What Should You Know Before You Buy Nigerian Dwarfs Goats
Nosotros started raising Nigerian dwarf goats in 2002. I was familiar with the Conservation Priority List of the Livestock Conservancy, and I wanted all of our animals to come up from that list because I wanted to help preserve rare breeds. The Nigerian and Oberhasli were the only two dairy goats on the list back then, and so I didn't have much to cull from.
I tin't honestly say I recall all of my original reasons for choosing the Nigerian, simply information technology's a decision I have never regretted. In fact, later on nosotros started showing goats, and we were exposed to other breeds, my daughters and I considered calculation just about every other dairy breed out there at i fourth dimension or another, and we did have LaManchas for about seven years. So, why do we however take Nigerian dwarf goats after all these years?
Nigerian dwarf goats are the smallest dairy goat
When I realized I needed to downsize afterwards my daughters left dwelling house, in that location were two reasons that I kept the Nigerian dwarf goats and sold off the LaManchas. Size played a huge role in my decision to sell the LMs. Although they are the sweetest goats, we don't always agree, and when there is a disagreement, information technology's tough to win when the goat weighs almost as much as I do.
I am able to pick up almost every full-grown Nigerian dwarf caprine animal on the farm, if needed. Female goats (does) weigh most lx pounds with male goats (bucks and wethers) weighing about 70 pounds. And if I can't elevator them, and so my son or husband can. They've even picked upwardly a fully pregnant goat and put her in my car to accept to the vet hospital for a c-department.
Considering of their small size, they can hands be transported in large or extra big canis familiaris crates, which fit in SUVs and mini-vans. My LMs were on the smaller side, and so they could besides fit into extra large crates, but some breeds would require the behemothic size, which is expensive and doesn't fit inside most vehicles.
Over the years I've sold many Nigerian dwarf goats to people who had pocket-sized children and felt the smaller goats would be easier for them to handle. I've also sold some to older people who had a larger brood and were downsizing to the Nigerians for that reason.
2 or iii wethers also make great pet goats or pasture ornaments.
Nigerian dwarf goats have the highest butterfat
Standard-size goats take a butterfat around 3% to iii.v%, except Nubians, which average iv.five%, and Nigerians, which boilerplate 6.five%. We were on milk test when we had both Nigerians and LaManchas, and the butterfat of the NDs was usually well-nigh twice every bit high as the LMs.
In fact, we only made cheese with the LM milk a few times because we realized the yield was almost always about half as much as what nosotros would get when making cheese with ND milk.
1 year I had a LM doe and a ND doe give birth on exactly the same 24-hour interval. On 1 of the early on milk tests, I noticed that the two does had produced exactly the same number of pounds of butterfat so far, but the LM had produced 200 pounds more milk.
The get-go matter that popped into my head was that the LM milk was "watered down." The LM was definitely producing a lot more than milk, but if your goal was to make cheese, the extra fluid milk was really not helpful.
If your goal is maximum fluid milk production, and you prefer the taste and texture of skim milk, and so you may view the Nigerian's high butterfat as a disadvantage.
How does Nigerian dwarf goats milk taste?
None of u.s.a. was ever a big fan of the LaMancha milk or any other goat milk that nosotros tasted other than Nigerian dwarf. In all my years of selling goats, I've never lost a goat auction considering someone didn't like the taste of the milk. In fact, almost people are surprised and excited about how much they dearest the taste.
Some have said it tastes but like store-bought milk, while some say that it tastes even better. I personally adopt it to cow milk. People hypothesize that the high butterfat makes the milk taste sweeter than other goat milk, but whatever the reason, it'southward definitely my favorite.
Although I didn't call up the LaMancha milk tasted bad, one of my daughters strongly disliked information technology, and I could not even play a trick on her into consuming it when it was used in a gravy or other foods. She'd catch me every fourth dimension! Manifestly gustatory modality is a personal preference, and in that location are enough of people who prefer the milk of other breeds.
If your caprine animal milks tastes great sometimes only funky at other times, bank check out my podcast episode where nosotros talk over goaty-tasting milk, as well equally does that seem to be holding back their milk.
Are Nigerian dwarf goats hard to milk?
Some people look at the Nigerian'southward small size and just assume that information technology would exist difficult to milk them, but that's not true. I admit I spent at least a twelvemonth lament about the short teats, just that's considering I simply had not perfected my technique.
After learning how to milk my Nigerian dwarf goats, I actually constitute them easier to milk than the LMs. And it is non ever true that every Nigerian has smaller teats than standard size goats. We have had some goats with splendid teats. It is too of import to annotation that orifice size, udder texture, and shape of the teat are but every bit important, if not more important, than the length of the teat.
Yes, yous tin eat Nigerian dwarf caprine animal meat
If people want milk and meat, they are not likely to consider NDs, just Nigerian dwarf goat meat is delicious! If you wanted to start a goat meat concern, you should probably consider a larger brood, but if y'all but want to have some caprine animal meat for your family, you can butcher extra males.
The down side of Nigerian dwarf goats
Kids
Ane of the things I don't like about Nigerian dwarf goats is something that many people love, and that'southward their tendency to have litters of kids rather than only twins similar other breeds. Nosotros have had 3 does that have given birth to quintuplets a total of eight times, and we've had more quadruplets than I can remember at this bespeak. I've besides sold two does that went on to have six at their new home.
This is highly genetic, notwithstanding, and it is possible to select for or against this trait. A few years ago, I said I was going to sell off or retire the lines that throw the high multiples considering it was too stressful for me, but I oasis't had the nerve to actually do it. Of course, some of my favorite does had quints after I said that!
Does only have two teats, so in addition to her production, you besides take to consider her personality and the personality of the kids. Mom volition have to spend a lot of time standing, and those kids will fight for the two teats, sometimes leaving a smaller or less aggressive kid to starve. This is why I rarely let a doe effort to enhance more than three kids now. (Here's a mail where you lot can learn more than nearly how many kids a doe can feed.)
Popularity
Although Nigerian dwarf goats were rare when I got started in 2002, today they are the fastest growing breed for all of the reasons I've mentioned so far. The high child count has also made them a prime number target for people who want to brand a fast buck, leading to goat versions of puppy mills where people breed the does twice a year rather than once, and they never milk them, which means their ability to be a skillful milk goat is unknown.
This means there are many depression-quality Nigerian dwarf goats on the market today. This makes it challenging for those ownership their first goats. Information technology's really important that buyers looking for milk goats ask about milk product of does and stay abroad from ownership kids whose dams have not been milked. Hither are more tips on buying goats.
Which brood is all-time?
Just as people accept different gustatory modality in food, wine, music, dogs, and everything else imaginable, people have different tastes in goats. I've avoided writing a postal service most Nigerian dwarf goats until at present because I felt like I was obviously biased. Simply, who better than a true lover of the brood to explain why they're and so crawly!
Regardless of which breed you choose, keep in mind that this is a long term commitment. Nigerian goat lifespan is almost as long every bit dogs. Female goats live about 12-14 years, although I've had one live to 15 and another live to 16 years. Intact male goats (bucks) ordinarily merely live most 9 or 10 years, whereas I've heard of castrated males (wethers) living into their upper teens.
If y'all'd similar to know more about our goats, visit our Nigerian dwarf goat website here!
For more than information on other caprine animal breeds:
- Angora Goats
- Experimental Goats
- Fainting Goats (aka Myotonic Goats): History, Myths, and Facts
- Kinder Goats
- Nubian Goats and Cheesemaking
- Sable Goats
- San Clemente Island Goats
- Toggenburg Goats
- Choosing a Goat Breed for Your Farm
Want to see a comparing of all of the caprine animal breeds side by side in a spreadsheet, from milk production averages to appearance?
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Source: https://thriftyhomesteader.com/nigerian-dwarf-goats/
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