How the Goats Leave the Farm!!
(Sometimes!)

Several years ago, we attended a seminar at Alabama A&M University where Frank Pinkerton was a speaker. One of the things we remember most were his comments about selling a goat. He stated, "Once you have received the money for the sale, it does not matter if the buyer puts the goat in the trunk of the car with its legs wrapped in barbed wire. It is no longer your goat; get over it."

We have not had the barbed wire happen, but we have seen some unusual methods of transporting goats.

A couple of years ago, a man called and wanted to buy two three-month old fullblood doelings; and since we were heading for a show in his direction, we agreed to take the doelings to the show where he would pick them up. We arrived at the show and about 20 minutes later, he arrived and paid with 100 dollars bills. I got the doelings out, put then in the backseat of his new Cadillac, and waved good bye.

Another customer purchased a goat when the weather was really cold. They rented a U-Haul box trailer, put in a little hay and closed the goat in. At least he had a nice warm ride to his new home.

A family, from a long distance away, en route to Spring Break stopped by wanting to buy a doeling. After picking out the doeling they wanted, they paid for her and asked that we keep her another two weeks. They would return home after their vacation then come back to pick up the doeling with their trailer. On their way back home, they decided to save themselves the second trip and stopped to pick up their doeling. When they arrived, they decided to buy a little bottle baby we had. We told them if they bought the doeling they had to take her buckling brother too because he would be lost without her. They put the older doeling in the back of their van in a dog cage and the two bottle babies in the floor board of the back seat and headed home – a trip of at least 6 hours. (All animals and people survived the trip! We didn't get a report about the vehicle.)

We do not live on the beaten path. One might say we live a ways off the main road. Several years ago we met a man at a show, and he asked if he could stop by and maybe purchase some goats. Some weeks later he arrived at our place, pulling a 32 foot goose neck cattle trailer (took him two hours to maneuver through our wooded drive). After his casual drive through the obstacle course we call a driveway, he did not buy any goats; and we allowed him to leave using the other drive.

A couple called from the west coast wanting to buy a buck. After exchanging many phone calls, they said they would come pick him up. They arrived in a truck that had at one time been a Hertz rental truck. They had installed air vents so the buck could have fresh air. While here they decided to get 4 tons of goat feed at our Co-Op, a puppy, a dog, and another doe. All headed west and arrived numerous hours later - all arrived in good condition. (We understand the animals were most entertaining on the trip.)