Nigerian Dwarf Goats

What is a Nigerian Dwarf Goat?  These miniature goats were introduced in early 1980's.  They had a dual purpose primarily for providing meat and milk.  Many people use them only as pets but Nigerians can produce about 1qt of milk a day.  A Nigerian's milk is very high in butterfat of about 11% where other large breeds have only about 4%.  These little goats get up to only 75 lbs in weight and no more than 24" tall.  Three of these little goats can take up the room and feed volume of one large dairy goat breed and produce milk for an entire year.  The larger breeds are seasonal milkers because they can not be bred all year long like Nigerians can.

General Goat Care--Nigerians are small, they don't need much room or lots of feed.  They are really entertaining to have and make great pets if they are maintained well, thoroughly cared for and come from quality stock.  They are great weed eaters and kept our fence line looking great. 

Housing & Maintenance--We keep our does housed in an old 2-stall horse barn free from drafts but having great circulation of air due to its high ceiling.  We always smell for ammonia build up and dampness that lime, air  or PDZ takes care of.  Our goats always have access to fresh water, minerals, and hay.  Our small hay racks hold two leaves of hay.  We have one up in each stall.  If we increase our herd, we would probably have needed to build a manger.  Our water buckets are small (quart size not gallon size) so water stays fresh and no little kids go swimming or drowned.  We have electrical water buckets in the winter, rigged with PVC pipe so the goats will not gnaw on the cords.  Our feed buckets are actually Jeffer's free mineral shallow feeders for each goat.  Our free mineral feeder we purchased from Caprine Supply is hassle free and easy to clean.  Tables and toys keep goats happy and busy.  Goats are very athletic, nurturing this will keep them in good physical shape.  We had some Fisher Price kids picnic tables we purchased used at garage sales for them to jump on or hide under.  Old sturdy wooden cable spools work well also. 

Companionship & Grooming--I think goats are a cross between a dog and a cat when it comes to affection.  They like to be loved only on their terms, they are extremely playful animals and they can be devastated when left alone (they need another companion goat).  Stress can do great damage to a goat so, be wise and alert!  They like routine and love to be IN whatever you are doing.  Nurturing them with affection and grooming keeps them mentally healthy as well as physically.  We have a monthly routine of brushing coats and clipping hooves.  The more we handle our goats the better pets they become.  This also allows us to notice anything out of the ordinary; cuts, scraps, lumps, etc.  They don't like water baths but we clipped them at least once a year to "clean" their coats.  Shots were kept up to date and we tested for CAE, TB and Brucellosis yearly.  Our herd has negative results so far.  Goats that are in milk are higher maintenance and it becomes a twice daily milking routine.  Or you can manipulate the routine, keep the kids on them during the day and take them off of the dams at night so, you can milk them in the morning and you will only milk once a day.  The rewards are in the cheese, butter, soap making and saving money on milk.  Nigerian milk is known for their high butterfat content .

Feeding--If we feed, we feed Blue Seal Meatgrower to all male goats (bucks and wethers).  Bucks and wethers need to have ammonium chloride in their feed to prevent urinary tract complications.  The does need a more protein rich feed when they breed or lactate, Blue Seal Premium Dairy Goat Pellet feed. A sweet feed is fine too but we like pellets to keep the flies down.  We fed sweet green orchard grass and provide fresh water at all times, goats need to have access to munch hay and clean water at all times!  I stress this because by nature they are picky drinkers and need roughage for a healthy digestive system.  We also provided free minerals and baking soda to help buffer the gut for the does.  Mineral are offered to the boys. Goat kids can be bottle fed or dam raised (by their mothers).  Weaning usually occurs at 7-8 weeks.

Protection--We locked the goats in the barn at night in case a hawk, owl or neighborhood dog decides they want a snack.  Guard dogs are used for this as well.  We have a Maremma Livestock Guardian Dog (LGD), her name is Kita.  She lets us know what's going on or if anything is out of the ordinary.  Goats have no way of defending themselves.  Watch for loose wires, poisonous plants, holes in fencing or in the ground, goats are curious creatures and taste or try anything--but that could be fatal.  A sturdy 4 to 5 foot fence is a must for their protection, mostly to keep predators out than goats in.  Most goats tend to stay in their herd but few will stray off every once in a while.  Last but not least, we have a vet available for any emergencies. We keep our goats up to date on all shots for their protection of health.  

Showing--Showing is quite fun.  We pay to go get a judges opinion on how dairy and well our goats confirmation are.  Our goals are to obtain good quality goats in confirmation and in dairy character.  We learned more quickly and in bigger volumes when we go to shows.  We see very good quality goats and when talking with other breeders we gained great knowledge from those who have life long experiences; what works and what doesn't work.  The people make the shows fun not the goats.  Then of course you have people who don't want to share their experiences or are so competitive that greed takes over.  There's politics in all showing or competitive events.  We just have to be careful not to let it control the show ring.  See AGS pamplet on Showmanship. Find a show.

This page is dedicated to Dani's dad, Ron Fell - The True Animal Lover - died Oct. 25, 2004.  He was there in Dani's life for a lot of "firsts".  Hali was Cole Run's first goat.  Here he is holding Hali 2 month before he past.

Goat Pages        (Some links are still being worked on.)

Housing & Maintenance

Companionship & Grooming

Protection

Showing

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