Dwarf Nigerian Goats

I didn't end up buying because for our purposes the ND breed didn't give enough milk...that said, if I had decided to go with the ND, I would definately buy from Herzingers. And we may eventually go with some Nigerians as show animals for our younger 4Hers in the house.

We live close enough that we could drive to pick up, but I did discuss shipping with Gena. She was very well informed and thorough about shipping and I know she's shipped all over the US and I believe internationally as well. In talking with others who show goats and HAVE bought from her, they are all impressed with her standards. She is at the forefront of ADGA registering and runs a CAE free herd. I also casually know some of the people who show with her and they all had good things to say about her herd.

A bad reputation can get around like wildfire in the goat show world, so it is really nice when a good reputation gets around too!

Give her a call or e-mail and talk with her. She was happy to call me back and I really enjoyed our visit. I'm saying all these good things and I've never even met her in person yet, so I'm not prejudice or trying to advertise.

Good luck and happy hunting!

We have had Nigies for several years now. We have them for milk and are just getting into showing some. We find them to be spunky and fun goats that are hardy and easy kidders. As for milk, they do produce a decent amount for their size and the milk is wonderful but we have other breeds that we prefer for milk simply due to less work to get the same amount of milk.

You might want to check out the American Goat Society (www.americangoatsociety.com) and the Nigerian Dwarf Goat Association (www.ndga.org) for more info on Nigerian Dwarf Goats. There is also a breed club ANDDA (www.andda.org) Goat kingdom also has a list of breeders.


Different people and groups have different thoughts on what they want from Nigerian Dwarf goats. Some show, some milk, some have them for pets.
I'd recommend you ask a lot of questions and visit herds before you decide.
But be prepared - they're cute

Not to sound too defensive, Mamasaanan, because I've seen the same small teats on Nigerians, but honestly there has been a lot of improvement in how milkable these little goats are. I have certainly seen teats on standard dairy goats that were no larger than the teats on either of my Nigerian does.

One thing I HAVE found out, in my standard goats and in my Nigerians, is that it really does help to have 12 hours between milkings in early lactation to develop teat size and udder capacity, especially in a first freshener. For myself, I separate the kids at night after the second or third night, and let them stay with mom during the day, whether I'm milking the doe or not. If I'm not milking, the kids get a big breakfast, but the mom still gets the opportunity to develop properly, just like all those standard dairy goats that don't dam raise their kids.

I find the real differences between the small and large goats are 1) amount of milk - duh! - 2) quality of milk 3) ease of handling - another duh! - and 4) persistence of lactation. 1) I have some outstanding standard dairy goats that are currently drowning me in milk. I'm only milking two of the three, and they're raising their own kids, yet I'm throwing out nearly a gallon of milk a day. What a waste! 2) I've had milk from a lot of different standard goats and NOTHING comes close to Nigerian milk for downright tastiness, but then, I really like rich, sweet milk. I guess someone who prefers less sweetness and butterfat might form a different opinion. 3) It's just natural that a 60 pound goat is a whole lot easier to handle than a 150 pound goat. 4) Persistence of lactation is a biggie for me because I only like to milk once a day. My Obers can maintain a relatively level lactation on that schedule, but the Nigies tend to dry off fairly quickly.

I'm now breeding minis to try for the persistence of lactation from the standards, along with the ease of handling and delicious milk in more reasonable quantities from the Nigerians. We'll see how it goes.