| The Nigerian Dwarf Goat is a miniature goat that originated from West Africa. Their conformation is similar to that of the larger dairy goat breeds. Parts of the body are in balance proportion, nose is straight and ears are upright. The coat is soft with short to medium hair, any color or combination of colors is acceptable. Silver agouti (roan) is considered a moderate fault. The ideal height for does is 17' - 19" with 22.6' being the maximum and for bucks ideal height is 19" - 20" with 23.6 being the maximum. The ideal weight is suggested to be about 75 lbs based on HES evaluation information. Animals disqualified from shows for: being oversize, curly coat, roman nose, and pendulous ears or evidence of myatonia ( This is associated with fainting goats). Nigerians come in many different colors; the main colors or black,chocolate, and gold. Random white markings are common, as are spots and other color combinations such as red , white, gold and black. You never know what colors the babies will be till they are born even then you don't know as they will change colors many times. They are gentle and lovable animals, even the males are easily handled. They blend in with other farm animals so don't need special quarters. But they do need adequate fencing to contain their size. They breed year round, many breeders breed 3 times in two years giving the doe a 6 month plus break. Newborn kids weigh around 2 lbs but grow quickly. They reach sexual maturity at a young age. Be sure to separate young bucks from the does because bucks are know to be fertile at 7 weeks of age. Does can be breed at 7-8 months of age if they have reached a good size. (Some breeders prefer to wait till they are 1 year of age.) Does have several kids at a time 3-4 being common, sometimes even 5. They are generally good mothers and provide a surprising amount of milk for their size. They can give 3-4 lbs per day of which 6 to 10 % butterfat. Bucks are able to be used for service at 3 months of age and easily by the time they are 7-8 months of age. They are vigorous breeders but are gentle enough to be used for hand breeding or pasture breeding. There are different goat registries that register Nigerians here are the main Four: American Dairy Goat Association (ADGA) American Goat Society (AGS) International Dairy Goat Registration (IDGR) Nigerian Dwarf Goat Association (NDGA) Feed: Orchard grass, Alfalfa hay, 16 % protein goat sweet-feed, raw vegetables, and occasional sweet treats like pastries. ( Watch out for medicated feed.) Care: Trim hooves, vaccines, wormed periodically. Breeding: Gestation period is about 152 days or 5 months Babies are called kids and when does are in labor it's called kidding. Dairy: Butterfat ranges from 6-8 % to 11 % Protein ranges between 4 % to 5 %. |
Member of;
Nigerian Dwarf Goats
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