May I start by saying that when we got into the goat business, we gave little or no thought to ethic's policy. This old man and his beautiful wife grew up in a time when "your word was your bond" and a hand shake was good enough to close any deal and make it binding. Maybe things have changed since we were children, but they shouldn't have. Ethics should be the foundation stone of anyone's character and if it is not, then all we can say is that someone was mighty lax in your upbringing.

Now I know the goat business is a tough business and everyone is striving for a competitive advantage and there is nothing wrong with that. I believe that most goat owners are honest and trust worthy, but like all businesses, there are a few individuals who just won't play by the rules because they don't have integrity and because they do not think that their goats are good enough to win on their own merit. These same people would be screaming mad if they bought a goat that was not what it was purported to be, but if they sell a goat with the wrong documentation, they will find some way in their mind to justify what they have done.

I would like to commend Jack Mauldin for the firm stand he has taken in trying to get some much needed reforms into the goat business. I say much needed reforms because everywhere I go, I hear breeders talking quietly among themselves about such a need, but they are afraid to speak up for fear of reprisal. Jack Mauldin must be a brave man because he has been very outspoken about the pressing need for immediate reforms. He has not only been critical of certain practices but has laid out several proposals to implement these reforms.

Now we scarcely see how an honest man or woman could object to reforms that were going to ensure the average goat breeder a fair shake and bring about genuine integrity in the goat business. My wife and I are willing to take a stand with Jack Mauldin and I hope other breeders will do the same in trying to weed out unscrupulous practices that result in all kinds of errors. Now I realize that there are many honest mistakes made every day, but we are not talking about honest mistakes. Sane and honest people should be able to recognize honest mistakes and correct them without a lot of fanfare. However, we are not talking about honest mistakes. The reforms that Jack Mauldin wants to implement are mistakes that are done intentionally and with the purpose to defraud.

If a person breeds to one of our bucks, we guarantee that the breeding buck listed on the breeding certificate will be correct. If the owner of the bred animal has a question as to the validity of the certificate of registration, we will be glad to assist them in having a dna test done at their expense. If they are correct, we will pay the cost of the DNA test, refund their breeding fee, and rebreed their doe for free to the correct buck.

If we sell a goat that we have bred and later the owner decides there is a question concerning the animal's true bloodlines, we will assist and cooperate in everyway the DNA testing of the animal at the expense of the person making the challenge. If they are correct, we will pay the cost of the DNA test and buy the animal back.

We can not guarantee the bloodlines of the animals that we have purchased and will not be liable in anyway if their pedigrees have been falsified. We bought their bloodlines in good faith and sell them the same way. If later on, their bloodlines prove to be false, we will assume no responsibility or be liable in anyway for that which we had no part in.

We do pledge that our bucks will be bred to the does they are supposed to be bred to, and that animals sold will be out of the does and the bucks on their pedigrees, and that their birthdates will be correct.

We can not and will not be responsible for animals that are bred from semen we have sold because we have no control over how the semen may or may not be used and whether some other animal may have been substituted for the animal that was supposedly conceived from our semen. However, anyone buying semen from us can have it DNA tested at their expense before buying it.

All DNA testing must be by a company approved by the ABGA, IBGA, or USBGA, whichever might apply and must be absolutely conclusive.

It is hard to imagine any reputable breeder who would object to dna testing of any animal unless they have something to hide. We feel that a person has the right to know the true genetic history of an animal so they can make reasonable and logical decisions concerning their breeding programs.

We require a fifty percent non-refundable deposit on an animal. All responsibility for inspecting and deciding if you want an animal is yours. The contract will state when you are to pick up the animal and any other pertinent information. If an animal is not picked up on time, then a reasonable rate will be charged for feed and care. If after 30 days the animal has not been picked up, the deposit will be forfeited and the ownership of the goat will revert to us.

We guarantee the health of the goats we sell while they are in our possession but not after they leave our farm. All reasonable care will be taken to ensure the health and well being of any goat left on our farm to be bred, but we assume no responsibility of any kind if something happens to your animal.

We would like to get to know you and have you meet our goats. Please call if we can assist you in any way.