[GoatGirl123]

Check out this website: http://www.desertflowerranchaz.com/nigerian-dwarf-goat-qas/

Some direct quotes from the website and why they are wrong!


Question: How much do Nigerian Dwarf does and bucks weigh?

Answer: Nigerian dwarf does weigh between 25 and 35 pounds. Nigerian dwarf bucks weigh between 30 and 45 pounds.

Why that is wrong: Our goats are all at least 50 pounds fully grown. If this were true, our five month old ND would be within five pounds of her full adult weight!


Question: Does a nigerian dwarf doe have to have kids to have milk?

Answer: Yes.

Why that is wrong: What about precocious udders? They might be uncommon, but way to go scaring potential newbies into thinking that there goat has something seriously wrong with them!


Question: How old does a nigerian dwarf doe have to be to breed?

Answer: A nigerian dwarf doe has to be at least 8 months old and 30 pounds.

Why that is wrong: Um, no. Wait until they are a MINIMUM of forty pounds.


Question: Is it okay to have a goat that has horns?

Answer: I would say no. If a goat has horns it can hurt other goats, people and itself. When a baby goat is born it is best to get it disbudded.

Why that is wrong: Bleep! Opinion alert in the Q&A section!


Question: Are nigerian dwarfs good in goat shows?

Answer: Yes. Nigerians are great in goat shows. They can even be entered in costume contests.

Why that is wrong: That's like saying that all Americans are good at farming!


Question: How many babies can a nigerian dwarf doe have per kidding?

Answer: A nigerian doe can have between 1 – 7 kids at a time (twins and triplets being most common).

Why that is wrong: Riiiight. Everyone has seen a goat have seven kids.


Question: How old do Nigerian Dwarf kids need to be to be weaned?

Answer: A nigerian dwarf kid has to be at least 6 weeks old (7 weeks is best), but if you are bottle feeding them then they only need to be 4 – 5 weeks.

Why that is wrong: Wait until eight weeks, MINIMUM. They need milk that long, even if they're bottle fed.


Question: What is the earliest a doe can kid?

Answer: It is be safe for a doe to kid 10 days before their due date.

Why that is wrong: It can sometimes be dangerous even to have a doe kid on day 145 with small kids!



So, what do you think? Am I wrong about all those things, or do we just have really abnormal goats and read really inaccurate stuff al the time? [Rolls eyes] and the person who wrote this website has goats! Ha, could've fooled me.

 

[punchiepal]

Ask 10 goat people how to raise goats and get 12 different answers. (Yeah, I meant to say it that way.) Raising goats is a lot of science and a lot of opinion. I may or may not agree with what is written above, it's her opinion. I give my customers information and websites that I have gleaned information from and they can form their own opinions on how to raise their goats. Ask me and I will give you mine, then take away the info and use what you want. Just don't get mad at me b/c it is my opinion.

Would I word things differently on my website? Maybe in some cases yes in others. But it is her website, her opinion. I would take it up with her.

BTW - I own a doe from a litter of 6 or 7 (I can't remember) and the last few years we have had our overwhelming fair share of quads and even a set of quints from ND's.

 

[GoatGirl123]

Ask 10 goat people how to raise goats and get 12 different answers. (Yeah, I meant to say it that way.) Raising goats is a lot of science and a lot of opinion. I may or may not agree with what is written above, it's her opinion. I give my customers information and websites that I have gleaned information from and they can form their own opinions on how to raise their goats. Ask me and I will give you mine, then take away the info and use what you want. Just don't get mad at me b/c it is my opinion.

Would I word things differently on my website? Maybe in some cases yes in others. But it is her website, her opinion. I would take it up with her.

BTW - I own a doe from a litter of 6 or 7 (I can't remember) and the last few years we have had our overwhelming fair share of quads and even a set of quints from ND's.

I see your point. Maybe I was overreacting. However, I still say 25-35 pounds is MUCH too small, and I still don't get how kids born ten days early would be perfectly fine.

 

[punchiepal]

Well, her answers contradict each other.
ie she says they weigh 25-35# but breeding weight at 8 months is 30#? If anyone has read anything they see the error in that goats can grow for up to 3 years so how can they be 30# at 8 months and still grow for another year or 2?

Kidding-
ND do routinely kid earlier than other breeds. Going through my records I see lots of kidding on day 146 and 147 for my nd's. (I know exact breeding dates as I hand breed) Saanens go longer, 150+ and my mini's seem to go right before 150, 148-149. If she is using the outside "normal" kidding time of 150-155, then 155-10. It's only a day off and if they are in heat 2 days and had 3 breedings over 2 day...well there is a day either way right there. Now. Day 143. That is a tough one to pull off.

 

[Distaff]

I see your point. Maybe I was overreacting. However, I still say 25-35 pounds is MUCH too small, and I still don't get how kids born ten days early would be perfectly fine.

I currently raise ND's, and many years ago, I kept Saanens. The weigths stated there are simply wrong. They just aren't all that small. I HATE junky information! Maybe this person was thinking of pygmy goats? No exerience of my own there, but I've seen those quiet small - full grown or not...don't know.

Sloppy.