Returning a Defective Goat

Tomorrow, we will be returning our goat Nutmeg to her original owner. We had been told that she was pregnant when we bought her. Well, the due date came and went, and there were no kids. At this point I was pretty sure that she was not pregnant, but I called the vet just to be certain. One ultrasound and eighty dollars later, the vet confirmed it.

Not long after I bought the goat, I had looked through her medical records (such as they were) and discovered that she had never had a successful pregnancy. Of course the owner mentioned none of this when we were looking at the goats. Since we keep goats for dairy, I found it highly unlikely that this goat would ever be worth the feed she eats. Luckily, the previous owner agreed to take her back for a full refund. This is just as well, because Nutmeg is a big bully to the other does. She doesn't allow them to eat at the same time as her, even though there is plenty of space at the feeder.

We have learned a couple of lessons from this fiasco. One, always read the medical records before you buy the goat (or any other animal.) Two, if the owner claims that the animal is pregnant, insist that a vet confirms this with an ultrasound, at the owners expense.