We are hard workers and are passing that on to our children as they learn the responsibility, commitment and love required to raise animals. We are a 4-H family living in rural northern California. Our oldest daughter raises market swine for the county fair and our boys sell eggs from their chickens. All of our kids help with the care of our Nigerian Dwarf Goats. Our goats are purebred and registered with the American Goat Society (AGS) and the American Dairy Goat Association (ADGA).
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About Nigerian Dwarf Goats
Nigerian goats are great producers and reproducers! Their high butterfat content makes their milk both sweet and delicious, not the normal "goaty" flavor some people think of when they think of goat's milk. We use the milk for drinking (my daughter who needs to avoid dairy can have goat's milk), making ice cream, cheese and soap!
Their compact size makes keeping them on smaller properties a breeze. The bucks are ideally between 19 and 21 inches (but up to 23.5 inches). And the does are between 17 and 19 inches (up to 22.5 inches). Our Adult Nigerian dwarf goats weigh approximately 45-75 pounds and are about the size of our lab! They live up to 12 years and in ideal situations they have lived as long as 20 years. |
Our goats are all disbudded, so they will not have horns. If you wish to purchase a goat, with their horns intact, we will require full payment before they are two weeks old.
Like sheep and cows, goats have a rumen, but they do not graze. Instead, they are more of a browser. They do love brush, bramble, trees, poison ivies and most weeds that other livestock will not eat. Does and bucks/weather are fed differently. In addition to grazing, our does get alfalfa daily, and when pregnant, or milking, they also get grain. They have Baking Soda always available and a mineral mixture of (general goat minerals, Icelandic Kelp, Yeast and Probiotics- for more information, see our Mineral and Supplements blog). Our bucks graze only, but when the field is getting bare we supplement with grass hay.
If you're new to the idea of raising goats, I recommend reading 104homestead.com/buying-nigerian-dwarf/ another excellent site to follow is Fiasco Farms.
Like sheep and cows, goats have a rumen, but they do not graze. Instead, they are more of a browser. They do love brush, bramble, trees, poison ivies and most weeds that other livestock will not eat. Does and bucks/weather are fed differently. In addition to grazing, our does get alfalfa daily, and when pregnant, or milking, they also get grain. They have Baking Soda always available and a mineral mixture of (general goat minerals, Icelandic Kelp, Yeast and Probiotics- for more information, see our Mineral and Supplements blog). Our bucks graze only, but when the field is getting bare we supplement with grass hay.
If you're new to the idea of raising goats, I recommend reading 104homestead.com/buying-nigerian-dwarf/ another excellent site to follow is Fiasco Farms.
