Arapawa Goat Breeders Association

It's International Heritage Breed Week, and you know what that means: a celebration of our breed!! Arapawa Island Goats go waaaayyy back, off to a small island in New Zealand. Said to be possible descendants of an Old English goat, they were left behind on the island by James Cook in 1773, where they thrived for centuries. Unfortunately, the Forest Services worried about more native and natural flora and fauna, something these goats were causing a bit of an issue with, and at

As we really get into kidding season and navigate the rainy season of Spring, parasites are often a lot more common. It comes with any farm and a bit of wet weather, as well as moms and kids focusing their strength and health elsewhere. We're lucky to have a breed that seems a lot more parasite resistant than some others, with some farms noting they've only had to deworm a few goats over their many years. This is one of the key reasons we love them, and a major talking point

The AGBA Board would like to introduce one of our behind the scenes helpers: Hi! I'm Kaede, owner behind The Citrus Dragon. I started my journey with Arapawas in 2024, but my overall love for animals started when I was little. At 17 I got my first leopard gecko, and now I own what I call my mini zoo with all sorts of reptiles, a bird, fish, my dogs and cats, my goats, and a horse! My passion for conservation overlaps my joy of creation, as I've been drawing ever since I could

One of the biggest parts of livestock keeping, especially with an endangered breed, is record keeping. Birth dates, weights, vaccinations, locations on or off property - all of this goes into keeping animals and assuring we are aware and present with our animals. We all have our methods to this, from paper and pencil, spreadsheets, to online systems, and today we wanted to share a bit of advertisement for one that Emily has found she enjoys at Conner Prairie! Conner Prairie h

As kidding season comes around for so many of us, there's a lot to prepare for. Some of us have a large supply closet full of everything you could possibly think you'd need, while others may have just some base necessities. Every farm works different, and everyone has their own preferences based on experience! Our breed finds itself fairly easy when it comes to labor and can often be left to handle it on their own, but being wary and hands on is never a bad thing! Being more

Everyone has their preferred season for goat breeding. While many of our breeders may already find kids on the ground, new breeders and ones starting this spring might have a couple questions. Breeding, while it could simply look like just pairing your bucks and does together, can be a bit more complicated than that. Focusing more on our bucks over our does in this reading, performance and age is key. Bucks are typically fertile and able to get a female pregnant around 4 mont