How to Buy Quality Proven Meat Goat Bucks for your Meat Goat Herd

How hard is it to buy quality proven meat goat bucks to upgrade your meat goat herd genetics? 

Buy quality proven meat goat bucks smarter…not harder. Buck shopping can be fun and worthwhile when you know what you’re looking for. 

Imagine a puzzle with many different pieces. Do you put all the pieces together at once to get your desired picture? No!

A puzzle has to be put together one measly piece at a time. It takes patience. It takes time. As one piece fits in and works beautifully, you are one step closer to the big picture. This is just like achieving that amazing quality meat goat herd. The way to grow smarter and not harder is to change one step at a time.  

This is the hardest thing about changing your meat goat genetics. But, I can assure you that patience is the key to being ok with change. Always begin with the big end picture in mind. Know your options, know your does and your kids and how you want to change that offspring going forward. It’s all about knowing the big picture in the back of your mind to refer to help you jump back on the path to success. 

See the Big Picture

This begins with your ultimate goals in mind. What kind of goats do you want to produce? Do you want big framed wether-type market kids who finish out at 100 pounds? Or do you want broody, deep bodied does to sell as quality breeding stock? It’s hard to have the best of both worlds, so you’ll have to pick which type you want more. 

Think about where you want to be. What market you want to reach and strive for the best. If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll never get there. You’ll be roaming around blind and never get anywhere. 

In order to be sustainable in raising goats, you must know where you want to end up. And how you get there will be the journey. There will be lots of obstacles and distractions to overcome. 

So, always see the big picture first and foremost. Getting to that final big picture will take lots of patience and perseverance. The hardest part of finding patience is putting one piece together at a time. 

Put the Pieces Together

If you’ve been raising goats for a while like I have, you may or may not be happy with the direction of quality you are seeing. You might want to just turn around and start over. 

Or you can keep moving forward piece by piece. Putting in one little piece at a time until you reach your big picture. This is the route I choose. Slow and steady wins the race. 

Try this: If you’re good at drawing or even if you aren’t, draw your most ideal goat. Think about how you need to change your current herd to get that perfect ideal goat. 

Does your kid goat offspring need to be wider? Longer? Taller? More bone? Bigger rib shape? More milk? Better maternal qualities? So many options!

You are the one who needs to narrow these qualities down to find the right buck for your herd. I like to make a list of about four or five bucks that are highly qualified and meet certain expectations for the change I’m looking for. 

Once you know what direction you need to go with your meat goat herd, the fun can begin. It’s time to go buck shopping at shows, farms, or online to buy quality proven meat goat bucks for your herd!

Go Buck Shopping

Ahh…shopping.  I’ve always been the type of person who knows what she needs in the store. Then, I’m in and back out again in no time flat.

However, I LOVE shopping for livestock. I can travel to a farm and stay for hours talking with the breeders about goats, cattle or sheep. Looking online and attending online sales is so fun. It’s a great way to look at the great genetics found all over the country. 

When I finally find a good buck I’m interested in, I contact the breeder to get more information. 

And that is what you must do as well. You must find out everything there is to know about the buck you are interested in. Because the sustainability of your own herd and your business depends on knowing everything you can before you agree to buy quality proven meat goat bucks for your does. 

Here’s a list of things you may want to discuss with the breeder or owner if you’re considering buying their particular meat goat buck:

• Age of the buck
• Genetic History
• Kid Size at Birth
• Registered or Not? – In case you want to sell or show quality show stock. 
• DNA Tested? – In case you want to sell or show quality show stock. 
• Disposition (If you have little kids at home like me)
• Physical analysis: Does he have good feet, mouth, and composition?
• History of any known health problems within the home herd

Knowing all you can about the buck you are buying can really help you become a smarter goat breeder. You’ll have an idea of what to expect when it comes time to use him on your does. 

Always know exactly what you are getting when you agree to buy quality proven meat goat bucks. Also, always keep your values and pocketbook in mind when choosing a herd sire for your meat goat herd. 

Stay Disciplined

Because, you might be tempted to purchase something you probably shouldn’t due to a smooth talking salesperson. So, make this salesperson give you some time to think about it first. Especially with an offer that is too good to be true. Don’t give in to an offer you can’t refuse. Sometimes, it’s not the best choice.

Furthermore, these are the shiny diamonds that can distract you and deter you from your goal. If your goal is to change one quality in your goats but this spectacular buck will change five qualities in one breeding, what’s the big deal? 

The Pocketbook

Money is always the issue, isn’t it? It would be amazing that could turn your breeding program around in just one breeding season. Sure, you can have this amazing buck. But, you have to be willing to pay the price for him. And you have to acknowledge the risk of paying a high price for such a buck that could die or get hurt at any time. 

Before you make these kind of breeding decisions, you must think carefully about the decision you are about to make. There are many risks involved for sure. Is the risk worth losing everything? Or should you stick with the nice buck you came to see at a price you can afford?

There’s a winner at the end of the “slow and steady race” because a slow and steady player is sustainable. If you purchase the affordable buck, your does will produce quality kids to sell in the market. You’ll make money that you can save to invest back into your business. Someday, you WILL be able to afford the highest dollar animal. But probably not today. 

The Risk

Do you have enough knowledge to care for the highest dollar animal? If you are still on the learning track, it may not be a good idea to give into the high dollar option. Anything could happen and you could lose all that you put in. This is how many businesses fail. By investing too much before the owner or the business is truly ready. 

You must grow and learn with your business. Baby steps. Yes, you must invest and that is why you are looking to buy quality proven meat goat bucks. But, you must choose breeding stock at the level that your business is at to establish a cushion if something happens. 

I encourage you to stay disciplined and grounded when buck shopping for the perfect buck for does. Always remember your goals and stay on your path. It may be a slow journey but there is a reason slow and steady wins the race each and every time. 

Finally, Bring Home A Keeper

In conclusion, these are just a few lessons I’ve learned over the past several years of raising goats and buying breeding stock. To buy quality proven meat goat bucks for your herd, you must know what you’re looking for.

You must go buck shopping and talk to breeders to find the piece of the puzzle that fits into the journey of the big picture. Be smart and think about positive and negative risks. Choose the buck that is right for the future of your herd and your sustainability. 

Sustainability is what keeps breeders in business. And slow and steady wins that race. So, shop around, find what you like and choose what is best for you to keep raising meat goats for years to come. 

What do you look for in a good quality meat goat buck? 

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