milking the nigerian dwarf?

GeorgiaberryM · #1 12/01/05, 06:58 PM

Goat, that is. We recently visited a friend with a small herd of nigerian dwarf goats, and we really fell for them - so cute!

The two does we are considering are 1/8 nubian. Does anyone here use these for milk goats?

And we can't breed them to our saanan buck, I guess.

chma4 · #2 12/02/05, 07:45 AM

Please dont breed them to a sanaan buck. Nigerian bucks are very docile and easy to keep.

debitaber · #3 12/02/05, 09:31 AM

I think your Sanaan buck would be to big for the little gals. lots of people milk dn's.

moonspinner · #4 12/02/05, 10:14 AM

If your girls are 7/8ths nigie no way would I breed them to a standard breed buck. As to your question about nigies as milkers, yes, they can be good milkers. Sure, some have small teats which makes it difficult, but those with plumb, large orifices are a dream to milk and most nigerians will give one to two quarts a day - some even more. Nigerian milk is higher than most breeds in butterfat which makes for outstanding products like cheeses and fudge. If you've ever tasted nigie fudge it is sweeter than most. Also nigerian milk soaps are gaining in popularity for their soft texture. Of course, as a nigerian breeder I'm biased, I admit!!

goatkid · #5 12/02/05, 01:02 PM

My Nigerian doe is easy to milk as far as teat size, however she doesn't fit in my stanchion so I just kept her doeling on her until she weaned her. I took both the mom and daughter Nigerian to a friend's buck to breed rather than breed them to a Nubian buck. I guess I'm really lucky where I live. Though I only have Nubian bucks, I have access to Nigerians, Boers, Alpines and La Manchas for stud service.

GeorgiaberryM · #6 12/02/05, 05:27 PM

I wondered about the stanchion. I was looking at ours ( a handmade one ) and trying to figure out if I could put another food tray down lower.

Those Nigerian Dwarf babies are so cute they ought to be registered as a lethal weapon!

debitaber · #7 12/02/05, 05:31 PM

my hubby made me a schanchion, with shot legs on it, so my minis can get up on it. and I sit on a stool, with shoter legs, and it works fine, but most of the time , they hop up on the big girls one, the one for my big nubian does.