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Maximum height of the Nigerian Dwarf Goat at maturity is 22.6 inches for does and 23.6 inches for bucks with a suggested weight of about 75lbs. Color is just one of the many reasons breeding Nigerian Dwarves is so much fun - you never know what colors or markings you will get until the kids arrive and even then they can change until maturity - often adding additional spots and color changes as they mature. They come in a tremendous variety of colors including black, chocolate, buckskin and gold. Random white markings and marking combinations such spots are common. Unlike many breeds of goats that only breed seasonally Nigerian Dwarf goats breed year round. New born kids average only about 2 lbs. at birth but grow and mature quickly. Nigerian Dwarf does can be bred at 7 to 8 months of age and can have several kids at a time. Triplettes and quadruplettes are quite common and they occasionally even have quintuplettes. Dwarf does generally kid easily and are usually very good mothers. Nigerians are suprisingly good milkers for their small stature. They give an average of three to four pounds of high quality milk per day with 6 to 10% butterfat. They also typically eat less than their full sized dairy counterparts so it makes them very productive for the amount of feed they require. Bucks have been known to breed and be fertile as young as 7 weeks of age and are able to be used for service often as young as 3 months of age and easily by the time they are 7 or 8 months old. Dwarf bucks are vigorous breeders but are gentle enough to be used for hand breeding or pasture breeding. Nigerian Dwarf goats are currently registerable in 3 registries. American Goat Society (AGS), International Dairy Goat Registry (IDGR), and Canadian Goat Society (CGS). Dwarf shows are growing in popularity and becoming more and more available throughout the US. Most are sanctioned by AGS. While there are still a relatively small number of Nigerian Dwarf goats in the US their popularity is gaining fast! Their small size, gentle nature and excellent milking ability make them the ideal family goat! Nigerians are the ideal family goat. They are gentle and loveable. Even breeding bucks are handled easily due to their gentle dispositions and small size. They make superb family milkers as well as wonderful pets and great animal projects for young children in 4-H. |
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