I (Goat Granny) started my dairy goat farm back in 2001 in Loganville, GA.  I was a novice when I started and have steadily grown my heard and knowledge over the last 8 years.  I currently have around 20 goats and the size of my heard fluctuates based on the number of kids I have.  Overall I would say that raising goats has been a blessing in my life.

When I started milking dairy goats I had to milk inside of an old horse trailer.  Today I have a building dedicated for milking.  My experience has been that you can milk a goat anywhere as long as cleanliness is a top priority.

Making cleanliness a top priority has helped me keep my heard disease free over the years.  My farm is certified and accredited through the state of Georgia to be TB and Brucellosis free, and we are currently ranked Level 3 on the Scrapie Program.  My farm will be eligible for Scrapie “Certified Free” status in May of 2011.

Having clean milking facilities is just one step I take to keep my goats healthy.  Another step is feeding them the right kinds of food.  My goats are fed a 16% sweet feed grain as well as costal and alfalfa hay.  I top dress the goats’ feed with a couple of scoops of Fastrack® Microbial Pack to help the goats’ bodies absorb nutrients.  I also feed all of my kids Fastrack® Jump Start Gel during the weaning process, and I give some to the mother does to help their digestion after the kidding is finished.

Keeping my goats healthy and disease free has allowed me to participate in several organizations including the American Dairy Goat Association (ADGA) and the Georgia Dairy Goat Breeders Association (GDGBA).  In fact I was a lead member of the GDGBA’s Kudzu Kids for Kids program which helped youths become more involved with dairy goats by offering sound, disease free animals under the supervision of a mentor.

Owning a dairy goat farm has been and is one of the best things in my life.  It gives me an opportunity to work with animals and enjoy the outdoors.  I have to admit that raising goats is hard work; however, it is something that has kept me going through the good times and the bad.  If you have any questions about raising dairy goats please feel free to contact me.  My email address is lela@goatgranny.com.