I have nigerian dwarf goats

emanuelcs34 · #1 12/08/08, 08:25 AM

I was given 2 registered nigerian dwarf does. Both are 3 yrs old and pregnant. The owners were down to their last bale of hay with no hope of getting more.
I do have a question about feed though. With pygmy goats I have been told no grain because it causes the babies to get to big. So would that be the same with these or should they be given grain because they are dairy.
Here they are the black and white spotted is spice and the mostly black with a few spots is sugar.
I have nigerian dwarf goats - Goats

Chaty · #2 12/08/08, 09:13 AM

I feed mine once a day and they get hay also. I make sure if I cant get alfalfa hay they get alfalfa pellets. All of mine are fat and sassy and do well on just 1 feeding a day. If you plan to milk them they will need the alfalfa to do well. When are their due dates. I would start slowly feeding them each day and work up to about 1 lb per feeding for each goat. After they kid they will need feeding 2x a day to keep up with the demands of the babies. This is just what I do with mine, I am sure some wont agree. BTW I love their colorings and very pretty girls you got there.

emanuelcs34 · #3 12/08/08, 09:47 AM

Thank you, I love them. They are very friendly girls, although the pygmy goats don't think much of them, they are very noisy so far.
The owners thought they were due the end of march, but do have a good sized udder (compared to my pygmies that are due the end of march) They also smell like a buck, I think they spent most of their time with a buck, so I am not sure they will wait till march.
I have good alfalfa hay for them, I just wasn't sure about grain. I have loose minerals for them, I don't think they had any before. They have a few spots that are fading, but should look better with minerals.

Minelson · #4 12/08/08, 03:51 PM

The are really nice looking Does

I love their colors! Congratulations!

BethW · #5 12/08/08, 05:13 PM

Congrats on your new goats! They're super cute

Chaty · #6 12/08/08, 07:28 PM

The red highlites are a copper defficency...a copper bolus would clear that up fast and the minerals will help also.

goatkid · #7 12/09/08, 12:14 AM

I give all my dairy does grain at the end of their pregnancy. Most of mine have been full size goats, but I have had a couple of Nigies and now have a mini Nubian and grain hasn't made the kids too big.

jordan · #8 12/09/08, 12:49 AM

Let the ND addiction begin!!!
FYI, both does are desperately in need of a hoof trimming! It looks like it's starting to mess up their legs.
Other than that, both appear to be in very good weight and as long as you are feeding a good quality hay, I wouldn't worry too much about giving grain. Some of mine (the heftier ones) don't get it at all during their pregnancy and only start after freshening.
Enjoy your new goats!

emanuelcs34 · #9 12/09/08, 08:05 AM

Thanks everyone, I could never tell the difference between nd and pygmies. but now am seeing all the differences. I have had pygmies for 3 yrs, so now I have 5 pygmies and 2 nigerian dwarf. Love them all.
I noticed the feet and will get that done. I have a good hay supply but may start alfalfa pellets, just to make sure they get enough calcium. But will probably wait on grain until after they kid.
Last season I had a pygmy with a single that I gave grain to and the kid was huge and had to have the legs removed in order to get it out. Its legs were as long as the mothers. I dont want to go through that again.

hoofinitnorth · #10 12/09/08, 10:34 AM

Grain isn't so much the issue, IMO, as the size of the fetus in relation to the width of the dam's pelvis (hips, thurls, pins). Pygmies have a bad reputation for being too narrow and having difficult deliveries, including lots of c-sections or pulled kids, but really that can happen with any poorly bred goat, including NDs. You want nice, progressively wide hips to thurls to pins. The pins can be narrower than the thurls, but you don't want them drastically narrow if you can breed for it. That will usually give you easier birthings.

Grain apparently does contribute to the growth of the fetus in the womb, but it won't change the width of the doe's pelvis.

Thus you don't want overly rapid growth such that the fetus grows too large for natural delivery. How much is too much? I'm not sure anyone really knows. The dam needs just enough grain to keep her energy up so she isn't pulling from her body to maintain and help grow the babies. Many people feed no grain at all and have no problems, while others say they need to feed grain. I think your doe's condition and experience over time will tell you what you need to do. It will depend on your hay, of course, as that is your starting point for all nutrition. Sorry it's not a clear-cut answer for you!

emanuelcs34 · #11 12/09/08, 10:58 AM

Thanks hoofinitnorth I do understand that, and I will watch and see if I need to add grain while pregnant. although the alfalfa pellets to help with calcium will be given.
I have also learned to listen to my instincts, I had a feeling last year with my pygmy and I waited until it was too late. If I had went with my feeling I would have had a c- section and would not have lost the kid and went through months of infection with my doe.
I was not going to breed her this year but my buck had other ideas, So if she is pregnant will have a c-section this year, hopefully she is not, but I will make sure and watch closely. ( Fences are now fixed so it won't happen again, plus the buck is now gone)