Where, oh, where do the prices end up? For the last several years, we have all thought that the market would top out on good goats. Has it topped out? NO!! The San Angelo doe show sale was tonight. Let’s look at the #s. There was only a 100+ does shown. Of course, that is the heart of goat production country–the birthplace, if you will. It is a who’s who list of showmen, with does from the top notch breeders, that were selling does in the sale tonight. Granted, some may have been “loaners”, but most were not. They sold 25 plus 1 foundation scholarship doe. These 26 does averaged $4,200. WAY higher than last year.
What is the trend? Like gas prices since your president took over–HIGHER!! When oBAMa took over gas was $1.89 per gallon, now quite a bit more. This fact helps drive the prices of show animals. Why? It costs too much to drive around flipping rocks, looking for that magical one that nobody else found. Factor shipping costs into corn, soybeans, etc and delivery of feed and it costs too much to feed a common SOB. Therefore, people aren’t messing around. Find the one you like, set your limit, then bid past that limit a ways, and you have higher priced goats.
Throw in the fact that the top notch genetics are limited to certain herds, AI & flushing is still a somewhat limited technology and a lot of breeders won’t turn loose of their genetics and it is all pushed into the middle of a felt covered table to make for higher priced GOOD goats. If you factor in the addictions of some people wanting the best, then that pushes prices even higher.
I can fill every order for $250 wethers/doe kids and $2,500 bucks. That part is EASY. If you don’t care what the product is like that you are selling, then you just find them and move them down the road. Kind of like selling new hollands and kubotas. You know that they aren’t good enough, but it fits the price point. Okay. Not much satisifaction in a job well done, but…..cash a check and go on.
The problem is filling the orders for “the kind of goat your kid would feed or the kind of buck you would use”. I can’t do it for $250. I can come across a goat or two that is cheap. Sometimes, there are health problems to overcome. Who pays for that risk when it doesn’t work? I do. And I take those risks a lot. Do they work out? Yes. Ask Chesley Comstock. Her grand at the OK State Fair & Reserve grand at the Lone Star Elite was not a healthy beast when we picked him up. But, things changed and he cranked for the good. On the other hand, Duke had an A90 wether that I liked a lot–I mean a LOT. Considering the contending bidder, he had a chance. He didn’t live a month after I bought him. Who pays for that? Me. It is part of the gamble to find the right one.
I am low rent. Ask everybody that deals with me. I don’t want a high dollar wether at my house. However, I won’t pass up a chance of a good one because of health issues. I study genetics and judge tendencies in order to increase the odds. I also believe in volume pricing. Everything to get the price down. More importantly, I put a lot of faith in a good feeding and showing program. If I can cover the cost of my travels, make it to Cooper’s BBQ in Llano, deal with good people and break even financially, well then, I am way ahead of all the other addictions that are out there.
Buck prices are NOT going to get cheaper this year. 2012 was high. 2013 is going to be higher. Why? If you want to win a wether show, then you have to cut the great ones. Once, those breeders win some shows, they will leave the nuts in a couple. It is a vicious circle of life, going no where fast, round and round, higher and higher. The ones that sold high $ bucks last year are looking for the new thing this year. The ones that sold good kid crops last year are looking to improve, knowing that last year was high, they are prepared to spend more this year. Others are looking to make a splash and find the next great one. Throw in the fact that a lot of people spent $2,500 to $5,000 on common bastard bucks last year, now they have the kids on the ground and they realize that they got just that–some common SOB with speckled ears out of a reject doe and they now have to get serious or get out.
If you are shopping for breeding pieces, talk to the right people. Do your research. What do you need? What do you have? What are your goals? What are your finances? What do you want? What are your next breeding plans?
Do like the old Bud Dry commercials and ask Why Ask Why? Answer those questions and then spend wisely.
