For this Henderson County youth, there is more to her dairy goat business than just exhibiting, although a national title would be welcomed.

HENDERSON, Ky. - As the next North American International Livestock Exposition (NAILE) approaches (November 6-20), thousands of exhibitors and spectators will converge on the Kentucky Exposition Center to compete and participate in the country’s largest all-breed, purebred livestock show.

Coming to this livestock extravaganza is nothing new to Montana Fehd from Henderson County, having participated before. In fact, she has compiled quite a resume when it comes to livestock showing throughout the region.

Her story and breed of animals, however, may surprise some. Dairy goats don’t always generate a lot of attention at these types of events unless you’re one of the growing numbers of exhibitors like Montana, who has taken the business of raising these animals to new heights on her family’s Cheyenne Acres Farm. Something especially noteworthy about Montana is that she has 11 years of show experience, despite being only 14 years old.

“I was about three years old when I started showing Nubian goats, which are the ones with floppy ears,” she said. “But they were hard to handle for a three-year-old when it came to showing. Let’s just say, I got run over a few times.”

However, soon after seeing a friend’s Nigerian Dwarf dairy goats, she became hooked on the breed and has been raising and showing them ever since.

Montana’s mom, Heather Fehd said her daughter immediately fell in love with the goats, a passion that is obviously as strong today as it was when she first began her showing career.

“We started with a couple of goats in 2014 for the milk, making soap, and cheese,” Heather said. “And after we went to our first American Dairy Goat Association (ADGA) show, Montana fell in love, and it was like a light switch flipped with her.”

Heather added that from that point on, she undertook the task of learning as much about the breed as she could to help Montana. “She just loved it so much,” Heather said.

Dairy goats, by the numbers

There are generally eight major dairy goat breeds in the United States, including the Saanen, Sable, Nubian, Toggenburg, LaMancha, Oberhasli, Nigerian Dwarf, and Alpine.

Dairy goats also have a long history in this country. According to information from the American Dairy Goat Association (ADGA), milking goats were brought to the United States by settlers both at Jamestown and at Plymouth Rock. Spanish mission settlements had already distributed milking goats throughout the Southwest and California during the 16th century. These animals were not of a distinct breed type, and descendants became known as common American milking goats. A USDA census in 1900 estimated them to number some 1.2 million. At that time, this goat population was the largest in the rural south and southwest. 

Those numbers are vastly different today. According to information from the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, as of 2022, there were 410,000 dairy goats in the country, representing 16 percent of the total goat population.

However, the dairy goat numbers in Kentucky have seen an increase over the past year, according to Kelley Yates, Executive Director of the Kentucky Sheep and Goat Development Office.

“Kentucky is home to over 5,800 dairy goats, a 9.4 percent increase since 2024, ranking our state 23rd in milk goat inventory,” she said. 

More than just exhibiting

Montana said the Nigerian Dwarfs are a great breed to show, and she has the awards to back it up. At this year’s Kentucky State Fair, she came away with the Grand Champion in the Junior Doe Nigerian Dwarf division. She has also won and/or placed in national competitions, traveling to numerous shows throughout the exhibiting season.

“Our show season runs from April to November, and we take a break in December,” she said. “That's usually when I get all my breeding plans together and make social media posts about the year. Then, in January, we start kidding until May.”

Showing her dairy goats is just part of Montana’s overall interest in the breed. By the time she was ten, she had studied genetics and started her own breeding and was making choices of who stayed or was sold. Quite an undertaking for someone that age.

“Genetics plays a big part in selling them plus show winnings,” Montana said. “If you have the best goat in the class, then you're going to win that. Although I have shown at NAILE, I have never won there.”

Montana would like to change that this year. She plans to show her Kentucky State Fair Champion, named Candy. She admits that there aren’t as many dairy goat exhibitors at NAILE as she would like to see, but the competition is still stiff, and it’s a show she would really like to win.

A year-round operation

Heather said what started as a homestead adventure has turned into a business for the family.

“My husband David and I pitch in on a daily basis with the care and upkeep of the goats, but Montana does the breeding schedule, selling of kids, training each goat, and the showing, she said. “This is a year-round operation. And during the months of February until November, it’s milking twice a day for every doe, seven days a week. This takes a lot of dedication, especially for a young 14-year-old girl.”

It doesn’t take long to see that dedication Montana has for the animals she raises and the industry she has become a part of. Right now, she is focused on the upcoming NAILE event and sums up her current goals quite simply.

“I have a lot of little goals. We are starting a TikTok account, we're going to do podcasts and videos around the farm, but for me, my main goal right now is to win nationals,” she said.

Watch out, NAILE, here comes Montana!