American Dairy Goat Association

The American Dairy Goat Association (ADGA) is a United States nonprofit organization focused on the development and promotion of dairy goats and goat dairying. Its work combines breed administration, animal identification, herd-book management, milk-production recordkeeping, member services, and public education. Rather than functioning as a consumer dairy brand, ADGA serves as an industry and registry institution for breeders, owners, exhibitors, and other participants in the dairy-goat sector. The organization traces its origins to 1904, when it was organized as the American Milch Goat Record Association. Its first herd book was published in 1914, establishing a documentary foundation for tracking pedigrees and registered animals. During the early twentieth century, the association continued compiling and publishing information on registered goats, including a substantial compilation issued in 1921 that covered volumes 11 through 23 of the American Milch Goat Record. Corporate records also identify the creation of a nonprofit corporation under the name American Milk Goat Record Association on January 15, 1944. In 1965, the board approved the change to the present name, American Dairy Goat Association. ADGA’s central institutional function is maintaining official breed records. It issues certificates of registration and recordation, maintains herd books, and preserves production records for recognized dairy-goat breeds. The association distinguishes between purebred animals and American-bred animals. Purebred registration generally requires a sire and dam of the same breed that meet the relevant breed standard. American animals must descend from the same breed for a specified number of generations, with different requirements for does and bucks. The registry also provides Recorded Grade and Experimental Herd categories for certain crosses and developing breeding programs. The association currently recognizes eight dairy-goat breeds: seven standard-size breeds—Alpine, LaMancha, Nubian, Oberhasli, Saanen, Sable, and Toggenburg—and one miniature breed, the Nigerian Dwarf. LaMancha and Sable have open herd books, allowing eligible grade animals to be advanced toward purebred status through approved breeding. Nigerian Dwarf registration is limited to its purebred herd book, and crosses involving Nigerian Dwarf goats and standard-size or other breeds are not entered in ADGA herd books. The association also excludes several non-dairy or unrelated goat types and certain historical breeds from current registration eligibility. ADGA’s services support both genetic improvement and commercial or small-scale goat dairying. By preserving pedigrees and milk-production information, it helps breeders evaluate animals and make selection decisions. Certificates and herd books provide formal evidence of identity and ancestry, while published information and association activities help circulate knowledge about goats, goat milk, breeding, and herd management. The organization’s principal operation is in Columbia, Missouri, while its headquarters are in Spindale, North Carolina. The association also has a historical-preservation role. Many of its older records, covering material from 1914 through the 1950s and some later records extending to approximately 2000, deteriorated because of age and mold. ADGA transferred these materials to the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Library Dairy Science Collection for preservation. This transfer made historically important registry and production documentation available as part of a broader agricultural archive. As of 2015, ADGA reported more than 15,000 regular members, indicating a substantial national membership base among dairy-goat owners and breeders.

The American Dairy Goat Association began in 1904 under the name American Milch Goat Record Association. Its original purpose was to create an organized system for documenting dairy goats, their ancestry, and their development as productive animals. The association published its first herd book in 1914. Herd books were important to breeders because they provided a recognized record of animal identity and descent at a time when dairy-goat breeding programs were becoming more structured. The organization continued to compile registry information during the following decades. In 1921 it published volumes 11 through 23 of the American Milch Goat Record, a broad compilation containing information on registered animals. These records formed part of the documentary infrastructure through which breeders could track bloodlines and compare animals within recognized dairy-goat breeds. A nonprofit corporation was created under the name American Milk Goat Record Association on January 15, 1944, according to records cited from the Missouri Secretary of State. The organization’s legal and operating history therefore includes both its early association origins and a later corporate structure. On July 22, 1965, the board accepted a proposal to change the name to American Dairy Goat Association. The new name more directly reflected the organization’s role in supporting dairy goats, goat milk, breed improvement, and the broader goat-dairying industry. Over time, ADGA expanded beyond the maintenance of pedigree books. Its functions came to include issuing registration and recordation certificates, maintaining production records, disseminating information about goats and goat milk, supporting breed standards, and providing publicity and services to the dairy-goat community. The registry developed separate systems for purebred herds and American-breed herds. It also created record categories for certain crosses and experimental breeding programs, allowing the organization to document animals that did not fit the requirements of a conventional purebred herd book. The modern registry recognizes eight breeds: Alpine, LaMancha, Nubian, Oberhasli, Saanen, Sable, Toggenburg, and Nigerian Dwarf. The first seven are standard-size breeds, while Nigerian Dwarf is classified as a miniature dairy breed. LaMancha and Sable have open herd books, which permit eligible grade animals to advance through breeding toward established purebred requirements. Nigerian Dwarf registration is more restrictive and is confined to its purebred herd book. ADGA does not record Nigerian Dwarf crosses with standard-size or other goat breeds, and it excludes several non-dairy goat types from its registry. The association’s records also document changes in the North American dairy-goat population. Several breeds once recorded by ADGA, including British Alpine, Calcutta Llama, Indian, Maltese, Murcien or Murciene, Norska and other Norwegian breeds, Rock Alpine, Rome, Royal Murciana, and Schwartzenberg-Guggisberger goats, are no longer available through the current North American registry. Their appearance in historical records illustrates the changing composition of dairy-goat breeding in the region. Preservation of the association’s documentary heritage became an important issue when older materials were damaged by age and mold. ADGA transferred historical records to the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Library Dairy Science Collection. The transferred material covers records from 1914 through the 1950s, with some documents dating as late as 2000. The collection preserves evidence of the organization’s registry activity and the development of dairy-goat breeding in the United States. ADGA operates principally in Columbia, Missouri, and maintains headquarters in Spindale, North Carolina. By 2015, its membership exceeded 15,000 regular members. Its continuing role is to provide a national framework for identifying dairy goats, documenting pedigrees and performance, supporting recognized breeds, and circulating practical and technical information for the dairy-goat industry.

1. 2015Membership exceeded 15,000 regular members

   The association was reported to have more than 15,000 regular members in the United States.

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2. 1965Present name adopted

   On July 22, the board accepted a proposal to rename the organization American Dairy Goat Association.

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3. 1944Nonprofit corporation created under a successor name

   A nonprofit corporation was created on January 15 under the name American Milk Goat Record Association, according to Missouri corporate records.

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4. 1921Major compilation of registered-animal records issued

   Volumes 11 through 23 of the American Milch Goat Record were published as a comprehensive compilation of registered-animal information.

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5. 1914First herd book published

   ADGA’s predecessor published its first herd book, creating an early formal record of registered dairy goats and their pedigrees.

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6. 1904Organization founded as the American Milch Goat Record Association

   The association was organized under its original name to support dairy-goat records, breeding documentation, and development.

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A national nonprofit registry and service organization for dairy-goat breeders, owners, and the wider goat-dairying industry. ADGA is positioned around authoritative pedigree documentation, breed development, milk-production records, education, and preservation of dairy-goat information rather than around consumer packaged goods.

• ADGA breed registrationRegistry service

  ADGA registers eligible dairy goats and issues certificates documenting identity, ancestry, and registry status. Its framework distinguishes purebred animals from American-bred animals and provides separate herd-book structures for recognized breeds. Registration gives breeders a formal record that can support breeding decisions, herd management, sales documentation, and participation in organized dairy-goat activities.

• Herd booksBreed documentation1914

  The association maintains official herd books for its recognized dairy-goat breeds. These books preserve pedigrees and identify animals meeting the applicable requirements for purebred or American-breed status. ADGA also maintains specialized record categories for certain recorded-grade and experimental breeding programs.

• Milk-production recordsPerformance recording

  ADGA maintains production records for dairy goats, giving breeders and owners information relevant to milk-producing performance. These records complement pedigree documentation and support selection, herd improvement, and evaluation of dairy-goat breeding programs.

• Educational and industry servicesMember and industry support

  The organization circulates information about goats and goat milk, promotes dairy-goat breeds, and provides publicity and services for goat dairying. Its educational role connects registry work with practical knowledge for breeders, owners, and others involved in the dairy-goat industry.

1. American Dairy Goat Association
2. American Dairy Goat Association official website