The CG Heartbeats Farm Nigerian Dwarf does went on milk test for the first time in 2023. It has been a year of learning for me. I am sharing my first year experiences, mistakes I made, what I have learned and how I hope to improve next year while sharing how to get started milk testing your goats.
Table of Contents
First steps to Milk testing your goats
When milk testing ADGA (American Dairy Goat Association) does, not only do you work with ADGA but also your regional dairy association as a part of DHI or Dairy Herd Improvement and the DRMS or Dairy Records Management System.
There are 2 associations you need to sign up with the ADGA and your reginal DHI affiliate. I suggest starting with the DHI affiliate. There is no deadline to sign up with ADGA IF you are a new herd. There is a deadline for renewing herds. For the flow of this post, I am going to start with ADGA.
American Dairy Goat Association beginning steps for milk testing
For ADGA you need to fill out the application to go on milk test and pay the appropriate fees. The ADGA fees for 2024 are . When you are a renewing herd the fees are reduced by $5. There are several options to choose from when milk testing your does. Each has its owns set of requirements, results and some are overlapping.
ADGA testing Options Explained
Each breeder has the option to choose the right one for the season they are in and their herd goals. Below is the list of options then we will look at what they are exactly to help you choose the best option for your herd. Understanding what each option provides and requires will help you decide what is best for your herd.
Deciding who will conduct the milk tests
You have 3 choices as to who will be conducting the milk tests. Some options provide a combination of testers.
Standard: A certified Tester visits once a month and conducts the milk tests. One test must be a Verification test by a separate certified tester besides the regular tester.
Group testing: 3 or more farms from a circle where farm a tests farm b who tests farm c. Each must be certified by the DHIR to be a tester.
Owner sampler or O/S: Owner conducts monthly milk tests. One month a certified tester conducts a verification test.
Choosing which test is right for your herd
There are different testing options are described in the ADGA Rule book available only to ADGA members. Lets start by how to view the rule book and where to find the specific information on milk testing options.
You will find the rule book available for download or viewing on the home page of ADGA
You will need the password emailed to you for access the rule book. Once entered go to page 25 of the rule book. Here you will find detailed descriptions of each. Each member is given a code via email to gain access to the rule book.
Definition of milk testing options
Standard: A certified milk tester conducts the tests once a month. If you want the goats to be eligible for top 10 recognition, you will need a verification test conducted by a different certified tester.
Owner Sampler 40 ST Owner conducts milk tests except for one verification test when the majority of your heard is between day 60-150 days in milk or DIM. Qualifying does receive ST recognition if documentation is sent in by the owner.
Owner Sampler 40 AR Owner conducts milk tests except for one verification test when the majority of your herd is between day 60-150 DIM Qualifying does are eligible for Advanced registry recognition but not top 10 leader. This option has additional requirements. Does must have 8 test and be in milk at leawt 240 days.
There are also several options to use a combination of a verified tester and owner sampler when collection samples and weights. Please take a few minutes to read about them all in the rule book.
There is a condensed version of each option available to anyone in the DHIR testing info on the ADGA website, but I would have benefited from reading the Rule book descriptions to begin with.
.As you might have noticed there are options allowing for bulk tanks testing. I am not going to speak to this as I have no current experience with bulk tank testing options.
Keep in mind even when conducting the O/S tests one test will need to be conducted by a certified tester.
DHI Affiliates
The other place you need to sign up with is a regional DHI association. To view the list of DHI affiliates click below:
http://www.quality-certification.com/certifiedfield.asp
You can go with one in your region or one across the country. It truly is your choice. My advice is to reach out to other farms who are on test and ask who they use and why. I did this as I was putting this post together and learned a local farm has opted to work with a DHI affiliate clear across the country. She shared why and I intend to further research to deepen my knowledge base.
I have been pleased with my current affiliate and her helpfulness, so I am not directly looking to change, but I always like to learn.
Becoming a Certified Tester
Once you have chosen your DHI affiliate you will need to be certified tester IF you have chosen the owner sampler option. Each affiliate will have a procedure and test for you to take. I doubt they will all be exactly alike but I will share my experience with the Indiana State Dairy Association. Keep in mind your exact experience may differ based on which DHI affiliate you are working with. Also if you choose the Standard Option You will not need to become certified, but you will still need to sign up with a DHI affiliate.
Indiana State Dairy Association has a test given to all testers choosing the owner sampler option and those wanting to be a verified tester for other farms. The director emailed me various files of information and the test I would be taking in written form. I choose to return the test and appropriate fees by UPSP. But I think I had the option to return a copy of the completed test via email.
The Indiana State Dairy Association offers the option to prepay for shipping labels through United Postal Service. Not only do I save money on shipping samples each time, I also save time when I ship the package. You will want to check with your affiliate to find out what shipping options are available.
Data Storage Sites
There are 4 companies who store data for milk testing. The Indiana State Dairy Association works with the following Dairy Records Management System or DRMS. One benefit I find helpful is the ability to get online within days of sending samples to view the results. Here I can download the results and print them if I desire. I also have the option to have printed reports sent to me each month for a fee. The DHI affiliate you choose will connect you with the data storage service they work with.
Be Encouraged
If all this information seems confusing, do NOT put pressure on yourself to find the perfect one. Pick one that looks best to you and get started. Learn in your first year. You are NOT locked into 1 testing option for the remainder of your life. You can make changes each year as to which option is best for your herd goals.
Get your feet wet, have fun, at the very least you will enjoy knowing what kind of volume, butterfat, and protein your does are producing. The data will help you decide what bucks to look for as you work to improve the breed and your herd, what animals are producing the best and who you desire to keep and who to move on. I cannot say enough how much I appreciate all I learned in my first year about my does and the milk testing process itself. JUST Start!
Additional Resources
The following video contains information to help understand getting started with milk testing.
ADGA has a list of frequently ask questions and additional resources on that page. Use the following link: https://adga.org/knowledgebase/dhir-faqs/
What I wish I would have known
305 days in milk:
As I read through the rule book on Milk testing, I learned the importance of keeping a doe in milk for 305 days. Rule # 19 states a doe needs to hit the required numbers in 305 days or less. This speaks to the next point I did not fully understand.
Value of Testing Monthly
Due to my financial and time circumstances last March through July I opted to not conduct any tests (no samples sent in and no weights recorded). Most of my does were at their peak lactation during this period. A couple of the does hit their numbers anyway. Looking back, I am convinced at least one of them would have hit her numbers and stared if I had documented and sent in samples. Her highest milk volume was not recorded. I especially regret this for her because she experienced serious difficulties in delivery, and I will not be breeding her for 2024.
Cost of Testing
Each test averaged $50 to $60. At the basic 8 tests my total invested in the testing process alone came to over $400. Also, the initial cost of becoming certified, (good for 2 years) cost of a scales and annual calibration was less than $50.
In Conclusion
After reading this post do you still have questions how to get started milk testing your goats? Leave a comment below and I will do my best to help you or point you to someone who can.
