 Dot at age 11 |  Adam's Funny Farm PGCH Amberlea |
You have done your research, prepped your farm and combed the internet for the cutest goats to fill your barn. Now what? How do you determine who to buy from? There are so many breeders to choose from and when you are starting out it is all so overwhelming. When we ventured into goats in the early 2000’s Nigerian Dwarf Dairy goats were few and far between. Nothing like today. Now they are the number one registered dairy goat in the United States. Finding a breeder was tough. Finding a good reputable breeder to mentor us was even tougher. Let’s just say we didn’t choose wisely. We did what was typical. We fell in love with the first goats we saw. We did do one thing right and that was we only got 3, one for each of us. I got a bred 4-year-old named Bitsy. Emilie got a 6-month-old that had a big brown circle on her side. She named her Dot. Addie fell for the blue eyed 4-month-old and named her Lillie Belle.
Now knowing so much more, I realize we could have done a lot worse starting our herd. They were all healthy and well cared for. They were supposed to be registered but they weren’t. Nor were they tattooed. They did come with an application of registration for American Goat Society and Nigerian Dairy Goat Association. We had a few glitches getting them registered with some information missing, but after a year we had them tattooed and registered and ready to hit the show ring.
We eagerly went to our first show and promptly took 8th and 9th out of 10 junior yearlings. The 10th place had a wound she received on the way to the show. We would have been last. Emilie and Addie didn’t care they had a ribbon and that was exciting. Thankfully, the wonderful lady penned next to us took me aside and asked if we intended to keep showing. I informed her that we did plan on continuing and she politely told us that we might look into getting show quality animals. Yes, Dot and Lillie Belle were that bad, but we loved them.
While at the show we met our mentors Dotty and Doug Clark. They helped the girls and I navigate the show world and helped the girls find two new show goats. Apache Valley Chocolate Chip and Adam’s Funny Farm Amberlea became our foundation does. Dot became a beloved pet and Lillie was rehomed as a family milker. Bitsy and her kids went to a therapeutic camp for children. After a rocky start we were ready to begin again.
I share this story so that you can avoid some of the mistakes we made. Things have changed in the last 20+ years so there is no excuse not to find a reputable breeder near you. Before you go looking, take some time and look at what your goals are. Do you want just pets, or do you want to breed for future milking? How about showing? Registered or non-registered? These are all questions that I ask people when they come to me to get started building a herd.
Once you have your goals for your herd you can start looking for breeders near you. I suggest that you find a herd that does disease testing and is able to show you the results not just tell you. Most herds test for CAE and Johnes. Some also do CL and Brucellosis. If they don’t test keep looking. Ask if you can visit the farm. A red flag would be if they don’t let you visit and see the animals. Some breeders prefer you to not come in the barn or pasture area for biosecurity reasons and that is fine and should be respected. If you are not welcomed there to see your potential animal, or its home, it could be a scam or a place you don’t want to purchase from.
Find breeders that meet your goals. Most of us have a little something for everyone. If you are buying registered stock make sure you have registration papers or an application of registration before you leave. Look at breeders that are truthful. If every animal they own and bred are “Stellar, Amazing and Outstanding” they might just want to make a quick sale to someone that doesn’t know better. Beware of websites and Facebook pages that go on and on about how wonderful they are as breeders too. Listing your animals wins and accomplishments is important, but there is a lot more to it.
Don’t be in a rush. You will find the right breeder or breeders for you to start your herd. I am guessing they will become lifelong mentors and friends. I know for us we have met wonderful people in the dairy goat world. They have affectionately become known as my goat family. It is a wonderful community of love, prayer and support that make my life so full. I hope you find the same in your journey into goats.
Now knowing so much more, I realize we could have done a lot worse starting our herd. They were all healthy and well cared for. They were supposed to be registered but they weren’t. Nor were they tattooed. They did come with an application of registration for American Goat Society and Nigerian Dairy Goat Association. We had a few glitches getting them registered with some information missing, but after a year we had them tattooed and registered and ready to hit the show ring.
We eagerly went to our first show and promptly took 8th and 9th out of 10 junior yearlings. The 10th place had a wound she received on the way to the show. We would have been last. Emilie and Addie didn’t care they had a ribbon and that was exciting. Thankfully, the wonderful lady penned next to us took me aside and asked if we intended to keep showing. I informed her that we did plan on continuing and she politely told us that we might look into getting show quality animals. Yes, Dot and Lillie Belle were that bad, but we loved them.
While at the show we met our mentors Dotty and Doug Clark. They helped the girls and I navigate the show world and helped the girls find two new show goats. Apache Valley Chocolate Chip and Adam’s Funny Farm Amberlea became our foundation does. Dot became a beloved pet and Lillie was rehomed as a family milker. Bitsy and her kids went to a therapeutic camp for children. After a rocky start we were ready to begin again.
I share this story so that you can avoid some of the mistakes we made. Things have changed in the last 20+ years so there is no excuse not to find a reputable breeder near you. Before you go looking, take some time and look at what your goals are. Do you want just pets, or do you want to breed for future milking? How about showing? Registered or non-registered? These are all questions that I ask people when they come to me to get started building a herd.
Once you have your goals for your herd you can start looking for breeders near you. I suggest that you find a herd that does disease testing and is able to show you the results not just tell you. Most herds test for CAE and Johnes. Some also do CL and Brucellosis. If they don’t test keep looking. Ask if you can visit the farm. A red flag would be if they don’t let you visit and see the animals. Some breeders prefer you to not come in the barn or pasture area for biosecurity reasons and that is fine and should be respected. If you are not welcomed there to see your potential animal, or its home, it could be a scam or a place you don’t want to purchase from.
Find breeders that meet your goals. Most of us have a little something for everyone. If you are buying registered stock make sure you have registration papers or an application of registration before you leave. Look at breeders that are truthful. If every animal they own and bred are “Stellar, Amazing and Outstanding” they might just want to make a quick sale to someone that doesn’t know better. Beware of websites and Facebook pages that go on and on about how wonderful they are as breeders too. Listing your animals wins and accomplishments is important, but there is a lot more to it.
Don’t be in a rush. You will find the right breeder or breeders for you to start your herd. I am guessing they will become lifelong mentors and friends. I know for us we have met wonderful people in the dairy goat world. They have affectionately become known as my goat family. It is a wonderful community of love, prayer and support that make my life so full. I hope you find the same in your journey into goats.
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