80 to 100 range, still a little less than the other two groups. I guess the question would be do you get so much less per pound that it isn't worth growing them out past 60 or 80 lbs. We have been shooting for around a 70lb market kid.
I think they have been bringing around 120 over here. But the 50lb kids bring a pretty steady 100, so I don't know if it is worth keeping them longer and finishing out another 20lbs for a difference of $20.

 

[Roll farms]

A big, smelly, full-on rut buck, for some goofy reason, sells high at the auction I go to. I had a black-headed commercial buck I took several years ago and he was the high-selling goat for the year, they told me. $220.00. (Typically a goat goes for 20-75$)

I suspect someone bought him for breeding rather than meat, but some ethnicities do love a 'pre seasoned' meat...

I took a big Nub x Alpine buck someone dumped off here while I was gone....yeah, in w/ all my PB DOES!! ....and he went for $150.00.

But I think around 60# would be good for this guy you have for your best return.
Now...is it worth dumping $20.00 more feed into him to reach that weight *or* go ahead and take him, sell him for less, but be out less in feed...?