I want to begin by saying, I am writing this blog to help others that may be new in their venture of raising registered dairy goats. We have been working hard to create the best herd for our needs of dairy production and would like to share what we've learned and experienced. The quest of finding and purchasing from a reputable source can be a piece of cake or a total nightmare. We have experienced both. Although still very new to the world of dairy goats, not goats in general, or breeding livestock, things become more "serious" when you begin breeding with certain goals in mind, also trying to do it correctly. There are folks out there who will claim to know it all, and let me just say this, I am not one of those. I am not a lecturer, not a professional, and will tell you I know nothing in comparison to the people who have been doing this for decades. Even those people will tell you the same if they're honest. Animals have a tendency to humble you. When you think you know something, they will bring you down to earth to teach you a lesson! Every day is a learning experience. With every good or bad experience you gain more knowledge. The thing is, experiences differ greatly from one person to the other. Varying factors like environment, climate, genetics, soil etc. affect desired results. What you experience may be so far removed from another, so we must navigate the livestock world with a very open mind, withholding judgement. More often than not, things will happen that are completely out of our control. You need to know that before you spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on livestock. 

First, I want to quote a book im reading:
"When you enter into goatkeeping you do not buy just a goat - you buy an animal to produce milk and butterfat. The object of goatkeeping, therefore, is to handle the dairy goat so that she will produce milk efficiently and profitably. The goat owner who keeps his eyes on this point is not liable to be far misled by fads and fancies or misinformation of any kind."  -Corl A. Leach

There are many fantastic goats out there of all breeds that can fulfill the objective of producing milk, whether it be for your family homestead, or small business. When we started out, we had "Grades",  which in the Dairy Goat world is another way to describe a goat that has no pedigree or record behind them. In the Boer goat and Sheep world they use the word "Commercial", which sometimes can be misrepresented as meaning an animal that came from a sale barn. Grades can be just as productive as a purebred, and I know that may be a controversial statement to make, but it has been true in my experience. The difference is that they have no record, therefore keeping record of their progeny is a bit more complicated, as it will require you to become creative if you dont want to spend money on software or other record keeping tools. Our Grades were of very good quality, so much that we kept two when we transitioned to a registered herd. I had them recorded with ADGA, Native On Appearance and even had one Linear Appraised and milk tested this last season. They're both really great girls and some of our all time favorite milkers. It takes generations of up-breeding to Pure Bred bucks to achieve an American line in a herd book from being just recorded grades. It can be done! I need to add, I was very particular with what I wanted and selected healthy stock with decent conformation. They dont have extreme flaws, are visually appealing in their overall general appearance, free and clear of diseases, produce a respectable amount of milk and nice looking kids that are usually first to be sold.

Ask yourself this question when getting into raising dairy goats. Do you care about the value differences between purebred and grades? Really mull that over as it will make a significant difference in price point. Be aware that you will not get the benefits that come with a purebred animal and registry tools. Do not expect to get much for kids produced from those animals either. 

When searching for a reputable breeder there are some red flags that you do not want to dismiss. 

We dont want to discriminate against novice or inexperienced folks. There are breeders with great animals and an eye for making good breeding decisions who haven't been doing this for twenty plus years, and who may not have a known herd name. They may have a bloodline as their foundation that you may be seeking specifically. You may be able to acquire that bloodline for a fraction of the price, granted that the animals are soundly bred. Consider the novice person. Beware of a novice person who markets themselves as having exclusivity in any bloodline or type. I have learned a valuable lesson in my own journey, if you're seeking a specific bloodline, trust that you will find it! There are breeders who do not market their goats by bloodlines or pedigrees but by their own merits and strengths. You may have to dig a little deeper if you are looking for specifics, but they exist, they're out there, therefore do not be fooled by marketing strategies that claim exclusivity. 
Since participating in Performance Programs with the American Dairy Goat Association I have learned that the price tag you pay when purchasing an animal directly from a breeder who takes their breeding program to that level is completely justifiable. The amount of work put in to those performance numbers your herd then inherits is strenuous. It is years of work and commitment for that herd to achieve. Those breeders have also put their ego's aside, opened their herds to be objectively criticised wether the results were favorable or not. The objective is to make sure their breeding program is improving and their animals continue to live up to their reputation. Someone who speaks against the core value and intentions of these programs is a red flag. Albeit human error or bias, there is no conspiracy that these programs are aimed to benefit one "type" over another. The programs are tools to help breeders gauge the direction in which they want their breeding program to go, or if they need to bring in new genetics, focus on improving certain areas. Anyone that is vehemetly against any form of productive criticism has a fundamental misunderstanding of breeding livestock.

Ask yourself these questions when speaking to a breeder that you potentionally want to purchase from:

• Does the breeder require things out of your reach to purchase livestock with them?
• Do you have to agree to a buy back or return policy without a contract?
  • This is a vague request and can be manipulated against you if the "breeder" one day decides they no longer like you or begin to deem you as competition. 
  • Without a written and signed contract you have no obligation to return or sell back an animal to its breeder. 
• Do they claim to have the best with no official awards to their animals?
  • While purchasing animals from proven bloodlines is the best avenue, one must still prove those animals when they become a part of your breeding program. The breeding decisions you make with those animals are no longer a reflection of their original breeder or bloodline. The resulting offspring are products of your herd and program! 
• Do they claim to be the only breeder in their region to have or breed a certain bloodline or pedigree?
  • This is a huge mistake I made. Do not believe this marketing strategy. Large and well known performance oriented herds produce a plethora of animals that are out there and can be found. Be patient if you're looking for specifics within your price range. 
• Do they bad mouth or criticise others publicly?
  • Greed and competitiveness can be mistaken for passion. Learn to discern the difference!
• Do they have a reputable relationship with local clients and would those clients recommend them?
  • What does the local community have to say about the breeders reputation? There is always going to be an unhappy customer, but is it more often than not?
• Do they emphasize on pricing and value based on merits from the bloodline and not the individual animals quality or production capabilities?
  • We all want to boast about the merits the animals in our pedigrees have achieved which is completely acceptable. At some point though we need to be able to show that those genetics are being expressed in it's descendants. It does not have to be with Performance Programs specifically, but consistent barn records and photos are better than nothing. 
• Do they have a basic understanding of genetics and will they share what genetic flaws they have seen in their breeding program? Do they cull honestly or try to sell every single animal that is produced in their breeding program?
  • Be cautios of breeders who do not want to acknowledge that not all animals produced are of high quality. Anyone who breeds any species of animal and is honest will admit that there are culls. Sometimes exceeding the number of keepers produced in a breeding season! There are few breeders out there that are the exception to this. They've honed in their bloodline and know all the faults and strengths they posess. 
• Do they take accountability or victimize themselves when confronted with their own bad business dealings or decisions?
  • Someone who does not take accountability for their erroneous behavior should raise a red flag. People make mistakes, most often than not its unintentional. If they display a pattern of conflict and discourse, intentional and calculated, avoid them at all costs. No matter how special or different the situation may feel, you will end up on the receiving end of that conflict and discourse some day.
• Do they use the animals for their intended purpose, or are they just breeding and marketing for sales?
  • This is a hard lesson and goes back to proving stock. Ask for exact amounts or pictures of production. It is very easy to get a scale, or even use Mason jars to guage amounts of production. I will never purchase a doe again from a place that does not actually have a milking routine! 

Breeding livestock is not as cut and dry as some will try to make it out to be. There is a lot to consider, and while yes you can breed without getting into the areas of performance programs, a solid foundation is extremely important. If you purchase an animal from a person who does not know the fundamentals or goes against them, then you are most likely going to start on the wrong foot. There is a lot that can go wrong when you get a poorly bred animal, with no guarantee as to how that animal will be when it reaches full maturity. Your best bet is to purchase from someone who is either using the tools provided by Breed Clubs or Associations, receiving some form of objective criticism, who may just have breeding sense and at least some record to prove it.
Save yourself from ultimately spending more money than you should have in the first place and do your research. Get references, read books, attend a local livestock show, ask questions! There is a ton of reading material online with pictures, videos and podcasts. Dont get caught up in echo chambers, keep an open mind and do not let yourself be fooled by marketing strategies, fads, talking heads with no substance and actual experience. Most experienced breeders out there have no problem giving advice and steering you in the right direction without expectations of gaining a sale. Be aware that the livestock world can be fueled by passion or greed. Also, bare in mind that there is no such thing as a "this" or "that" goat. The standards and origins for each breed have not changed.

Good luck on your journey to finding your perfect dairy goat. Remember that perfection does not exist, and beauty is in the eye of the beholder.