Golden Guernseys

The origin of the Golden Guernsey is unknown, though research on DNA by the University of Cordoba has concluded that the goat is indigenous to Guernsey. The Golden Guernsey breed   of goat is believed to be a very old breed of goat that developed into its   current form from the Oberhasli and various Syrian breeds of goats.
 The first ever documented occurrence of the Golden Guernsey goats’ dates back   to 1826 when a reference to the “Golden goat” was printed in a guidebook. 

There were a few golden   goats amongst the scrub herds on Guernsey, and these were seen by Miss Miriam   Milbourne in 1924. It is largely thanks to her efforts that the golden goat   has survived. She started keeping goats in 1937, and in the early 1950s began   a breeding programme for Golden Guernsey's at the suggestion of a B.G.S.   Judge, Dr Tracey. 

   With great   determination she increased her herd to about 30 goats, and in 1965 a   separate Golden Guernsey register was opened in the Guernsey Goat Society's   Herd Book. The first successful imports to England were in 1967 and the   inaugural questionnaire and newsletter of the mainland club were issued in   1968. The B.G.S. Golden Guernsey register was opened in 1971.  The Golden Guernsey goat breed was exported to Britain in 1965 which brought   the formation of the English Golden Guernsey Club. This club later became the   Golden Guernsey Goat Society.

 It is not possible to import Golden Guernsey (GG) into the US; the strict animal health regulations do not allow goats to be imported. But for many years, some American breeders have wanted to develop a Golden Guernsey-type breed of goat.

In the United States, Guernsey goats are a relatively new breed. While only one closed herd of purebred Golden Guernsey (GG) goats exists in the United States, through dedication and commitment several American breeders have used imported and domestic GG semen, GG bucks, British Guernsey (BG) bucks, and Herd Book 2 (HB2) bucks to produce Guernsey goats through breeding up programs.  A breeding up program involves the use of a foundation dairy doe and semen from a purebred or British Guernsey sire in order to introduce Guernsey genetics into the lineage. Each successive generation is also bred to an HB2, BG or GG buck and, therefore, the Guernsey genetics are increased until the status of British Guernsey is reached.  To be registered as a BG, one parent may be a GG and one a BG, both parents may be BG, OR three of the four grandparents must be a GG or a BG and the sire or dam of the fourth must also be a GG or BG. 

The Golden Guernsey is medium sized milk goat with a beautiful golden colored goat and sweet temperament.

Their milk levels are not as large as most of the Swiss dairy goat breeds, but it is super nutritious and excellent for the making of cheese.

The Golden Guernsey goat is generally smaller and finer boned than most other dairy goat breeds, but they produce around 3.16 kg’s of milk on a daily basis. Their milk has 2.81 percent protein and 3.72 percent butterfat content. Their milk is excellent for the making of fine cheeses.