The American Dairy Goat Association or ADGA is a United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 not-for-profit corporation dedicated to dairy goats. Its purpose is to promote the dairy goat industry, by providing and circulating sound information about goats and goats' milk

Milk

Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...

; maintaining and publishing herd books and production records of milk goats; and issuing certificates of registration and recordation; improving and developing the milk goat breeds; and providing publicity and service for the goat dairy

Dairy

A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting of animal milk—mostly from cows or goats, but also from buffalo, sheep, horses or camels —for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on a dedicated dairy farm or section of a multi-purpose farm that is concerned...

ing industry. The principal operation of the corporation is in Columbia, Missouri

Columbia, Missouri

Columbia is the fifth-largest city in Missouri, and the largest city in Mid-Missouri. With a population of 108,500 as of the 2010 Census, it is the principal municipality of the Columbia Metropolitan Area, a region of 164,283 residents. The city serves as the county seat of Boone County and as the...

, and its headquarters are in Spindale, North Carolina

Spindale, North Carolina

Spindale is a town in Rutherford County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 4,022 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Spindale is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land....

.

History

The association was organized in 1905 as the American Milch Goat Record Association, and published its first herd book in 1914. It published Volumes 11-23 of the American Milch Goat Record in 1921; a comprehensive compilation of details on its registered animals. According to the Missouri Secretary of State, the nonprofit corporation was created on January 15, 1944, as the American Milk Goat Record Association. On 22 July 1965, its board accepted a proposal to change the name of the organization from its original name to its present name.

Membership

As of 2009, membership in the ADGA included 8,000 regular members and 5,000 junior members.

Breed registry

The ADGA maintains separate official herd books for purebred herds and American breed herds. These are official lists of registered animals. A purebred goat is one that has been born of a purebred sire and a purebred dam of the same breed and conforming to breed standards. An American breed goat is one born to a sire and dam of the same breed, going back a minimum of three generations for does and four generations for bucks.

There are eight currently registered ADGA breeds for which the organization issues certificates of registration and maintains herd books and production records: seven standard size breeds Alpine

Alpine (goat)

Alpine is a breed of domestic goat known for its very good milking ability.They are multi-colored and have no set markings. They have erect ears, horns, and have a dish-face....

, Lamancha

American Lamancha goat

American Lamancha, or more commonly, simply Lamancha or LaMancha, is a formally recognized breed of dairy goat, first bred in Oregon by Mrs. Eula Fay Frey...

, Nubian, Oberhasli, Saanen

Saanen goat

Saanen goats are a white or cream-colored breed of goat, named for the Saanen valley in Switzerland. Saanens are the largest of the goat dairy breeds. Does typically weigh 150 lb or more, with bucks weighing over 200 lb . The Saanen breed also produces the most milk on average, and tends to have a...

, Sable, and Toggenburg, and one miniature breed, the Nigerian Dwarf.

The standard size breeds can be registered in the Purebred and American herd books for their breed, and crosses between these seven may be recorded in Recorded Grade Herd or Experimental Herd books. Lamancha and Sable breed goats have 'open' herd books, which means grade (or nonpedigreed) goats of these two breeds can be 'bred up' to established purebred registry standards and then registered as usual. Nigerian Dwarf goats are registered only in a purebred herd book and there are no provisions for 'breeding up' grade goats of this breed. Offspring of a Nigerian Dwarf goat which are the product of a cross with a standard size breed or any other breed may not be recorded in any ADGA herd books. No breed purebreds or crosses with Boer, Angora

Angora goat

The Angora goat is a breed of domestic goat that originated in Ankara , Turkey and its surrounding region in central Anatolia...

, Pygmy

Pygmy goat

A pygmy goat is a small breed of domestic goat. Although they produce a very large amount of milk for their size, and can be eaten, pygmy goats are not typically used for milk or meat, unlike larger dairy and meat goat breeds. Pygmy goats tend to be more robust and breed more continually throughout...

, Cashmere

Cashmere goat

A cashmere goat is any breed of goat that produces cashmere wool, the goat's fine soft downy winter undercoat, in commercial quality and quantity. This undercoat grows as the day length shortens and is associated with an outer coat of coarse hair, which is present all the year and is called guard...

, or any other types of goats are accepted for registration.

The association initially preferred registered goats to be descended from known European breeds, but was willing to accept upgraded goats as well. In addition to its eight currently registered breeds, the ADGA at one time registered several other breeds that are no longer available in North America, including the British Alpine goat, the Calcutta Llama, the Indian goat, the Maltese goat, the Murcien

Murciana goat

Murciana, also called Murcian, Murcien, Murciene and Royal Murciana is a dual-purpose breed of goat originally bred in the Murcia province along the Mediterranean coast of southeastern Spain....

 or Murciene, the Norska goat (and other Norwegian breeds), the Rock Alpine goat, the Rome goat, the Royal Murciana goat, and the Schwartzenberg-Guggisberger goat.