Goat milk is easier to breakdown and digest. Babies are around 2 pounds when born. We try to be careful and use good biosecurity standards however, no matter how good we are, disease can still find a way in. Remember a happy goat gives the best milk. This will help you answer questions for treating your goat when the vet is unavailable and over the phone consultation is necessary. Answer: A nigerian dwarf doe has to be at least 8 months old and 30 pounds. Ideal weight is suggested to be about 75 pounds. Feeds containing UREA. This is when they will try other things to eat. For goats it is called freshening. She had quads a few days later. So, if a doe must be at least 135 pounds to meet the breed standards, a doeling would need to be at least 110 pounds to be considered fit for breeding. If your doe is Cae positive, powdered colostrum supliments are available. Goats that have a good choice of graze, proper hay and/or grain that they need will not eat non-edible or poisonous substances. We sell Nigerian Dwarf goats with ADGA papers and a few without. Fescue grass- not poisonous just not recommended. When the doe gives birth it is called freshening or kidding. This can save a lot of money and your goat’s life. 10)   Wash off teats with your wipe. However, the more kids in a freshening the more varied the weight of the kids can be. We use stainless steal pans under our does. In fact, they are very particular and will not eat food that has been dropped on the ground or soiled. Disbudding at this stage is not very effective and can be more painful to the kid. More importantly, I love Nigerian Dwarf Goats. Nigerian Dwarf goats have a more slender neck, and thinner, longer legs. A standard stainless steal pan with a handle works well. Because they can breed off season - different than other goats, it is easy to keep a year round milk supply. I prefer to give my girls a few months to rest and recuperate before they are bred again. When cared for properly, the Nigerian Dwarf goat can have a lifespan of between 12 and 14 years. An udder cream or spray can be used but is not necessary. For 8 adults, 6 of whom are lactating, and 8 kids we are feeding 1 scoop alfalfa pellets and 1 scoop grain twice a day, in addition to browse and hay. You can add apple cider vinegar to water in the winter. When my electronic milker comes in I’ll be milking more. Mini-Manchas “Mini-manchas”, as in LaMancha does crossed with Nigerian Dwarf bucks, are sometimes used as pets or homestead dairy goats. In goats blue eyes are a dominant trait. We reserve the right to choose who we will sell our animals to. The bucks are ideally between 19 and 21 inches (but up to 23.5 inches). Nigeria dwarf goats are mostly found in the southern part of Nigeria. However, being a mother myself who “kidded and nursed” my children, I know that it takes a lot out of your body. The doe can be milked immediately and the kids can be bottle fed. Nigerian Dwarf Goat Baby Care They birth on average 3 to 4 babies at a time, called kids. Inspect her milk in the strip cup and test for mastitis if necessary. They came to the United States in the 1930’s and 1950’s as food for larger cats like lions. The earliest record of Nigerian Dwarf goats is from West Africa. This is then set atop the half gallon mason jar. She was in the shelter laying quietly. We want our goats placed in good, loving homes with people who are familiar with raising farm animals. We give them a pain med and disbud the kids that have erupted horns. Goats (and for that matter cows) do have to kid, calf or have a baby before they can give milk. At that time, we begin milking twice a day about 12 hours apart. Rectal Temperature            101.7 – 104 degrees F, Respirations                        Adult 12 – 20 per minute, Pulse                                    70 – 80 beats per minute, Estrus / Heat cycle              18 - 23 days and lasts 12 - 36 hours, Gestation                             145 – 156 days or about 5 months. Nigerian dwarf goats price – how much do they cost in the USA? The balanced proportions of the Nigerian Dwarf give it the appearance of the larger breeds of dairy goats, but does stand no more than 22.5 inches (57 centimeters) and bucks no more than 23.5 inches (60 centimeters). Make it a positive experience. Females of this same breed stand a little more than 22 inches high. Before you start shooting the messenger and accuse me of wrecking your homesteading dream or saying I’m a goat-hater, let me explain myself. Doelings (female goats) are generally ready to breed at 8-12 months of age. A movement toward self sustaining lifestyles has helped increase interest in this breed. Truthfully, they prefer these more than grass. The typical gestation period for Nigerian Dwarf Goats is about 5 months. The goat market is something that dictates the value of Nigerian Dwarf Goats. Our goats are registered through ADGA and/or AGS. This will help to keep their urinary system flowing. The price will vary depending on the goat performance i.e champion pedigree, the production capabilities, health etc. Many goat owners do not attempt to breed doelings until they are at least 80% of their adult weight. You can have approximately 10 Nigerian dwarf goats per acre. They are definitely much smaller in size than full-size goats. Each one has specific needs that the other does not. We try not to worm our goats routinely. Adult Nigerian dwarf goats weigh approximately 75 pounds when full grown. We have fecals done periodically to test for parasites and treat accordingly. Male Nigerian dwarf goats are about two feet tall, on average. I will give a list of plants to avoid that have been reported to be poisonous or harmful to goats somewhere on the internet. Interesting facts:  Only goats, sheep, toads, and octopi have rectangular pupils. Like larger dairy goats, these dwarf goats will have short, fine hair. They eat less and they convert the food they eat to milk efficiently. Goat milk is best, and I prefer raw milk because it has all of the antibodies intact. When one of our goat’s routine changes, like - they aren’t first in line to eat, or don’t come up for a scratch on the shoulders – something is wrong. Those little guys have been know to breed and be fertile as young as 7 weeks of age. Angora goats, the most common type of fiber goat, can weigh 88 pounds (40 kg) or more. Does can be bred at 7 to 8 months of age if they have reached good size. We allow the doe to raise her kids for two tp six weeks naturally and then we remove the kids at night. These are toxic to goats. As of 2012, The Livestock Conservancy Board ranked Nigerian dwarf goats as a recovering breed. These mothers are very protective of their kids. She may look at her side, like she can’t figure out what is going on. Kids with immunized does:                 4, 6, 10 weeks ? Bottle feed so that the kids will not contract the Cae from the mother goat. ), Lasiandra, Lilacs, Lily of the Valley (Pieris Japonica), Lupine, Madreselva (Spain) patologia renal, Maya – Maya, Monkhood, Milkweed, Mountain Laurel, Nightshade (? The mom goat was dues in 2 more weeks per the seller, but yesterday gave birth to 3. An adult male is called a buck, a young male is a buckling and a male that has been fixed or sterilized is a wether. It is better to have a veterinarian surgically dehorn them at this point. The information was not any clearer when it came to the bucks. This flexibility has helped to develop interest in this breed with hobby farmers and modern day homesteaders. 4)  Clean hands and supplies are the most important part of the process. However, if the milk comes from a doe that has CAE, Johne’s, or another infectious disease, then the milk needs to be pasteurized so that the kid does not get infected.Beyond that, you’ll hear people argue all day long about what to There are not many medications developed for goats so many treatments come from medications meant for other livestock. ). Some kids horn buds do not break through the skin until later. According to the Columbian Park Zoo, this West African breed are found all over the world today. I checked her temp and it was 105 degrees F.  She was sick. If this is your plan make sure the kids all get colostrum first. 3)   Check the doe for any changes in – her udder, teats, feet, mouth, bottom, etc. So here is a list of vital signs to know about your goat. We work hard to bring the best Goat discussion! There are many different ways to milk. Vetricyn, Vitamin B 12 (BOSE), Meloxican for pain relief, Ammonium Chloride, Vinegar, CD&T, Minerals (block or loose), Baking soda, Dried kelp food grade, Probiotics, Diatimatious Earth... A few tools that are handy to have are as follows: Hoof trimmers, Wood file, Collar and leash, Carrier for transport, Bowls to feed, Water heater elements to prevent frozen water in the winter, Rake, Barn lime, Shelter / Large dog house, Water container, Food container, Hay manger, Leur lock syringes and 22 gauge - 1” needles, Standard syringes, Alcohol, Cotton balls and paper towels, Scissors, Nasal Aspirator, Disposable scalpel, Disposable gloves, Digital thermometer... Nigerian dwarf goats can be milked once or twice a day. Goats have a rumen like cows and sheep. This process usually lasts about 12 hours for goats that are kidding for the first time, but every goat is different.During this stage the goat will be restless. They can be as little as 10 ounces and still survive with a little assistance. The following is the routine that works for our family. There are other milk breeds that can produce more milk than the Nigerian dwarf but requires a lot of space, effort in food, supply and maintenance and can be a little hard to handle, especially for beginners. *It is also a good idea to give probiotics with Vitamin E during stressful situations. Answer: Yes. If planning to disbud, best practice is to do this when the kids are 2 – 10 days old. Please consult your veterinarian for verification. If the answer is yes further inspection is needed. Divide the weight by the number of goats and you have a total weight to figure out how much hay you need to purchase for the year. We want them to restore their vitamins and minerals before breeding again. Know his/her weight and age. Then Nigerian dwarf goats just might be the goat that you’re looking for! Upon birth, the baby dwarf goats ranged in weight from 1.9 pounds to 4.7 pounds. But a drastic reduction of the breed variety was caused by the rise of industrial agriculture and threatened their survival. Wethers are ideal for pets. Try it and then you can always make adjustments based on things such as body condition, production, time it takes to eat or if they don’t eat it all. They are all negative and can raise their kids naturally without concern. 2 were alive and 1 was still in the sac but the sac … They only have 3 to 6 inches between their udder and the floor of the milk stanchion. And she wasn’t hollering at me. Make sure you don't contaminate that fresh goat milk. Something may be wrong. Brownie (Nigerian Dwarf Doe) with Her Twin Kids about 12 Hours Old Following Morning, Brownie (Nigerian Dwarf Doe) with Her Twin Kids. Goats are herd animals and as such must be with other goats. No one in our family grew up on a farm and learning to milk has been a process. The doe is then milked one time a day, until the kids are weaned. To avoid illness we have worked with our vet to carefully to determine how to feed each one. I own Nigerian Dwarf Goats, and I will probably own them the rest of my life. 1)   Make sure the grain is in the bucket, 2)   Stanchion is locked before beginning to milk. When giving grain add approximately ½ teaspoon of ammonium chloride to the feed. This is an attempt to provide a starting point for goat owners and definitely is not a definitive list. Female Natalia, the first of the dwarf goat babies, was born on April 10 to doe Alyssa. Traditional pails (which we have tried)  do not work and make milking difficult as the udder ends up in the pail. Nigerian dwarf goats often produce multiple kids; 3, 4 or even 5 kids per pregnancy. 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