My journey with Guernsey Goats began on June 28th, 2025. I was attending the Barn In The USA Dairy Goat Show in Clark Co., WA. and as I was exiting the main show barn, I saw someone walking a very hairy, gold colored goat and it was love at first sight. I asked, "Is that a Guernsey goat?" I was immediately hooked and embarked on a mission to find some of these for my very own. Little did I know how challenging that would prove to be.
The person I'd met at the show unfortunately didn't have any goats available. I had to seek out other local breeders to potentially purchase goats from. Meanwhile I needed to educate myself about the Guernsey breed, so I'd know what to look for. It was confusing and there was a lot to unpack. Starting with what exactly are Guernsey Goats?
The rare Golden Guernsey Goats are originally from the Island of Guernsey in the Channel Islands located in the English Channel. Guernsey was occupied by Germany during WW2, and the Golden Guernsey Goats were nearly wiped out by hungry invading forces. However, a woman named Miriam Melbourne managed to hide some of them and spare the breed from extinction. All of the Guernsey Goats we have today are descended from those fortunate and hardy goats.
The full-blooded descendants of those original goats are referred to as Golden Guernsey Goats. They were first imported to the mainland of England in 1967. Because there were so few Golden Guernsey Goats, and in order to increase milk production and improve conformation, it was necessary to start a breeding up program in 1977. The resultant offspring are referred to as British Guernseys. They are slightly larger than Golden Guernsey goats but otherwise look the same. In 2024 during a visit from King Charles III to the Isle of Guernsey, he bestowed the title of Royal Golden Guernsey on these beloved goats.
We have very few true Golden Guernsey Goats in the US. What we mostly have are British Guernsey Goats which are registered with the British Goat Society (BGS) and those in various stages of being bred up. As of 2025 the American Dairy Goat Association (ADGA) has accepted Guernsey Goats for registration, providing they meet ADGA's requirements.
I did manage to find two local breeders within easy driving distance. I bought my very first Guernsey, a doe. She was breeding age so now I needed to find a mate for her. I briefly considered breeding her to my gold Nigerian buck, for Mini Guernseys, but that would be a waste of Guernsey genetics. Guernseys are already small. There's no need for a mini version. Also, there are so few of them it feels criminal to breed them to anything that won't advance and/or improve the breed. I found someone parting with a Guernsey buck who met my requirement of having great udders behind him. My buck's dam and sire's dam have gorgeous, well-attached, globular udders. I also brought in a second doe from this same breeder. All 3 goats in my first breeding trio are yearlings who are not closely related. They are all registered with ADGA, and my buck has had his DNA verified. We are ready to embark on the next step of this journey!
Why raise Guernsey Goats?
Guernsey Goats have so many positive attributes:
⭐Sweet, mellow, friendly personalities! They love people.
⭐Small, easy-to-handle size! They are the smallest of the full-sized breeds.
⭐Quiet! They are very quiet. Even when upset. They won't disturb your neighbors.
⭐Hardy! They are very hardy and adjust to new environments quicky.
⭐Small litters! They tend to have singles and twins. No huge litters.
⭐Plenty of milk!
⭐High butterfat!
⭐No (or minimal) clipping! Long hair is an important part of their breed character. You show them with long hair.
You can read more about Guernsey Goats and their fascinating history at the following links:
Royal Golden Guernsey Goat Society
Guernsey Goat Breeders of America