Nigerian Dwarf Goats in Hillsboro, Alabama

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General Information & History of Nigerian Dwarf Goats

The Nigerian Dwarf is a miniature goat of West African origin. The parts of the body are in balanced proportion. The nose is straight. The ears are upright. The coat is soft with short to medium hair. Ideal weight is suggested to be about 75 pounds.

Dwarf goats come in many colors. You never can be sure what color the babies will be until they are born. Even then you can't be sure because many times their color will change. While brown eyes are most common, Dwarfs also have blue eyes, which can be very striking. Dwarf goats are gentle and loveable. Even breeding bucks are handled easily. They make wonderful pets and great animal projects for young children in 4H.

Breeders of other types of goats find that their Dwarfs blend in with the rest of the herd well and do not need special quarters, just adequate fencing to contain them because of their small size. Dwarf goats breed year round. Many breeders breed their does three times in two years, giving the doe a six-month plus break. This is, of course, a personal choice for each breeder. Newborn kids average about two pounds at birth, but grow quickly. They reach sexual maturity at a young age and have been known to breed and be fertile as young as seven weeks of age. Most breeders prefer to wait until their does are at least one year or older to breed. Dwarf does can have several kids at a time, three and even four being common and sometimes even five. Dwarfs are generally good mothers and able to take care of their babies should you leave them to do the raising of the kids. They can also provide a surprising amount of milk for their size, as much as two quarts per day. Nigerian Dwarf milk has 6% to 10% butterfat, with higher protein content than most other dairy goat breeds.

If these little caprines are stealing your heart, the first thing you need to understand is that they are a herd animal. As such, if they do not have one of their own for companionship, they will be very sad and lonely. So when considering ownership, consider purchasing two or more. Getting two Dwarfs is not the hard part - getting only two is the challenge. You can house does and bucks together, or you may decide to get a little "wether" (male goat that has been fixed) or two. Wethers can get along well with both does and bucks.

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Last modified: March 28, 2008