Goat 2009

An In-Depth Look at 

the U.S. Goat Industry

United States Department of Agriculture

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

Program Aid No. 1991

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, 

national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital 

status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, 

genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part 

of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons 

with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) 

should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice 

and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, 

Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., 

Washington, D.C. 20250–9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or 

(202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and 

employer.

Issued March 2009

*Operations with fewer than 10 goats at the time of sample selection will 

follow a different process that will involve completing only a short questionnaire by mail or, if preferred, by follow-up telephone call. This process also 

is voluntary and strictly confidential.

If funding becomes available, the study will include biological sampling components; if you choose to participate in the sampling, you 

will receive test results for your herd that could help guide management practices. These potential testing options will provide

	 • Information about internal parasites in your herd and their 

 resistance to anthelmintics, which could help you improve 

 your deworming protocol;

• Sample results that will help evaluate whether your goat herd 

 has Johne’s disease; and

• Information on strain(s) of sore mouth, if present on your 

 operation. 

What Your Participation Involves

Participation in all NAHMS studies is voluntary, and operations are 

selected randomly. If you are selected for Goat 2009*, you can 

expect the following general activities and schedule.

• From July through mid-August 2009, data collectors

 from USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service will visit 

 you to complete a questionnaire.

• If you choose to continue in the study, the NASS data collector 

 will give you a second, shorter questionnaire to complete 

 and mail back in a business-reply envelope. You also will

 receive additional information about the possibilities for 

 biological sampling.

A Scientific Approach

APHIS established NAHMS to collect and report accurate and valuable information on animal health and management in the United 

States. Since 1990, NAHMS has developed national estimates on 

disease prevalence and other factors related to the health of U.S. 

beef cattle, dairy cattle, swine, equine, poultry, catfish, and sheep 

populations. 

Confidentiality

Because NAHMS’ studies rely on voluntary participation, APHIS 

protects the privacy of every participant. Only those collecting the 

data know the identity of the respondent. No name or address is 

ever recorded in any APHIS database. No data will be reported on 

any individual or in a manner that would allow the identification of 

an individual.

“...In addition to providing useful feedback to participants about 

the health status of their goats, the information from this study will 

play a critical role in prioritizing [goat] research needs and justifying 

research dollars....”

-Joan Dean Rowe, DVM, MPVM, PhD

American Dairy Goat Association member and breeder

For More Information

To find out more about Goat 2009, please contact:

USDA–APHIS

Veterinary Services, Attention: NAHMS

NRRC Building B, Mailstop 2E7

2150 Centre Avenue

Fort Collins, CO 80526-8117

Phone: (970) 494–7000

E-mail: NAHMS@aphis.usda.gov

Or visit NAHMS on the Web at 

http://nahms.aphis.usda.gov

“This study is valuable to the dairy goat industry and important to 

participate in to provide information for further research for our 

beloved dairy goats.”

--Jennifer Lynn Bice

Owner and cheesemaker, Redwood Hill Farm & Creamery, 

Sebastopol, CA
The Goat 2009 Study

In July 2009, the National Animal Health Monitoring System 

(NAHMS)—a unit within the Veterinary Services (VS) program 

of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service (APHIS)—will launch its first national 

study of the goat industry, which is the fastest growing livestock 

commodity in the United States. Producers from 21 States* with 

the Nation’s largest goat inventories will be asked to participate 

in Goat 2009. The study will examine the priority health and 

health-management issues facing the meat, dairy, and fiber 

segments of the U.S. goat industry.

The Goat 2009 study is

	 •	 Voluntary and confidential,

	 •	 Scientifically developed and statistically valid,

	 •	 National in scope,

	 •	 Collaborative in nature, and

	 •	 Dedicated to learning about the health of the national goat

 population. 

*Alabama, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, 

Michigan, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, 

Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Study Focus

Goat 2009 is designed to provide individual participants, stakeholders, and the industry with valuable information about the 

health, productivity, and management practices of the U.S. goat 

industry. Data will represent 75.5 percent of U.S. goat operations and 82.2 percent of U.S. goats. 

APHIS received input on industry priorities from 1,264 stakeholders and worked with producers, veterinarians, academicians, 

and other industry specialists to identify the following Goat 2009 

objectives: 

 • Provide a baseline description of animal health, nutrition, 

 and management practices in the U.S. goat industry.

		• Determine producer awareness of VS program diseases.

		• Describe producer-reported occurrence of infectious 

 diseases (including brucellosis, scrapie, caprine arthritis 

 encephalitis, Johne’s disease, and caseous lymphadenitis) 

 and the management and biosecurity practices important 

 for controlling them. 

 • Describe practices important for controlling internal 

 parasites and reducing anthelmintic resistance. 

		• Determine producer awareness of sore mouth (contagious 

 ecthyma) and practices to prevent its transmission. 

The objectives will be achieved in collaboration with domestic and 

global partners, including universities and other Federal agencies. “With the rise in domestic goat numbers, it was determined that 

NAHMS needed to study new production practices, as well as 

introduction of goats into nontraditional goat production areas. 

With the expansion of meat-type goat production, we have new 

guidelines and production practices to study. To help make your 

goat operation more successful and to have the latest information about goat production, we need YOUR help.”

--Marvin F. Shurley

Former President, American Meat Goat Association

How You Can Help

As a participating goat producer, you will benefit the industry and 

your own operation by helping to develop reliable information that 

will be used to:

• Educate the producers and veterinarians of tomorrow,

• Help policymakers and industry representatives make 

 informed decisions,

• Measure the impacts of disease,

• Evaluate the potential impacts of diseases affecting both 

 goats and humans,

• Assist researchers and private enterprises to identify and 

 focus on vital issues related to goat health and productivity, 

 and 

• Conduct economic analyses of the health and productivity of 

 the U.S. goat industry.

How You Will Benefit

By participating in the Goat 2009 study, you will receive a 

variety of reports and information sheets that will enable you to 

compare your operation—including management decisions and 

practices—with others in the goat industry. These publications 

will present study data on national, regional, and operation-size 

bases for general management and production topics as well as 

specific health-related issues.

“By participating in the study, you’ll receive information helpful to 

your goat operation; help guide future research and education; 

contribute to prevention, treatment, and control of local and national diseases; and help develop important baseline knowledge 

about our expanding, multifaceted goat industry.”

--Joe David Ross, DVM

Rancher, breeder, and retired veterinarian