Quaking Aspen Ranch

Some information on the Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Goat

(From the NDGA website; ndga.org)

The Nigerian Dairy goat is a miniature dairy goat of West African origin. Nigerian goats are enjoying a rise in popularity due to their small size, colorful markings and dairy characteristics. Their small stature means they do not require as much space or feed as their larger dairy goat counterparts and their gentle and friendly personalities make them good companion pets.

The milk is also higher in butterfat and has a sweeter taste. Nigerian goats are easy to handle; even for small children. Nigerian goats are considered rare by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has also approved the Nigerian Dwarf Goat as a livestock dairy goat, which makes them eligible for youth 4H and FFA projects. 

Nigerian goats are gentle, loveable and playful. Their calm, even temperament and engaging personalities make them suitable companions for all, including children, the disabled and the elderly. Even breeding bucks are handled easily. They make wonderful pets and great animal projects for young children in 4H or FFA.

Breeders of other types of goats find their Nigerian goats blend in with the rest of their herd and do not need special quarters; just adequate fencing to contain them because of their small size. Many Nigerian goats share pastures peacefully with other livestock such as cattle, horses, llamas and donkeys. In fact, they will often improve a pasture by removing brambles, undergrowth (including weeds) and ivy (even poison ivy) that other livestock won't eat.

Color is one of the factors that makes breeding Nigerian goats so popular. You can never be sure what color the babies will be until they are born; even then you can't be sure because many times their color may change. Main color families are black, chocolate, and gold with virtually every color combination imaginable being produced. Nigerian goats can be dalmatian-spotted, pinto-patterned, tri-colored or just classy shades of solid jet black, white, chocolate or gold. Buckskin patterns are also popular, described by contrasting facial stripes, a "cape" around the shoulders with a coordinating dorsal stripe and leg markings. Brown eyes are the most common; however, dwarfs with china blue eyes are becoming increasingly popular and available.

Nigerian goats breed year round. Many owners breed their does three times in two years, giving the doe at least a 6-month break. Of course, this is a personal choice for each breeder. The gestation period for a doe is 145 to 153 days. For the most part, Nigerian goats are a hearty breed with few kidding problems. New babies average about 2 pounds at birth but grow quickly. Watch out for those little bucks! Bucklings can be fertile at as young as 7 weeks of age. Make sure you wean does and bucks separately to help you avoid unintentional breeding.

Bucks are able to be used for service as young as 3 months of age and easily by the time they are 7 or 8 months old. Nigerian goat bucks are vigorous breeders but are gentle enough to be used for hand breeding (contained) or pasture breeding where one buck is available for several does as they come into estrus. Both methods are used successfully.

Does can be bred at 7-8 months of age if they have reached a mature size. Some breeders prefer to wait until they are at least 1 year or older. Nigerian goat does can have several kids at a time, 3 and 4 being common with some quintuplet births occurring. Nigerian goats are generally good mothers able to take care of their babies should you leave them to do the raising of the kids. They can also provide a surprising amount of milk for their size if you decide you want your own delicious goat milk or cheese.

A healthy Nigerian Dairy doe can produce a surprising amount of sweet milk for her small size - up to two quarts per day or more. In addition, Nigerian goat milk is higher in butterfat (6-10%) and higher in protein than milk from most dairy goat breeds. Many Nigerian goat owners raise their goats for milk production but others raise them for the pleasure and companionship these little caprines bring to their lives.

Web sites for goat information and registry;

American Dairy Goat Association

 http://www.adga.org/

American Goat Society

 http://www.americangoatsociety.com/

American Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Association

 http://www.andda.org/index.html

Nigerian Dwarf Goat Association

 http://www.ndga.org/index.html