About Us
Who Are We?
Broken Top Nigerian Dwarf Goats is owned and operated by Abby Messer.
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After college, I set off for a new life in the PNW. Through years of research and patience, I was sure that Central Oregon was destined to be my home. I enjoy exploring, paddle boarding, marble hunting, and the local foodie scene.
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Abby provides psychotherapy to people with intellectual or developmental disabilities and other at-risk populations. She aspires to someday combine her passion for goats/agriculture with her passion for therapy work. The ideal dream? A non-profit therapy farm offering vocational growth opportunities on a farm store; purpose and skill building through crafting farm products; nature-based therapy in a gorgeous location with a garden; animal-assisted therapy with the help of the goats and other critters; individual therapy on-site; and group therapy sessions and wellness camps offered regularly with special focuses.
Why Do We Do It?
Abby has a long history with goats. At age eight, I began feeding bottle babies at our neighbor's house - our neighbor, who was Wisconsin's largest dairy goat farm. After spending many mornings and after school hours feeding up to 2,000 kids, I was promoted to a milker. Mornings and nights, I milked the entire herd. In my high school years, I took on more serious roles at the farm: scheduling staff, performing medical procedures, assuring quality control of the milk, and watching over the farm when the owners were not home.
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At the age of eight, I also received my first goat. Believe it or not, a Nubian! I grew a small herd of about 20 goats and showed through 4-H and then FFA. I also attended ADGA-sanctioned shows and learned the art of genetics. It was just at age sixteen that I experienced my hardest lesson in goat health. My entire herd became ill. If a goat did not pass from CAE, it was affected and died due to Johne's - which unknowingly lived in the walls of our wooden barn from a previous herd of animals. I took two years off from goats and quickly knew I needed my fix. I was gifted a Nigerian Dwarf for graduation and fell in love with the breed. Within four years, I had rebuilt a herd, re-fell in love with the "goat life", and reentered the show world. Unfortunately, I needed to continue onto college. I dispersed my herd and promised to find my way back again.
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Fast-forward five years, and I was purchasing my first home in Central Oregon. Before the paperwork was completed on the home, I had reservations and deposits down on three goats. I dove head first into all performance programs - milk testing, showing, and linear appraisal - to made sure to jumpstart my herd. I couldn't be more thankful for the friendships, both locally and on the other side of the state, that supported me in the rapid growth stage!
Meet the Farmhands...
The goats are certainly not the only critters.
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Pickle is the resident buddy. He's a Nubian wether that we have to keep the bucks company. Nubians started my love for goats when I was just 8 years old, so Pickle is our ode to history.
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I have two dogs that enjoy their backcountry lifestyle: Peeper and Chet.
Peeper is a dachshund/beagle and catahoula mix - but weiner-beagle is thorough enough. He tries to be a grumpy old man, but he's just too happy for it!
Chet is the smartest helper by far! He is a heeler, corgi, and border collie mix. It's intriguing to see his intellect and to see how he learns new things - although he doesn't usually apply himself well.
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The queen of the household is Tinkerbell and Thomas O'Malley is her jester.
Tinkerbell is a tortoiseshell beauty. Rescued from a plastic bag on the road, she is quite fearful of guests, but loves to cuddle when the house calms down.
Thomas is a playful troublemaker. If he isn't up to fetching chipmunks or bothering Tinkerbell, he's probably encouraging the pups to find a delinquent activity to join him in.
