Males and females of this breed can either be born with horns or without horns. Dwarf Nigerian Goats can breed year round. Does can be bred at months of age and bucks can be bred around 3 months of age. Their gestation period is days. It is common for a Dwarf Nigerian Goat to have kids at a time. Dwarf Nigerian Goats are a heritage breed of goat. How can I post a similar article, warning others about the pitfalls in buying and breeding miniature cows?
After ten years, we are giving up. I would love to hear what you have learned about the miniature cattle.
I have debated for going on ten years, whether it is worth it or not. Especially once you have gone to see the goats and we had driven about 3. This was not from a breeder, but someone who had lost a family member, and was overwhelmed with the farm and trying to thin herds. It was clear that the animals were not getting the best care, and so we wanted so much to help.
And, of course, they are cute! Wow, does it sting to have spent hundreds of dollars and been so misled. Thank you, everyone who shared their cautionary tales. What is your advice in renting goats to clear a plot or two of property? How long would they clear bushes along the fencing? What is required for shelter? As for how much time would be required to clear the area, that will depend on the goats, the terrain and the vegetation. Wow, all of this could make a persons head spin!!
I am a new homesteader. I recently purchased 17 chicks. All are for pets and eggs. Not sure which goat breed is best. I have several grandkids and want them to be comfortable petting and playing with the goats.
Would you suggest getting registered goats even tho they are pets and personal use of their milk??? Papers allow you to track the lineage and purity of a breed, they also allow you to command a higher price if you ever decide to sell the kids.
If your children or grandchildren ever want to show your goats with 4-H or other county fairs, many require papers. If none of this pertains to you, then no- you do not need papers. Papers or not, the herds heath is the most important. I would contact a vet for a full check up of your goats before purchase, it is worth the fee for peace of mind. The down side, they are not heavy milkers. Max you can expect is 1 qt for a goat in milk. My friend raises Nubians and gets 1 gallon per- they are much bigger goats.
Keep in mind, no matter what breed you get you need to have a min of two, even if you own other animals. Best of luck! If you have any more advice I would appreciate it!???????? I give this advice often about papers- if you have papers and choose not to use them, no harm no foul. But if you ever want papers in the future, there is no turning back if you never received them to begin with.
Some of the things papers will come in handy with: tracking lineage, proving breed and blood-line, registering your herd with a goat organization, entering 4-H contest, county fairs etc. If none of this appeals to you, then my answer would be a big NO. Papers or not, the main concern is the health of your goat, make sure you get a full vet check for a clean bill of health and worm test. Best of luck on your new adventure!
Many goat-owners do not recommend milk replacer due to the nasty ingredients. Hello Sarah!! If you should need replacement or just fill in until kid and doe figure it out, these are outstanding products I have used with confidence. Happy Kidding???? What is the point of going fully sustainable, if you are now slaving yourself to another authoritative body like the ADGA?
They are a sham. A for what? So YOU can make more money off a kid? And when I make a purchase, I certainly expect to get what I purchased. If they had sold the animals as unregistered, that would be a completely different set of circumstances. We went the registered goat route at first only to have spent a boatload of money.
Unregistered goats are fine for homesteading, hobby farm, etc. Excellent disposition, excellent mamas, great milkers. We have one buck Mr.
Stinky who thinks he is a lap goat! And he weighs in at lbs.!! Also, as mentioned by others, the most important aspect is your goats health. Anyone who balks at sharing vet info on your prospective purchase should make you walk away.
I live in El Dorado County, Ca on five acres. My goal is to fences installed and get water troughs installed. Then look for cheap goats that just eat weeds. I cannot express how much I appreciate this article as we will be purchasing our first set of goats soon. Loved all the info, i have found a 12 month old Saanen doe for sale , seller has mother on site, says mother is registered she purchased from a dairy herd, I asked if doe had been tested and she said no, that the dairy herd she bought from tested and that they were healthy.
She tells me since mother of this doe is registered and that I can register this doe. Is this so? If doe looks healthy, do you think it is ok to buy and then test and start a worming program, price of doe is very reasonable, I want to use her as a milk goat and am very concerned that I not pass something along to my family…I do plan to pasturize the milk, would this kill any of the disease?
This is only my opinion about your situation, you need to do what is best for you. I asked if doe had been tested and she said no: This is a red flag for me. I would never suggest buying a goat that does not have recent test 3 months. The goats could be sick, have a disease or worms that would transfer your soil and contaminate it forever.
Even if they have Johnes disease a common disease in goats , there is no cure for Johnes disease. There is nothing to rid the soil of it other than indeterminate amounts of time. Since mother of this doe is registered and that I can register this doe. Both the mother and the father have to be registered in order to get the kids registered.
If she did not own the sire, she has to provide breeding papers buck papers. This is something you can only get from the breeder, you can not register goats on your own. Since she has not tested her herd nor can she provide papers, I would walk. If she had a recent copy of disease testing and gave you a copy, I would consider purchasing from her. The only reason I like papers is to prove the lineage and for resale value of the kids. If your only reason is milk, then I would make sure the goats not only have disease testing but a vet check.
You want the vet to check the udder very important for milk production , legs, teeth, etc. Please keep in mind, if you are getting a goat, you need a minimum of two. Goats are herd animals and they have to have more than one. In addition, you need to keep your doe in milk which means you need to breed her every other year and have access to a buck. There are many good breeders out there, but there are scammers as well. Do you recommend any vaccinations for young goats?
If so, what and at what age? Do most goat owners vaccinate for CL or just go for annual testing? I would like to have milk goats for mostly making soap, possible cheese. Is there anywhere I can get some information on how to process the milk from a liquid form to a solid form for the soap making process. Any other information on using the milk would be greatly appreciated.
Folks is someone familiar with black milking goats I notice they keep in Africa? Send info. I just want one girl goat to mow my lawn… well, she will also have high quality goat food. Goat milk is a premium. Mostly, I am lazy and do not to mow lawn. AIDS is a condition not a virus when the Immune system reaches a state when it cannot defend the body.
I once saw the perfect goat online and then when I showed up she looked nothing like her picture!!! I felt so disappointed. Always better to meet in person first before taking that big step. Thank you for your post and all of the information found in the comments. My son and his family have moved off grid and he had 4 nygerian goats lost the 2 kids to coyotes.
The female is the leader and actually pulls a cart for him which people had told him would never happen. All of the goats have been great with the children and other pets.
We look forward to raising goats. Goats, like most animals, respond to the care given to them. It sounds like your son is taking good care of his animals. Your email address will not be published.
Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. Don't start by getting a buck unless you're really sure you need one. Another question to ask is how much space you have for your goats. If you have acres and acres of range woods, pasture, etc. You need 10 to 15 square feet per goat indoors for sleeping space. Buying a goat starts with choosing a breed that fits with your goals: meat or milk, showing and developing a breeding line, or producing fiber.
But there are a few other traits to consider:. Be sure to choose a reputable breeder. Ask around locally to ensure your breeder's reputation, and ask to look at both the breeder's animals and their records. A good breeder has healthy, sound animals and their records will show how well their herd performs. Avoid the sale barns, as oftentimes people dispose of their cull goats here.
Shop around and compare how goats are managed at the farms you visit. Start slow, but plan to buy more than one goat because they are social animals. Ask questions: why is the goat for sale? How old is it? If a dog, has she kidded before? What were the results? Is the goat registered and if so, what are the bloodlines? Is there a history of diseases in the herd? Any disease history in this particular goat? Is the herd CAE-free?
Is the herd CL-free? And observe and examine your potential goat.
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