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10/24/08, 02:29 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 127
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Tell me about Nigerian Dwarfs...
Howdy! I need to know there milk production, personality, how many to one acre, etc.
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10/24/08, 04:08 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: MN
Posts: 970
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You have a most excellent breeder in oklahoma! Dills a little has great herd. You should check out their site.
Everything else depends on breeding. You won't find great milkers in ND breed very often unless they are coming from a great herd. In my herd we have had some does give 1 1/2 cups of milk and some who give nearly 3 quarts per day, so there is a lot of variation in the breed. The best thing you can do is buy a mature doe from a herd that milk them and treats them as dairy animals not as pets.
You can put 6 -10 on an acre. Make sure they have toys to play with as they love to climb. Fence needs to be really tight. Our kids will pop through cattle pens until they are 8 months old. I recently covered the fence of our growing out pen with chicken wire to keep them in.
It's very important to get a healthy goat with a ND you are hoping to milk. Because they make smaller quantities, it's important that they are not stunted in growth or have their intestines damaged by cocci or parasites. If they haven't been wormed properly pass them up. They really won't be able to give you a good amount of milk back.
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my posts and pictures are my exclusive property and may not be used without my permission.
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10/24/08, 08:30 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 127
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Oh, ok! I'm tryin to see what kind of dairy goats I should start off with, I heard they was alright, so I figured I'd ask folks.
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10/25/08, 07:45 AM
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Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: western NY
Posts: 1,507
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If you're mainly interested in milk search for a bloodline that's rich in that area, especially does on 305 day testing. There are many goats out there not show quality but have wonderful udders and capacity.
As for personality I don't think they can be beat. Bottle feds are almost instant love bugs but if dam raised kids are given time and attention they too can be super pets. Plus you get an array of color with this breed.
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10/25/08, 10:31 AM
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My kids have hooves
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Join Date: May 2007
Location: Central Virginia
Posts: 2,224
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Quote:
Originally Posted by moonspinner
Bottle feds are almost instant love bugs but if dam raised kids are given time and attention they too can be super pets. Plus you get an array of color with this breed.
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Their personalities really are wonderful. My NDs were all dam raised but they're lap goats and can't get enough of scritches and ear rubs. 
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Beth ~ Old Church, VA
3 Nigerian Dwarf goats, 4 cats, 3 Pekin ducks and 7 chickens. One very patient husband~
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10/25/08, 12:37 PM
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Katie
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Twining, Mi.
Posts: 19,930
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My Nigerians are all dam raised to, but all little lovers. I don't usually milk mine so I can't help you there. I agree with some of the others here though, I don't think their personalities can be beat.
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10/25/08, 01:30 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 127
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Ok, well, I'll try 'em just to see!
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10/25/08, 06:46 PM
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Lasergrl
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Geauga County, Ohio
Posts: 1,655
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see my post about smarty pants Dixie to see how smart they are, and what great personalities they can have
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10/25/08, 09:19 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 127
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lasergrl
see my post about smarty pants Dixie to see how smart they are, and what great personalities they can have |
LOL Ok!
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10/26/08, 01:30 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Troy, Vermont
Posts: 1,695
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I raise the ND's and make no bones about the fact that I love them to pieces. Here are some stats for you to consider. Remember, these are generalities. A typical ND is about the 1/3 the size of a full size goat, eat about 1/3 the food, and produce 1/2 the milk. Their milk is also very rich and cant be beat for butterfat and protein. They were the goats used in the biosphere experiment because of their practicality. The personalities are to die for and it is truly Christmas every kidding season because there is no way to predict the coloring of the progeny. I think this is the only breed, or one of, that you cannot do that. They are very hardy and can take cold quite well and have such docile temperments. I have yet to meet a one, even the bucks in rut are human friendly. At least mine are. Mine are climbers and jumpers, but only until they mature-around 1 to 2 years old. I only have a 4 ft. stock fence and none of mine escape. My biggest reason for having them (other than just plain loving them) is that they are sooooo easy to handle. I am on O2 and am not in great shape. I can easily handle these guys and almost any child or elderly person could as well. And when you see a newborn ND, you will be hooked forever. They look like little beenie-babies with legs! Around 2 to 21/2 lbs. is average for these guys. Definitely try them --- you'll love them!!!!! And post pics when you jump in and get some.
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10/26/08, 02:00 PM
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Escapee
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Northern California
Posts: 440
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crazygoatgal - my dh wasn't real thrilled when I told him I wanted some goats, but once we went and looked at some newborn ND kids, he wouldn't let me forget about getting them! He was hooked right then and there! They really are so cute... I am so looking forward to breeding mine and having my own small little goat herd. I want them for their rich milk, Jim wants them for thier cuteness - so we kinda come together there. They are both cute and useful. 
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10/26/08, 02:29 PM
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My kids have hooves
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Join Date: May 2007
Location: Central Virginia
Posts: 2,224
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Quote:
Originally Posted by smwon
He was hooked right then and there!
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LOL, my story is pretty much the same. DH knew that I wanted goats when we bought our place, but he kept putting me off. Until the night I was browsing my favorite goat breeder's website, and I turned my laptop around to show him the darling little white/gold ND she had for sale. I was teasing him (kinda), asking if we could have him, and DH just grinned at that picture and said yes!
We were still in the car bringing home those first two when DH said to me "you know, two seems a little lonely. Maybe we should get another one!" And so we have three of the most loved and spoiled goats on the planet. And DH is an official Goat Adorer. Here they are at Christmas last year. Tango, (the one in the back) was the one that first got DH hooked:
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Beth ~ Old Church, VA
3 Nigerian Dwarf goats, 4 cats, 3 Pekin ducks and 7 chickens. One very patient husband~
Last edited by BethW; 10/26/08 at 02:31 PM.
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10/26/08, 03:37 PM
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: North of Houston TX
Posts: 4,817
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Ugly make sure you actually milk them. Most dam raise and don't milk because they have such tiny teats, fine for gals and kids, but a big ole Ugly Cowboy, no way 
Whats your goal? vicki
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Vicki McGaugh
Nubian Soaps
North of Houston TX
www.etsy.com/shop/nubiansoaps
A 3 decade dairy goat farm homestead that is now a retail/wholesale soap company and construction business.
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10/26/08, 03:44 PM
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More dharma, less drama.
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: Texas Coastal Bend/S. Missouri
Posts: 30,482
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I want to know how you got those goats to pose. 
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Alice
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"No great thing is created suddenly." ~Epictitus
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10/26/08, 03:48 PM
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: North of Houston TX
Posts: 4,817
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It is a super cute photo, but I was looking at that wonderful fence That is how I am doing my new buck barn and fence between the stalls. Vicki
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Vicki McGaugh
Nubian Soaps
North of Houston TX
www.etsy.com/shop/nubiansoaps
A 3 decade dairy goat farm homestead that is now a retail/wholesale soap company and construction business.
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10/26/08, 03:57 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: South Dakota
Posts: 24,108
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Beth, OMG that picture is ADORABLE!!!! I would post one of mine but they are only half ND. Did you use that for your Christmas cards last year?
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Teach only Love...for that is what You are 
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10/26/08, 05:22 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 6,722
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Their teats are so tiny that I gave up trying to milk them. I have a pasture full of the adorable little ND's and I love them. I'm planning to make a home made adaptation of Maggidan's Milker for them (you can see a version at my adaptation of Maggidan's Milker) It's the only way I'll be able to milk a ND with those teeny tiny teats.
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.Everybody has a plan.
Do you know yours?
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10/26/08, 05:52 PM
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stranger than fiction
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Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Eastern Ontario, Canada
Posts: 3,049
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Quote:
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The personalities are to die for and it is truly Christmas every kidding season because there is no way to predict the coloring of the progeny. I think this is the only breed, or one of, that you cannot do that.
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Hmmmm, does this mean you might find a totally different colour than what you bred for? My kids this year all had variations of their parents' colours.....ie, chocolate buck threw brown into kids, white buck threw some white, cinnamon doe threw cinnamon....no real "where did that come from" colouring.....but I can always hope for next year!
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"The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese in the trap."
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10/26/08, 06:11 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 6,722
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DixyDoodle
Hmmmm, does this mean you might find a totally different colour than what you bred for? My kids this year all had variations of their parents' colours.....ie, chocolate buck threw brown into kids, white buck threw some white, cinnamon doe threw cinnamon....no real "where did that come from" colouring.....but I can always hope for next year! |
This year I had a beautiful black and white "paint" buckling born to a brown doe that was bred to a white buck. This little buckling was a total surprise. I don't know if his coloring came from his dam or sire, but I hope that next year I'll get a doeling with that coloring from the same parents.
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.Everybody has a plan.
Do you know yours?
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10/26/08, 06:52 PM
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My kids have hooves
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Join Date: May 2007
Location: Central Virginia
Posts: 2,224
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Rose, I could say that they're always easy to pose...that great ND personality, you know. Of course, that would be a big fat lie since the picture you see is the result of probably 30 tries and at least one box of raisins! I wasn't even supposed to be in the picture but it was the only way they'd all stay still. And yes Minelson, we used it for our Christmas photo last year. It was a big hit
Vicki, the fence is the result of newbie cluelessness. The three-board fence was already there so we added the cattle panels to line it. Then those teeny NDs got their heads stuck in the cattle panels, so we had to add 2"x4" welded wire. There's three layers of fence. Live and learn
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Beth ~ Old Church, VA
3 Nigerian Dwarf goats, 4 cats, 3 Pekin ducks and 7 chickens. One very patient husband~
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