AMGR - FAQs

AMGR is a registry and pedigree-tracking service that serves clients on a for-fee basis. Clients pay an annual fee included in their membership for tracking and storing their information in the AMGR database. AMGR offers a DNA Testing program, advertising opportunities and access to herd management software. Clients are eligible to participate in special sales and educational programs sponsored by the American Meat Goat Registry and its affiliates. Clients can place free classified ads on the AMGR website and can be listed in the website’s Breeders Directory.

No. To register a kid with AMGR, simply upload the sire’s and or dam’s registration certificates from an approved organization using the online registration form or mail in copies along with the animal application form and correct fees. AMGR accepts all registration certificates from national or international registration organizations. A list can be found in the Handbook.

The goat being registered will receive a registration number specific to AMGR, however, the registration numbers for other goats in its pedigree will not change.

The decision on whether or not to DNA test goats is the breeder’s. However, any animal registered as a composite breed such as the American Red goat, will be required to be DNA tested, and microchipped or tattooed to help ensure the origins of the breed are well documented and that future generations will have undisputed traceable lineage. Also, breeders who can document the parentage of their livestock through DNA testing can generally command a higher price for their animals. As a management and marketing tool, the AMGR highly recommends DNA verification for registered goats.

No amount of policing from a registry organization has ever been able to weed out bad apples. Only through diligence by the buying public is unethical behavior exposed. AMGR’s policy is to let the marketplace expose unscrupulous breeders and allow all others to conduct their business as they see fit. The American Meat Goat Registry is a privately run business and can and will cease doing business at any time with any client proven to have committed fraud.

VGL is the Veterinary Genetics Lab at the University of California-Davis, the premier genetics testing service in the U.S. This is the company that performs DNA testing for a variety of species, breeds, associations, and individuals, including the AMGR. When a breeder has a goat DNA tested, it is issued a VGL or file number. If that animal is registered with the American Meat Goat Registry, that VGL number will be displayed on the certificate of registration.

The VGL number will be needed if the breeder wants to compare the animal’s DNA to another animal’s DNA to confirm parentage. Depending on whether the sire and dam both have VGL numbers, it is possible to have a goat sire verified, dam verified or parentage verified. If a goats’ parents have not been verified but a breeder wants to begin verification, the goat will be genotyped to be able to verify their progeny.

A breeder can begin a herd’s parent-verification process at any time. If the goat is already registered with AMGR, go to your Dashboard and select “DNA Request only” in the “Register” menu. Add the goat and submit. If the animal is not registered with AMGR, you can register online and request DNA all at the same time or download the appropriate forms off of our website and follow the instructions for submitting genetic material for testing. The first generation of goats will be genotyped and then future offspring can be DNA tested and parentage verified. The AMGR pedigree certificate will have the animal’s VGL number printed on it for easy access if the breeder wants to transfer the goat to another registry. Unlike some other registries, the American Meat Goat Registry gives full ownership of a goat’s DNA information to the goat’s owner.