# Where to buy the best foundation goats?



## HappyCaliGoats (Apr 2, 2014)

Hello all! I have had goats for many years and this year I decided I wanted dairy goats, previously I have only had pet goats to admire and assist in weed control.

I have already purchased a very nice 2 month old purebred nubian doeling. I got her from a local breeder that I trust very much ( she is actually still with the breeder until she is weaned)

Anyway, I'm just wondering where everyone else gets new goats to add to their herd. My doeling is only 0.02% inbred and I would like to keep the inbreeding to a minimum. I have searched everywhere in California and most of the bucks or does I have found are somehow related to my little girl.

Do I have to have a goat shipped from out of state? If so, Is this difficult? I would prefer to be able to buy locally so I can see the farm an meet the dam and sire of my potential herd sire or foundation doe.

Any advice is greatly appreciated, thank you!

P.S. I can not travel out of state myself as I have the farm to feed and nobody else to takeover.


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## H Diamond Farms (Jun 3, 2011)

If you want some amazing goats, go check out Redwood Hill. I can't think of much better goats to get in California than theirs! You didn't say if you were wanting registered dairy goats or not though. So, my definition of the best foundation stock and yours might be different.  
Also, don't be scared of a little inbreeding. The percentage that your little girl is might as well be zero. 0.02% doesn't really matter.


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## HappyCaliGoats (Apr 2, 2014)

*Thank you for the advice!*

I will look into their goats, and yes I am looking for registered Nubians. I am not looking to show my goats, only to have enough to support my family with dairy products but since i will be producing offspring to do this i would like to help improve the breed rather than just breed whatever i can to get milk. At what percent of inbreeding should I be worried about?

Thanx again!


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## H Diamond Farms (Jun 3, 2011)

Umm... ask 10 breeders that question and you'll get 10 answers, lol. 
Also look into Kastdemur’s... some other top notch dairy goats. 
Briar MTN has some Hoanbu stock, which are lovely Nubians... 
There are lots and lots of nice Nubians in California.  Even more if you can go up into WA or OR.


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## [email protected] (Sep 18, 2008)

Kastdemur's doesn't have nubians anymore, just lamanchas. Inbreeding (linebreeding) is the best way to get consistency--good or bad.  Personally, outcrossing scares me more than linebreeding.


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## punchiepal (Aug 4, 2010)

Also, even if goats are related they can be bred depending on how much they are related. Try a "planned breeding" on ADGA's genetics website to check the inbreeding %. It may not be as high as what you think. Depending on the goats, genetics, etc. inbreeding _can_ bring consistency to the offspring you produce.


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## HappyCaliGoats (Apr 2, 2014)

Wow! Thanx for all the advice! I have tried the planned breeding on ADGA website but I can only do it with my doelings parents, because she is with the breeder untill she is weaned so I do not have a registration number for her yet..

I have found some very beautiful goats in California but when I try the planned breeding ( with my doelings parents and the bucklings parents if he is not registered yet) and I have not come up with anything less than 6-15% when I look at their pedigrees a lot of them are from the same lines that my breeder uses.

Is it possible any more to find 0% like my breeder has? I have even done a planned breeding on ADGA with goats forms Kentucky and other states between here and there and still come up with the same results.

How accurate are my results since I am using the parents reg #'s?


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## HappyCaliGoats (Apr 2, 2014)

I really love this forum because the only other goat person I know is my breeder and she is o busy with all the kids right now she doesn't really have time to help me with these little details. Plus I love to hear all the different opinions and compare!

Thank you all!


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

I don't worry about inbreeding. In fact, I have been really pleased with most of my linebred goats. If you worry too much about inbreeding, you might miss out on some really awesome goats. I recommend looking at the ADGA site at all the pictures of of Nationals winners. Also go to google images and just type in Nubian dairy goats. You will see tons of pictures and then you can decide the ones you really like the looks of, find out what herds they come from and get yourself some like them. Go to shows in your area too. You will see all kinds of goats there and meet other breeders.


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## [email protected] (Sep 18, 2008)

Look at some of the big breeders websites. Goldthwaite, Saada, Pruittville, Blissberry, Lynnhaven... (There are many more. I only listed these off the top of my head cuz they are the genetics I'm using and familiar with.) Anyhow, find animals you like and look them up on ADGA and check out there pedigrees and inbreeding. Look at sights that use different genetics and how they cross and if you like their goats style.


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## cvalley (Apr 15, 2009)

We are in California and have our foundation stock from Wingwood Farm , in Willits, and SAADA in Wyoming, and Kastdemur Dairy Goats. Redwood Hills is also there as well as Lakeshore Farm. Excellent stock from these  Many others to mention but these are just a few.


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## KJFarm (Oct 26, 2007)

HapiCaliGoats......if you will contact Tim Pruitt of Pruittville Nubians, he will visit with you about genetics and "inbreeding". Very knowledgeable breeder, and has beautiful, and consistantly competitive Nubians.


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## HappyCaliGoats (Apr 2, 2014)

cvalley said:


> We are in California and have our foundation stock from Wingwood Farm , in Willits, and SAADA in Wyoming, and Kastdemur Dairy Goats. Redwood Hills is also there as well as Lakeshore Farm. Excellent stock from these  Many others to mention but these are just a few.


Hey cvalley, do you have any Nubians for sale? Or have any advice on having some imported since you got some of yours from out of state? I gave checked most if the websites I can find here in california but they don't really have what I want. I am looking for a 3-4 month old buckling and a yearling doe.

Thank you!


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## HappyCaliGoats (Apr 2, 2014)

I have been searching google and Craigslist for registered pure bred Nubians. I have found some but just wondering if there is a secret site out there somewhere for breeders to post their info? Any other ideas where I should look or is this how everyone else finds breeders too?


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## H Diamond Farms (Jun 3, 2011)

I use the ADGA directory. Are you a member? If not, it's a good thing to do if you are planning to have registered goats. Also, some of it just comes from being in the industry. You pick up on a lot of names and meet lots of folks at shows also. And some places have dairy goat Facebook pages. We have one for sables nationwide, and Colorado had a dairy goats for sale in Colorado page also.


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## cvalley (Apr 15, 2009)

Sent you a message. Yes. We have goats for sale. Seller takes care of the health certificate in order to ship out of state. Also, there are only two close airports to us (6 hour drive) to have air shipped in: San Francisco and Sacramento. Our kids were shipped in one crate at 2 weeks old. Cost of crate is in addition to the purchase price. 
We reserved our kids ahead and it took two years. Patience for what you seek in you herd is the best recommendation I can give. It take time.
Hope that helps


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## Ziggy (Nov 13, 2009)

a good place to check out Nubian breeder listings is http://www.i-n-b-a.org/

and don't let geography phase you. I just flew 2 goats to TX from NC this morning - airfare on one was $208 an other was $211.

if you can post the pedigree or tell us where the heavy concentration is in the pedigrees someone might want to make some suggestions of other lines to outcross. Since you are in CA I am guessing it is heavy Kastedemurs, but as many have said some degree of linebreeding is often good.


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## hsmomof4 (Oct 31, 2008)

Denise, you left out Kastdemur, Brown Sugar, Lakeshore (which are the top contributors to any linebreeding in my herd.)


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## HappyCaliGoats (Apr 2, 2014)

Ziggy said:


> a good place to check out Nubian breeder listings is http://www.i-n-b-a.org/
> 
> and don't let geography phase you. I just flew 2 goats to TX from NC this morning - airfare on one was $208 an other was $211.
> 
> if you can post the pedigree or tell us where the heavy concentration is in the pedigrees someone might want to make some suggestions of other lines to outcross. Since you are in CA I am guessing it is heavy Kastedemurs, but as many have said some degree of linebreeding is often good.


My doeling has not yet been registered, her dam is (N001601711) Mabie's farm merrys Lara and her sire is (N001591976) Meli's delights cowboy

Thank you all for the great advice!


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## HappyCaliGoats (Apr 2, 2014)

Is there a special airline that ships goats? The price seems reasonable but I worry more about that kid on the plane because they are shipped in cargo where it is not pressurized so I worry about injury or illness from stress?


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## Ziggy (Nov 13, 2009)

The prices I quoted above was on American Airlines, goats and other animals are shipped often, there is far less stress on the kid getting on the plane for a few hours than being hauled for a many hours or days in a trailer.


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## Tim Pruitt (Oct 26, 2007)

While we are speaking of airline shipping, what materials do you line your kennels with for traveling on the plane?


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## HappyCaliGoats (Apr 2, 2014)

So no one here has evere experienced a problem air shipping a kid? I would think they would be deaf after due to their ears popping the whole time in the unpressurized storage cabins


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## HappyCaliGoats (Apr 2, 2014)

Has anyone ever had any experience with the herd name oak-gold ? I am looking into this yearling N001653810. Suggestions? Opinions?


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## Ziggy (Nov 13, 2009)

Tim - you can buy special "puppy pads" but I have always just used a clean folded over old big towel and never had an issue.


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

I just shipped a kid with United and they said the cargo compartment was pressurized and climate controlled.


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## wheytogosaanens (Oct 26, 2007)

fmg said:


> I just shipped a kid with United and they said the cargo compartment was pressurized and climate controlled.


Yep. Have shipped many a goat and they have all done just fine.

Tim - I bed with straw. Not the airline's favorite, but it is the best for the goats. :biggrin


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## HappyCaliGoats (Apr 2, 2014)

fmg said:


> I just shipped a kid with United and they said the cargo compartment was pressurized and climate controlled.


Thanx for the info! How much did united charge for shipping per kid?


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

If them plus crate are less than 50 lbs, it is about $300 after all the taxes and fees and everything. Mine was a mini alpine buckling shipped at 5 weeks. Him plus an intermediate size crate was around 40 lbs. There is also the crate charge and health certificate and depending on state whatever health tests you might need for that state.

For the bottom, I put in a few towels and I added a small (probably a little too small, but was worried airline would complain) chunk of hay in the back. They did not have a problem with the hay. They don't like straw because the crates go in with people's luggage and it's messy. I didn't want to risk having issues, so I didn't, but the people at the cargo counter were really nice and had no problem with the hay...probalby would have been fine.


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## SugarPlum (Jun 10, 2014)

Mabie's Farm in San Martin, Ca is where our herd got started. Then we have searched far and wide to build from there. I looked up Nubians on FB and looked up members on INBA.org etc. bought one from Lakeshore Farms, two from Jacobs Pride in AZ, one from Elkhorn in Prunedale, Ca(not impressed) and two more from Mabie's Farm. We had all boys this year and aren't retaining the two does out of the the doe from Elkhorn.


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## HappyCaliGoats (Apr 2, 2014)

SugarPlum said:


> Mabie's Farm in San Martin, Ca is where our herd got started. Then we have searched far and wide to build from there. I looked up Nubians on FB and looked up members on INBA.org etc. bought one from Lakeshore Farms, two from Jacobs Pride in AZ, one from Elkhorn in Prunedale, Ca(not impressed) and two more from Mabie's Farm. We had all boys this year and aren't retaining the two does out of the the doe from Elkhorn.


Good to know, I got one of my first ones from Mabie's farm! She's a beautie! Thanx for the reply!

Newbie to Nubian dairy goats. Also have 1 alpine/guernsey wether, 1 boer doe, 2 Pygmy does, and 1 Pygmy/Nigerian wether.


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