# The Does of My Dreams...PICS!



## MenagerieMama (Nov 15, 2011)

Well, in our pursuit of finding the perfect goats for us, I may have found JUST what I've been looking for...small/compact milkers. I have been after Nigerian Dwarf goats for forever. They are all disbudded, up to date on shots and worming...

Even though I think they are all sweet and wonderful, I do not have a trained eye when it comes to goats.  I appreciate any input before I bring them home in a few weeks.

4 year old doe on the right...Nigerian Dwarf that will be bred back to a Nigerian Dwarf Buck for a Spring kid. 






7 month old Nigerian x Nubian





7 month old Nigerian x Nubian  (Doesn't she look like a Pygmy cross???)


----------



## elevan (Nov 15, 2011)

*Congratulations on the NDs and Mini Nubs!*





> Doesn't she look like a Pygmy cross???


I'm guessing it's coloration that has you asking?  While it is a typical pygmy coloration, looking at the lines of the goat you can tell that it's from ND and not pygmy.
FWIW you can get that coloration from either a ND or a pygmy - they were both derived from the Cameroon Dwarf Goat of Africa by selective breeding.


----------



## MenagerieMama (Nov 15, 2011)

elevan said:
			
		

> *Congratulations on the NDs and Mini Nubs!*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Excellent!  Thank you for your experience!  The coloration is indeed why I asked.


----------



## daisychick (Nov 15, 2011)

I think they all look fat and happy.   I love them all.   Have any of them had kids before or been milked??   So are you getting both of the ones in the first picture or just the right hand side one??  I think the gray one is probably a nigerian cross like the other one.   Do the crosses have the same father??


----------



## MenagerieMama (Nov 15, 2011)

daisychick said:
			
		

> I think they all look fat and happy.   I love them all.   Have any of them had kids before or been milked??   So are you getting both of the ones in the first picture or just the right hand side one??  I think the gray one is probably a nigerian cross like the other one.   Do the crosses have the same father??


The doe on the right in the first pic (doing a "model" pose  ) has had babies in the past, but never milked by hand.  

The 2 doelings are only 7 months old and I do believe share a father (nigerian dwarf), but I will double check as she has 2 Nigerian Dwarf bucks.  They will need to be handled a bit as they have just been left with their moms without much human interference. :/


----------



## daisychick (Nov 15, 2011)

So you have your work cut out for you in spoiling the young ones and getting them tamed down.   You can do it with treats because goats love food.    I collar and leash trained my girls pretty easy and so going on walks around the place nibbling on leaves is a treat for them.  You might have a few "rodeos" teaching the older doe to milk, but I am sure with time and patience you will get it.  Start right away with the younger ones, getting them onto a milk stand (right now I am using a small table to train them until I get a milking stand) and messing with their teats.  I do this every day with my 6 months olds so I am hoping when their first milking time comes they won't be so hard to work with.  So you are getting 3 or 4 ?   I am guessing the mini nubians had a nubian dad and a nigerian mom.


----------



## elevan (Nov 15, 2011)

Pen the wild ones in relatively close quarters for 2 weeks and spend a lot of time with them.  At times just hanging out in the pen, not always touching them but being near them.  Try hand feeding during this time too (grain and/or hay).  This is how I tame a wild one.


----------



## Queen Mum (Nov 15, 2011)

Training...?  Piece of cake.   Gentle, patient,  FOOD.  And did I say food.   Food, and patience,  very key elements.  While I'm at it, Goats LOVE FOOD.   raisins, carrots, and FOOD.


----------



## elevan (Nov 15, 2011)

Queen Mum said:
			
		

> Training...?  Piece of cake.   Gentle, patient,  FOOD.  And did I say food.   Food, and patience,  very key elements.  While I'm at it, Goats LOVE FOOD.   *raisins*, *carrots, and FOOD*.


My goats won't eat either raisins or carrots.  They are weird, I know.

But - some free treats that they love are dried leaves, pine needles or just random weeds.  You can also use whatever grain you will be feeding or a handful of hay.


----------



## daisychick (Nov 15, 2011)

My girls have one special black bucket that they know always has a chance of holding "good stuff".  I swear I can't even get out of the pen to go fill it up with anything without their heads in it as I am climbing and pushing trying to get out the gate to actually give them something.     Then I go grab a handful of leaves and the magical black bucket returns and they push down the gate to get to it first.   Really I can just put plain hay in it or 2 leaves, they just want  whatever is in the bucket.


----------



## elevan (Nov 15, 2011)

I have the same magical bucket...only mine is red


----------



## daisychick (Nov 15, 2011)

MenagerieMama, you must get yourself a magical bucket for your new goats.


----------



## MenagerieMama (Nov 15, 2011)

daisychick said:
			
		

> MenagerieMama, you must get yourself a magical bucket for your new goats.


This is great!  Magical bucket, check!  Food used for training, check! 

As far as treats...I really DO have a lot to learn.  Dried leaves...pine needles????  I had no idea these would fall under the "treats" category!


----------



## elevan (Nov 15, 2011)

Pig weed is a favorite treat for my goats when it is in season.  I have a pic of one of my goats going crazy over it...if I can crop some extra stuff out I'll share it.


----------



## Queen Mum (Nov 15, 2011)

Mine is a green bucket.   And I have a magic pocket which usually has the  magic cookies.  My goats LOVE those cookies.  I make them with Oats, barley, corn, molasses, raisins, carrots, apples, probiotic powder, sunflower seeds, peanuts, zucchini, corn meal, oil and flax seed all ground together and baked at a very low temp until they are hockey puck hard and dry.  

The key to the magic cookie is that they have to stand at attention to get one.  NO HEAD BUTTING.   It is AMAZING how quickly they learn to stand at attention, noses quivering, toes tapping, tails wagging, skin twitching just waiting for that first magic cookie.   Then they are all over me, checking the magic pocket to see if there are any more.  And if there are, the line forms up again.   It just makes me laugh.  I don't DARE come up short.  Confusion rains, wailing begins and all hell breaks loose while I RACE back to the house to get more cookies.


----------



## elevan (Nov 15, 2011)

Here's Daisy and Speedy going nuts over some pigweed (they were both dancing around):


----------



## daisychick (Nov 15, 2011)

There are lists on here about poisonous plants and certain leaves they shouldn't have.  But really dried fallen fall leaves are an absolute favorite.  Mine would rather have them brown and dry than green and fresh.   

Have you checked out: http://fiascofarm.com/

Tons of great info there too.   But just reading on here can keep you busy.   

Here are a few for now.  

http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=11677 
http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=32213#p32213


----------



## Queen Mum (Nov 15, 2011)

Mine LOVE dried banana peels and dried orange peels.


----------



## elevan (Nov 15, 2011)

I personally would be cautious about banana peels (unless you're growing them yourself).  Bananas are the most heavily pesticided fruit of all fruits and the peels hold the chemicals.  Organically grown is best if you're feeding peels.


----------



## MenagerieMama (Nov 15, 2011)

daisychick said:
			
		

> There are lists on here about poisonous plants and certain leaves they shouldn't have.  But really dried fallen fall leaves are an absolute favorite.  Mine would rather have them brown and dry than green and fresh.
> 
> Have you checked out: http://fiascofarm.com/
> 
> ...


Thanks Chandra!  All info is appreciated!


----------



## MenagerieMama (Nov 15, 2011)

Queen Mum said:
			
		

> Mine LOVE dried banana peels and dried orange peels.


What the what?  I'm making a list...


----------



## MenagerieMama (Nov 15, 2011)

elevan said:
			
		

> Here's Daisy and Speedy going nuts over some pigweed (they were both dancing around):
> http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/uploads/2607_34471_1143691249395_1740920809_279509_2469060_n.jpg


GREAT PIC!  Cute goats.  Now to google pigweed.  I am on research overdrive right now!

Thank you guys!


----------



## Queen Mum (Nov 15, 2011)

If you saw my goats pigging out on oranges and bananas!  I'd get trampled if I didn't have the magic cookie pocket.


----------



## 77Herford (Nov 15, 2011)

Women and their treats...


----------



## MommaBugg (Nov 23, 2011)

Wow, very nice goats! I too am on the hunt for Nigerian dwarfs. I was concerned about how they would handle the cold of north east Michigan, but after seeing owners of this breed in NY and Vermont, I am less worried about it. I just have to learn how to properly winterize their housing 

Next step: finding a ND breeder near me!


----------



## that's*satyrical (Nov 23, 2011)

calf manna=goat nip

not all my goats will eat the raisins but they all go cucoo for goat nip *calf manna*

Cute goats! The 1st one looks like she is already bred back.


----------



## SmallFarmGirl (Nov 23, 2011)

MommaBugg said:
			
		

> Wow, very nice goats! I too am on the hunt for Nigerian dwarfs. I was concerned about how they would handle the cold of north east Michigan, but after seeing owners of this breed in NY and Vermont, I am less worried about it. I just have to learn how to properly winterize their housing
> 
> Next step: finding a ND breeder near me!


I am going to have some too !!! so excited we might be taking them home this week !!!


----------

