Prancing Pony Farm Sales Policies
GENERAL SALES POLICY INFO:
We can take a non-refundable deposit on any animal we have for sale. The minimum deposit is $100 per goat, $200 per puppy and $25 per rabbit. We require a full deposit for each animal you are purchasing. All deposits are non-refundable and certain animals may require a higher deposit, based on their sales price.
No animal will be held without a deposit.
We will accept a check or PayPal for your deposit, but cash only at time of pick up. (Please bring exact change.)
If paying a deposit via PayPal please use the “Friends and Family” option sent to our personal email account (which we will provide) and be aware that the buyer is responsible for any additional fees that PayPal charges. Usually there’s no charge but it depends on your PayPal account. In the past PayPal charged a fee if paying with a credit card but not if your PayPal account is directly linked to your bank account, but this is subject to change at any time.
Deposits are NON-REFUNDABLE unless otherwise stated.
Checks (for deposits only) can be made out to Prancing Pony Farm or Kimberly Crawmer and be mailed to the address I will provide for you.
We reserve the right to cancel any sale for any reason. If we choose to cancel a sale, we will refund ALL deposit money paid. If the buyer decides to cancel a sale the deposit is forfeited.
We no longer have a waiting list but we do take deposits for goats, puppies and rabbits before they are born. Deposits are the only way to ensure you get the animal you want and are honored first come, first served. We reserve the right to retain any animal born for ourselves. Buyers should make their picks of goats and rabbits when putting down the deposit or at birth. Puppies should be picked by 6 weeks so that the next deposit holders or potential buyers can choose their picks.
If you don’t want to put down a deposit that’s your choice, but absolutely no animal will be reserved without one. Animals sell fast so we highly suggest you put down a deposit. If you choose not to we will tell you when we expect to have what you’re looking for and you can check back with us then. We will also keep our website updated with what’s available or upcoming.
All animals should be picked up by the designated dates/ages listed below. We will generally allow a 72 hour window for you to arrange pick up of your goat but this MUST be pre-arranged. We may be able to board the animal for an additional time while you prepare their new home but this needs to be agreed upon ahead of time.
GOATS:
Goats are not puppies and we do not sell them at 8 weeks like some breeders do as we feel that this isn’t in their best interest. Change is stressful to young goats and stress can cause illness and lower resistance to parasites in all goats so we have found that later weaning helps to get the kids through the critical period by ensuring that they can survive on hay and minerals alone with no need for milk or grain. It also allows time for them to learn proper goat behavior and keeps them healthier and well adjusted. Doe kids will be allowed to leave between 12 & 16 weeks of age, bucks and wethers possibly by 9-10 weeks. Does benefit from extra time on milk and with their dams, especially if they are to be breeding animals. Males mature faster and can often go sooner.
Goats are herd animals and should go to a home with another goat. A dog is not a proper substitute for a goat buddy since dogs are not herd animals and do not interact the way goats do. A horse is better than nothing but another goat is best for the health and happiness of your goat.
All goats will be tattooed and/or microchipped before leaving the farm. All goat kids are disbudded, no exceptions, usually before 2 weeks of age. We do everything in our power to prevent scurs but can’t guarantee the kids won’t have any as Dwarf and Mini goats are particularly hard to disbud properly. Usually any scurs remain small and don’t present a problem.
Wethers will be banded before going to new homes. You don’t need to do anything to the area. It will take a few weeks to a month or so for the process to be complete so if you are purchasing a doe and a wether you may need to separate them for a while or use a buck apron as they can be fertile at a young age, even with the band on and pregnancy in a young doeling can be life threatening.
Goat kids will come with REGISTRATION APPLICATIONS upon pick-up. If you have any issues or questions during the registration process, feel free to contact us. Most goats come with registration paperwork for two registries per breed, except for Nigerian wethers who only come with AGS registration because ADGA doesn’t register wethers. You will need to check each registry’s website for up to date instructions and fees for registering your new goat(s).
Goat kids will be eating alfalfa and grass or cereal hay and loose minerals and will be able to go without milk when they go to new homes. They don’t usually need grain and grain isn’t recommended for wethers or bucks, especially, because of the risk of urinary calculi. We dam raise our kids as much as possible for the health and well being of the goats and do not generally sell bottle babies.
Goats are prey animals and it’s their instinct to be wary of predators, including humans. Goats have innate temperaments, just like humans. Some are naturally extroverted and friendly and some are more introverted and shy, even nervous. This really isn’t related to dam versus bottle raising. (It’s true that bottle kids CAN be friendlier than dam raised kids, but they are usually also pushy, loud, demanding and rude, which is one reason we prefer not to bottle feed!) We handle our kids as much as possible to get them used to humans but some will still be shyer than others and even very friendly kids can become shy in a new environment. Goats don’t like to be chased and trying to force them to befriend you won’t win them over. The best thing to do is to sit quietly near them and allow them to get curious about you. Offering food treats helps. If you have another goat that is friendly it often helps the shy goat to trust you. Goats are very curious and smart so just be patient and in time they will learn to trust you.
ADULT GOATS:
Occasionally we have adult goats for sale. All registration papers will be signed over to the buyer at the time of purchase. We will provide COPIES of (not originals) any test results, health records, pedigrees, DHIA data or other paperwork at the buyer’s request.
If a doe is sold pregnant we cannot guarentee that she will remain pregnant or what the outcome will be. Change is stressful to goats and moving during pregnancy sometimes causes problem. Therefore we don’t charge extra for a pregnant doe. The sales price is based on the doe’s value and any kids are a bonus. ☺️
If a doe is sold in milk we can’t guarentee what her production will be in her new home, nor what her behavior will be like. Again, change is stressful to goats and production could drop because of stress, change of diet or environment, missing their herdmates, etc. Also not all goats take readily to new people right away so this might affect their behavior on the stand. We can and will tell you what the production and behavior of the goat was under our care, and will provide copies of DHIA records if available, but we can’t guarentee your results will be the same, especially at first. The best advice we can give is to take your time, be patient and get to know your new goat but not to expect too much right away. Once she bonds with you and adapts to her new environment and routine things should improve.
RABBITS:
Rabbits will be ready to leave at 8 weeks of age. A small amount of food will be included so that you can transition over to the food of your choice slowly, to avoid digestive upset. If you are purchasing a pedigreed rabbit you will be given a copy of the pedigree. Not all of our rabbits are pedigreed.
Maremma PUPPIES:
Puppies are ready to go at 9 weeks. The best time for obtaining a LGD puppy is 9-12 weeks. Leaving sooner can affect the puppies’ health and socialization and deprive them of valuable training from their parents. (Both parents participate in training the puppies, not just the dam.) Our number one priority is the health and well being of our puppies and their future success in their new families and jobs! This is why we don’t allow puppies to go before 9 weeks. Going between 9 & 12 weeks will allow bonding to their new flock or herd without compromising their early critical period with their parents.
We can hold a Maremma puppy longer for additional training or until you can secure a properly fenced area but this may include an additional fee in some cases.
All Maremma puppies must go to a working home with livestock to guard and must have proper fencing. While Maremmas do love people they are working Livestock Guardian Dogs, not pets or property guard dogs. They are very different in temperament than most dogs and it’s the buyer’s responsibility to research LGD behavior and training in order to help them be successful in their new jobs. Proper fencing is a must. Maremmas are usually respectful of fencing but any LGD will wander if unfenced and this could be hazardous to the dog.
Puppies will have up-to-date puppy vaccinations at time of pick-up. Puppies are dewormed every 2-3 weeks starting at 2 weeks old. All pups will be microchipped and enrolled for life in the Petlink Pet Recovery System.
We feed 4 Health Puppy Formula from Tractor Supply and suggest to feed that to your puppy when you bring it home. If you would like to switch to a different food please do it slowly to avoid digestive upset. We suggest the Dog Food Advisor website for researching the best options in dog food and suggest you go with a 4 or 5 star food if possible.
PICK UP INFO:
(Some suggestions for bringing your new addition home) While we take a check or PayPal for deposits, we do require cash for any balances due at the time of pickup. Please be sure to bring exact change. Also please bring an appropriate carrier, cage, box or other type of restraint for you new animal as we are not able to provide something suitable for every animal.
ADDITIONAL GENERAL SALES POLICY INFO:
If you are unable to arrange pick up of your animal within the time periods stated above (or any other time frame agreed upon at the time of deposit) you may forfeit all monies paid to Prancing Pony Farm and the animal may be relisted for sale, or you may be charged a minimum daily boarding fee of $4. If boarding fees accumulate in excess of a deposit made on an animal, that animal will automatically be re-listed for sale and all deposit monies will be lost. We will try to be as reasonable and fair as possible in all situations so please let us know if you have a problem picking the animal up by the agreed upon date and we will try to accommodate you.
At this time we will NOT ship animals by air. Approved (by us) land transport may be considered. We do not deliver animals at this time as we are too busy at the farm to offer that service.
RETURNS/REFUNDS/REPLACEMENTS:
All animals are healthy and sound to the best of our knowledge. It’s the buyer’s responsibility to thoroughly inspect the animal before purchase. Illnesses and injury are not our responsibility once the animal leaves our farm, nor will we refund an animal due to sickness or death after they leave our farm. However if you take the animal to a veterinarian (at your expense) for a health exam within 48 hours of pick up and they determine that the animal was unsound at pick-up we will replace it with an animal of equal value. Keep in mind we will require that you obtain an exam or testing by a veterinarian (at your cost) to determine an actual diagnosis of the condition. We will need a signed statement from the veterinarian stating unequivocally that the animal was sick when it left our farm. If the vet can’t be sure of the origin of the illness we can’t replace it as it could have contracted an illness after it left the farm and that’s not our responsibility.
If at any time you need to rehome any animal purchased from Prancing Pony Farm due to reasons other than animal illness/defect, please let us know and we may be able to network to find a new home for your animal(s). In the case of our Maremma Sheepdogs we request that you let us know before ever taking the option of sending them to a shelter or rescue as we are willing to take any dogs back here to the farm to rehome them. We cannot purchase a dog back from you but we can try to find it a new home and job as a Livestock Guardian.
We can take a non-refundable deposit on any animal we have for sale. The minimum deposit is $100 per goat, $200 per puppy and $25 per rabbit. We require a full deposit for each animal you are purchasing. All deposits are non-refundable and certain animals may require a higher deposit, based on their sales price.
No animal will be held without a deposit.
We will accept a check or PayPal for your deposit, but cash only at time of pick up. (Please bring exact change.)
If paying a deposit via PayPal please use the “Friends and Family” option sent to our personal email account (which we will provide) and be aware that the buyer is responsible for any additional fees that PayPal charges. Usually there’s no charge but it depends on your PayPal account. In the past PayPal charged a fee if paying with a credit card but not if your PayPal account is directly linked to your bank account, but this is subject to change at any time.
Deposits are NON-REFUNDABLE unless otherwise stated.
Checks (for deposits only) can be made out to Prancing Pony Farm or Kimberly Crawmer and be mailed to the address I will provide for you.
We reserve the right to cancel any sale for any reason. If we choose to cancel a sale, we will refund ALL deposit money paid. If the buyer decides to cancel a sale the deposit is forfeited.
We no longer have a waiting list but we do take deposits for goats, puppies and rabbits before they are born. Deposits are the only way to ensure you get the animal you want and are honored first come, first served. We reserve the right to retain any animal born for ourselves. Buyers should make their picks of goats and rabbits when putting down the deposit or at birth. Puppies should be picked by 6 weeks so that the next deposit holders or potential buyers can choose their picks.
If you don’t want to put down a deposit that’s your choice, but absolutely no animal will be reserved without one. Animals sell fast so we highly suggest you put down a deposit. If you choose not to we will tell you when we expect to have what you’re looking for and you can check back with us then. We will also keep our website updated with what’s available or upcoming.
All animals should be picked up by the designated dates/ages listed below. We will generally allow a 72 hour window for you to arrange pick up of your goat but this MUST be pre-arranged. We may be able to board the animal for an additional time while you prepare their new home but this needs to be agreed upon ahead of time.
GOATS:
Goats are not puppies and we do not sell them at 8 weeks like some breeders do as we feel that this isn’t in their best interest. Change is stressful to young goats and stress can cause illness and lower resistance to parasites in all goats so we have found that later weaning helps to get the kids through the critical period by ensuring that they can survive on hay and minerals alone with no need for milk or grain. It also allows time for them to learn proper goat behavior and keeps them healthier and well adjusted. Doe kids will be allowed to leave between 12 & 16 weeks of age, bucks and wethers possibly by 9-10 weeks. Does benefit from extra time on milk and with their dams, especially if they are to be breeding animals. Males mature faster and can often go sooner.
Goats are herd animals and should go to a home with another goat. A dog is not a proper substitute for a goat buddy since dogs are not herd animals and do not interact the way goats do. A horse is better than nothing but another goat is best for the health and happiness of your goat.
All goats will be tattooed and/or microchipped before leaving the farm. All goat kids are disbudded, no exceptions, usually before 2 weeks of age. We do everything in our power to prevent scurs but can’t guarantee the kids won’t have any as Dwarf and Mini goats are particularly hard to disbud properly. Usually any scurs remain small and don’t present a problem.
Wethers will be banded before going to new homes. You don’t need to do anything to the area. It will take a few weeks to a month or so for the process to be complete so if you are purchasing a doe and a wether you may need to separate them for a while or use a buck apron as they can be fertile at a young age, even with the band on and pregnancy in a young doeling can be life threatening.
Goat kids will come with REGISTRATION APPLICATIONS upon pick-up. If you have any issues or questions during the registration process, feel free to contact us. Most goats come with registration paperwork for two registries per breed, except for Nigerian wethers who only come with AGS registration because ADGA doesn’t register wethers. You will need to check each registry’s website for up to date instructions and fees for registering your new goat(s).
Goat kids will be eating alfalfa and grass or cereal hay and loose minerals and will be able to go without milk when they go to new homes. They don’t usually need grain and grain isn’t recommended for wethers or bucks, especially, because of the risk of urinary calculi. We dam raise our kids as much as possible for the health and well being of the goats and do not generally sell bottle babies.
Goats are prey animals and it’s their instinct to be wary of predators, including humans. Goats have innate temperaments, just like humans. Some are naturally extroverted and friendly and some are more introverted and shy, even nervous. This really isn’t related to dam versus bottle raising. (It’s true that bottle kids CAN be friendlier than dam raised kids, but they are usually also pushy, loud, demanding and rude, which is one reason we prefer not to bottle feed!) We handle our kids as much as possible to get them used to humans but some will still be shyer than others and even very friendly kids can become shy in a new environment. Goats don’t like to be chased and trying to force them to befriend you won’t win them over. The best thing to do is to sit quietly near them and allow them to get curious about you. Offering food treats helps. If you have another goat that is friendly it often helps the shy goat to trust you. Goats are very curious and smart so just be patient and in time they will learn to trust you.
ADULT GOATS:
Occasionally we have adult goats for sale. All registration papers will be signed over to the buyer at the time of purchase. We will provide COPIES of (not originals) any test results, health records, pedigrees, DHIA data or other paperwork at the buyer’s request.
If a doe is sold pregnant we cannot guarentee that she will remain pregnant or what the outcome will be. Change is stressful to goats and moving during pregnancy sometimes causes problem. Therefore we don’t charge extra for a pregnant doe. The sales price is based on the doe’s value and any kids are a bonus. ☺️
If a doe is sold in milk we can’t guarentee what her production will be in her new home, nor what her behavior will be like. Again, change is stressful to goats and production could drop because of stress, change of diet or environment, missing their herdmates, etc. Also not all goats take readily to new people right away so this might affect their behavior on the stand. We can and will tell you what the production and behavior of the goat was under our care, and will provide copies of DHIA records if available, but we can’t guarentee your results will be the same, especially at first. The best advice we can give is to take your time, be patient and get to know your new goat but not to expect too much right away. Once she bonds with you and adapts to her new environment and routine things should improve.
RABBITS:
Rabbits will be ready to leave at 8 weeks of age. A small amount of food will be included so that you can transition over to the food of your choice slowly, to avoid digestive upset. If you are purchasing a pedigreed rabbit you will be given a copy of the pedigree. Not all of our rabbits are pedigreed.
Maremma PUPPIES:
Puppies are ready to go at 9 weeks. The best time for obtaining a LGD puppy is 9-12 weeks. Leaving sooner can affect the puppies’ health and socialization and deprive them of valuable training from their parents. (Both parents participate in training the puppies, not just the dam.) Our number one priority is the health and well being of our puppies and their future success in their new families and jobs! This is why we don’t allow puppies to go before 9 weeks. Going between 9 & 12 weeks will allow bonding to their new flock or herd without compromising their early critical period with their parents.
We can hold a Maremma puppy longer for additional training or until you can secure a properly fenced area but this may include an additional fee in some cases.
All Maremma puppies must go to a working home with livestock to guard and must have proper fencing. While Maremmas do love people they are working Livestock Guardian Dogs, not pets or property guard dogs. They are very different in temperament than most dogs and it’s the buyer’s responsibility to research LGD behavior and training in order to help them be successful in their new jobs. Proper fencing is a must. Maremmas are usually respectful of fencing but any LGD will wander if unfenced and this could be hazardous to the dog.
Puppies will have up-to-date puppy vaccinations at time of pick-up. Puppies are dewormed every 2-3 weeks starting at 2 weeks old. All pups will be microchipped and enrolled for life in the Petlink Pet Recovery System.
We feed 4 Health Puppy Formula from Tractor Supply and suggest to feed that to your puppy when you bring it home. If you would like to switch to a different food please do it slowly to avoid digestive upset. We suggest the Dog Food Advisor website for researching the best options in dog food and suggest you go with a 4 or 5 star food if possible.
PICK UP INFO:
(Some suggestions for bringing your new addition home) While we take a check or PayPal for deposits, we do require cash for any balances due at the time of pickup. Please be sure to bring exact change. Also please bring an appropriate carrier, cage, box or other type of restraint for you new animal as we are not able to provide something suitable for every animal.
- Puppies can be held, but we recommend that you have a crate if at all possible to avoid accidents. The safest place for your puppy is in a dog crate INSIDE your vehicle, not in the back of a pickup or even your lap. ☺️ Car rides are a totally new experience for your puppy and it would not be uncommon for him or her to vomit or urinate during the trip so we suggest bringing towels. If you have a long way to travel home a leash and a collar are also recommended as they are not trained to the "come" on command yet and you may decide to stop off for a pit-stop with you new puppy. (Note: not all dogs who visit a rest stop dog walk area are healthy or vaccinated so use caution when taking your puppy out in areas heavily frequented by other dogs until they are fully vaccinated. We suggest once you get your puppy home that you do not take him out around other dogs or in public places until he’s had his full series of vaccinations. There can be “gaps” in the coverage of the vaccines until the series is complete so keeping the puppy isolated is the safest way to keep him healthy.)
- Rabbits do best in a small pet crate or cardboard box.
- Miniature Dairy goats do best in a dog crate, large for adults and medium to large for kids. Again, inside the closed vehicle is safer than in the back of a pickup. Goats can also be transported in a horse trailer but this is usually overkill for Mini goats. ☺️ We do recommend that you add hay to whatever they will be traveling in to give them stable footing and something to nibble on to calm them, as well as to soak up any urine. Closed airline style crates are usually better than wire cages for retaining accidents! Trust us on this one! 😂
ADDITIONAL GENERAL SALES POLICY INFO:
If you are unable to arrange pick up of your animal within the time periods stated above (or any other time frame agreed upon at the time of deposit) you may forfeit all monies paid to Prancing Pony Farm and the animal may be relisted for sale, or you may be charged a minimum daily boarding fee of $4. If boarding fees accumulate in excess of a deposit made on an animal, that animal will automatically be re-listed for sale and all deposit monies will be lost. We will try to be as reasonable and fair as possible in all situations so please let us know if you have a problem picking the animal up by the agreed upon date and we will try to accommodate you.
At this time we will NOT ship animals by air. Approved (by us) land transport may be considered. We do not deliver animals at this time as we are too busy at the farm to offer that service.
RETURNS/REFUNDS/REPLACEMENTS:
All animals are healthy and sound to the best of our knowledge. It’s the buyer’s responsibility to thoroughly inspect the animal before purchase. Illnesses and injury are not our responsibility once the animal leaves our farm, nor will we refund an animal due to sickness or death after they leave our farm. However if you take the animal to a veterinarian (at your expense) for a health exam within 48 hours of pick up and they determine that the animal was unsound at pick-up we will replace it with an animal of equal value. Keep in mind we will require that you obtain an exam or testing by a veterinarian (at your cost) to determine an actual diagnosis of the condition. We will need a signed statement from the veterinarian stating unequivocally that the animal was sick when it left our farm. If the vet can’t be sure of the origin of the illness we can’t replace it as it could have contracted an illness after it left the farm and that’s not our responsibility.
If at any time you need to rehome any animal purchased from Prancing Pony Farm due to reasons other than animal illness/defect, please let us know and we may be able to network to find a new home for your animal(s). In the case of our Maremma Sheepdogs we request that you let us know before ever taking the option of sending them to a shelter or rescue as we are willing to take any dogs back here to the farm to rehome them. We cannot purchase a dog back from you but we can try to find it a new home and job as a Livestock Guardian.