The Four Clause Types You Will See
Most goat-kid contracts use some combination of four clause types. Knowing which one you are reading is the first step to understanding what you actually have.
- Live-kid / first-48-hours clause. Covers failure-to-thrive and acute illness in the first 48 to 72 hours after pickup, usually requiring a vet check and notification within a stated window. Remedy is typically a replacement kid from a future kidding or a refund. This is the most common clause and the easiest to enforce.
- Disqualifying-defect clause. Covers conformation defects that would disqualify the kid from registration or from the intended use (dairy, show, breeding), confirmed within 6 to 12 months. The defect list is usually breed-specific and references the breed registry's standards.
- Hereditary-condition clause. Covers a named list of breed-specific hereditary conditions for 1 to 2 years, requiring diagnosis by a board-certified specialist or a named diagnostic lab. The list is short for goats compared to dogs, the goat genetics literature simply has fewer named hereditary conditions with verified mode of inheritance.
- Herd-disease-status assurance. Attests that the herd is CAE-negative, CL-negative, and Johne's-negative as of a stated lab-test date. This is not a clause about the kid, it is an attestation about the herd. The buyer's remedy if the assurance is false is usually a refund plus the diagnostic costs, but the contract has to say that.
Disease-Status Testing: The Part Buyers Underweight
CAE, CL, and Johne's are the three diseases serious US goat herds test for. Each one has implications a buyer should understand before signing.
CAE (Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis) is a lifelong retroviral disease that affects joints, the udder, and (in kids) the central nervous system. It is transmitted dam-to-kid primarily through colostrum and milk. CAE-negative herds typically pull kids at birth and feed heat-treated colostrum and pasteurized milk to break transmission, the contract should state which colostrum protocol was used.
CL (Caseous Lymphadenitis) is a bacterial disease that causes abscesses, primarily in lymph nodes. CL-negative herd status is harder to verify than CAE because abscesses can be present internally without external signs. A serious breeder will have a documented CL-monitoring program in addition to a single test result.
Johne's disease is a chronic wasting disease that takes years to manifest. A negative herd test is meaningful but not absolute, the disease has a long latent period. Serious herds run Johne's testing on a multi-year cycle and disclose any positive history honestly.
Scrapie Compliance: Not Optional, Not Negotiable
The US Scrapie Eradication Program requires any goat moving across premises to be officially identified, typically by tattoo carrying the seller's scrapie premises ID. The seller's premises ID is not a private number, it is a regulatory identifier, and it has to accompany the animal's paperwork.
Any contract that does not include the seller's premises ID, the kid's tattoo placement (right ear, left ear, or tail web), and the tattoo characters as recorded is incomplete. If the seller cannot produce the premises ID, that is a meaningful warning sign, it usually means the seller is operating outside the scrapie program, and the buyer may struggle to register, sell, or move the kid later.
CVI (Certificate of Veterinary Inspection) is also required for most cross-state-line movement. The vet-issued certificate should be in the buyer's hands at pickup, not promised for later.
Dam-Raised vs Bottle-Raised: Why the Contract Should Say
Dam-raised and bottle-raised (heat-treated colostrum + pasteurized milk, or milk replacer) are different rearing decisions with different downstream implications. Dam-raised kids generally have stronger early-life resilience and easier socialization; bottle-raised kids are essential in CAE-prevention programs but require disciplined feeding cadence.
The contract should state which approach the kid was raised with, what colostrum protocol was used, and what the disbudding and tattoo timing was. These are factual records that a serious breeder can produce from their kidding log.
Questions to Ask Before You Sign
- •What is the herd's most recent CAE, CL, and Johne's test date, what lab ran it, and can I see the certificate?
- •What is the scrapie premises ID, and what is the kid's tattoo placement and tattoo characters?
- •Was the kid dam-raised or bottle-raised, and what colostrum protocol was used?
- •Will you provide a CVI at pickup, or do I need to arrange one?
- •What is the herd's parasite-program protocol, FAMACHA cadence, FEC frequency, FECRT date?
- •What CDT vaccination schedule was used, and what is the schedule going forward?
- •For dairy goats: what are the dam's Linear Appraisal score and best 305-day production, and can you point me to the public listing surface where I can verify?
A serious breeder will answer all of these without hesitation, in writing if asked. A seller who cannot, or who treats the questions as an imposition, is telling you something useful.
Where BreederHQ Fits for Goat Buyers
BreederHQ's public marketplace surfaces the structured data behind a goat-kid sale: scrapie premises ID, tattoo placement, herd-health passport (CAE, CL, Johne's status with dates), parasite-program rollup, and, for dairy does, Linear Appraisal and production records. Buyers see the breeder's attestations in one place, with deep links to public registries where applicable.
For breeders building these records, see Goat Herd-Health Software and Dairy Goat Record-Keeping Software. For the goat product surface, see /goats.
This article is informational, not legal advice. Goat purchase contracts are governed by state contract law and, where applicable, state pet-purchaser-protection statutes, most of which do not extend to livestock. Consult a local attorney for legal questions about a specific contract.