11/18/08, 07:53 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Alaska
Posts: 3,606
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The three I know are American Goat Society (AGS also known as the purebred dairy goat registry), American Dairy Goat Association (ADGA), and the Nigerian Dwarf Goat Association (NDGA). There is also ANDDA but I don't think they register goats, just recognize them. There may be other registries but I'm not (yet) familiar with them.
In my area, most people mean AGS & ADGA when they say dual-registered but you would have to ask to be sure. As with anything, a registered goat only gives you parentage records, it does not guarantee quality, health, value, etc. You can have exceptionally nice grade goats and you can have cruddy registered goats. It will depend on your needs as to whether or not you want registered, dual-registered, or triple-registered goats. More important than buying registered goats is to buy from a trusted seller. Look for people that have made real efforts into promoting their breed and the quality of their herd. Look for regular health testing and full disclosure of those results. If it's important to you, look at milk production records (at a very minimum, look for stars in the names or on the pedigrees, if not also big awards or permanent milking records for the goats' entire lives to date (or their dams')). You can also ask to look at show and appraisal records, if the animals have been presented for these events in the past.
Always buy the best you can afford for your purposes and spend as much time as you need researching and learning. This will pay off in the long run, I promise! 
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