(Last updated 9/2025)
Welcome to Daily Bread Acres in Longview, TX!!
We got into dairy goats when we found out my special need's son had an allergy to cows milk. You might think that I'm going to say that goat's milk was the answer to getting my son to grow and thrive, but that's not what happened! He was able to tolerate goat's milk better than cow, but we still had to get him on a lactose free milk in order for him to thrive. Of course we did not sell our herd because we now had the "goat bug" and that's how the obsession began.
At Daily Bread Acres we strive to raise beautiful, strong and hardy milkers that are also competitive in the show ring. My husband and I have had goats since 2011, but we have only recently been able to focus on our goals for herd improvement now that most of our human kids are grown.
We have our herd tested annually for CAE and are also CL and Johnes negative. The herd sires we select are G6S normal and many of our does are either normal by parentage or we have not been able to test them yet. (G6S status will be updated as soon as I have current information but we cannot promise they are without a doubt normal.) I personally do not believe that an animal is a cull if they are a G6S carrier, and I think it's important to be sure and know the status of each buck before they are bred to a doe on our farm (to avoid breeding Affected animals). Any new animals coming to the farm get a Biosecurity panel done to ensure the rest of the herd stays clean. All our kids are raised on a strict coccidia program and since we live in an area where barberpole and coccidia thrive, we keep a very close eye on wormload.
All of our kids are either raised on the lamb bar or bottle. We have found that this way is much easier for us to raise tame animals that are easier to train on the milk stand and enjoy as pets. Our kids are fed RAW milk. We do not pasteurize our milk for the babies. They also eat as much as they want so they grow to full potential. We give CDT before they leave and we also disbud. I'm the worst at making myself tattoo them so you may want to remind me before they go home with you..
We also participate in Linear Appraisals & DHIR and attend shows as life allows us to. Since my passion is dairy goats, and my husband's is traveling (though he loves them too), we manage whatever we can as far as performance and try to just focus on what our family needs for the home dairy while also striving to put out our best crop of kids each year.
The name "Daily Bread" is inspired by a devotional my grandmother had called, "Our Daily Bread" that was filled with daily scriptures and inspirations. As a follower of Christ, it is often encouraging to see God's little nuggets of wisdom in farm life. From time to time, I get inspired and write about them, so if you're interested, please be sure to visit the Daily Bread Blog tab.
We enjoy meeting new people who are as passionate about goats as we are, so thank you for stopping by and we hope to hear from you soon!
"Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread...." Proverbs 30:7