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Our Goals

One of our goals here at Black Mesa Ranch is to place quality, healthy and productive goats with people who will care for them and enjoy them.  To meet these goals we use two means: thoughtful breeding and exceptional care in upbringing.

Breeding

To start with, each and every one of our Nubians is 100% pure bred (our Saanen is American).  Our dairy bucks and does are either  registered with the American Dairy Goat Association or can be registered (wethers are not generally registered).  Our Herd Lineages are of very high quality and our on-site breeding practices impeccable.

Health

Further, we practice closed herd policies and do not permit off-property goats access to our animals for breeding or other purposes.  Despite having purchased CAE negative seed stock, and having no indications of disease presence, we elected to employ CAE preventative practices for our first 3 years here while also testing the herd for the disease (all of which have come back from the laboratory 100% clear).  We are quite confident we have reasonable eliminated the chance of this disease in our herd and will continue herd testing.  In addition to being CAE free, our herd is CL abscess free, negative for TB and Brucellosis, negative for Mycoplasma, and is G6S normal.  Monthly, we test each milking doe for mastitis, all animals are periodically wormed and kept up to date on all necessary vaccinations.  We keep detailed medical records for all our animals. 

Herd News:

BMR Goats are 100% "G6S Normal"

Genetic testing done to screen for defect. 

    Known in some circles as "That Dirty Little Nubian Goat Secret”, there is a rather recently discovered genetic defect that Nubians and Nubian crosses can have. It is referred to, more formally, as the "G6S defect" (in reference to the enzyme not produced as the result of  the defect).

Nubian goats with the defect can be either "G6S Affected" (in which case they fail to thrive and usually die at a very young age), or they can be "G6S Carriers" (in which case they grow and live normally but can pass it on to their offspring).  Goats without any abnormality (as can only be determined by a DNA test) are said to be "G6S Normal".  The offspring of a  "carrier" buck and a "carrier" doe will have 25% chance of being affected, 50% chance of being a carrier, and only a 25% chance of being normal.  Up to 25% of all Nubians goats are thought to be carriers of this defect.

The happy BMR herd browses contentedly

When we did our initial DNA testing in 2005 we were pleased that most of our goats were normal, but we did have a few carriers.   As of 2009 our herd is now 100% G6S normal! 

For more information on G6S, please refer to: http://www.goatworld.com/articles/g6s.shtml

To read the BMR History of G6S click here: G6S at Black Mesa Ranch

Socialization

We also work to ensure that our goats are sociable and affectionate, as well as healthy.  We are there when they are born and they imprint on humans making them friendly and responsive.  We bottle raise all of our kids on pure goat milk and handle them often - how could we resist!  Generally, we allow the kids and moms to bond together for companionship and safety.  This can be a real challenge to get the kids to understand that WE feed them - NOT mom.  But the extra work is worth it.  This way the kids don't get stressed as much as other systems were they would be removed from the adults and moved from pen to pen as they grow.  They also don't suffer the stress of being taken away for weaning that other kid-rearing methods require.  Our kids, does, and wethers all live together from Day One. 

All our kids are disbudded so they will not grow horns.  They are given a series of vaccinations, and are wormed when necessary.  These little guys get great care and huge daily doses of attention.

Summary

If you are planning on getting goats, no matter where you get them, please be sure that they are healthy.  Many people’s joy of getting a free or cheap goat has turned to disappointment and grief when their new baby comes down with Pink Eye, Scours, Pneumonia, or some incurable disease that they have never heard of.  Start out smart – start with healthy animals!

BMR Goats are 100% CAE Free, CL abscess free, negative for TB and Brucellosis, negative for Mycoplasma, and are G6S normal.

Goat Sales

Prices and Policies

We offer fine Nubian Kids and Goats for sale from time to time.  All of our Nubians are purebred and can be sold registered.

Goat Sales Prices

Registered Does and Bucks $350 and up

 Doe Kids and Buck Kids with Registration Application $250 and up

(10% Discount on purchases of 5 or more kids from this category)

Unregistered Bucks $125 and up

 Wethers $75 and up

Goat Sales Policies

Prices for reserved kids are for kids picked up by 3 weeks of age. After 3 weeks of age reserved kids will incur an additional $5.00 per day boarding charge.  This is due to the cost of feeding the kids our pure fresh goat milk (instead of us being able to make the milk into cheese).

We require a $50 deposit per kid ordered with the balance due within 10 days after notification of birth. If payment is not received within that time the buyer will forfeit their deposit money.

Deposits are refunded if your choice of kid is not born or if the kid is not up to our standards of quality. Deposits will not be refunded on cancelled orders. We will honor all reservations for kids except under exceptional circumstances i.e. loss of sire or dam. In other words we will not keep a reserved kid just because we like the kid.

All goats are guaranteed free of CAE, CL, Brucellosis, TB, Mycoplasma, and are G6S Normal.  All of our kids are sold disbudded.  Any kids purchased as wethers will be castrated (banded) before leaving the property.

We prefer all kids and goats to be picked up at the ranch.  Overnight lodging and meals are available here at the ranch. Contact us for discount pricing.

If you are interested in buying a goat, please contact us for availability (or to be put on our waiting list) by  emailing Kathryn or calling (928) 536-7759.

Sale prices, terms and conditions subject to change prior to sale confirmation.

4/09