At this time of the year I enjoy hearing how others deal with culling/placement decisions. We like to keep a max of 20 animals and are at the point we either need to move older brood does or get rid of some of the nicer kids. What do you do with your brood does? I have heard, take them to market, put them down, take them to the butcher... Any new thoughts? Jolene
We usually try to place them as family milkers. The families really appreciate a well-trained productive doe that can throw them some pretty nice kids, and the does generally do better than the other alternatives. With our Boers, I usually drop the price a bit, so they get chosen as a brood doe at the next ranch, (and again someone else gets a nice start with good genetics and management) or they go on the meat truck, because, well, they are a meat animal after all.
Jolene, Here is a thought...have a freind that did this with some of thier older but still good does. They sold them to the boer goat people as foster mothers. Around here there is alot of people getting into the Boers that will not sell a doe that will not raise her kids. So, they are in need of an animal that will milk. I am thinking that they sold the older does for about $100 after they freshened. Ken in MO
