# Nubian or Mini-Nubian?



## GoatGirl95 (Aug 18, 2011)

Hey everyone, my family is planning on getting dairy goats in the the next few months. We will definitely get two does to produce just enough milk for my family of 5. We want the milk to taste very similar to a cow's -  along with drinking it we will be making butter and cheese. We are thinking either the Nubian or Mini-Nubian, but it's so hard to decide! Does anyone have any advice, pros or cons, of either one? Thanks in advance!


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## Blue Dog Farms (Aug 19, 2011)

I have a Lamancha and love her milk. The Nubians are supposed to have good milk too but they can be very loud, and Ive also heard they arent quit as hardey as some of the others. But they are very sweet and beautiful. Sanaans have really good milk too, but a lower butter fat. You will get a differant opinion for everyone, I would suggest doing your research and looking at several differant breeds, maybe see if you can try their milk. Its just going to come down to what you like   Good Luck! oh and Im getting a quart per milking frommy girl right now, but her babies are still on her and when they are off her she gives about a gallon a day, more right after she freshens her doelings are 5mn,ths a should be weaned but they live together and though they where seperated to be weaned as soon as we put them back together they started nursing again lol. We dont mind sharing their milk so its not a big deal to us.


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## austintgraf (Aug 23, 2011)

I was in the same boat a couple years ago.  I chose nubians. The butterfat content in the milk will be great for cheese! Nubians don't milk as much as other breeds but I promise unless you have a huge family you will be overfolwing with milk  I bought 1 a couple years back and  she milked over a gallon a day. We fed 3 quarts to kids and still had way to much. They are very vocal but only when you first get them and when its time to milk. As for hardiness....they are goats they have very little hardiness lol  But if their housing is clean and they have plenty of pasture or hay(preferably pasture) and feed and regular worming they will be fine, Warning they are contagious. I started with one for milk and next thing you know I sold my other 22 goats and started breeding purebred nubians. Nubians are a great breed though I fully recommend full size nubians. Mini nubians are often more pricey and not that much smaller and just don't milk much. Especially if they have to feed kids as well. Hope this helped


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## Julie_A (Aug 23, 2011)

austintgraf said:
			
		

> I was in the same boat a couple years ago.  I chose nubians. The butterfat content in the milk will be great for cheese! Nubians don't milk as much as other breeds but I promise unless you have a huge family you will be overfolwing with milk  I bought 1 a couple years back and  she milked over a gallon a day. We fed 3 quarts to kids and still had way to much. They are very vocal but only when you first get them and when its time to milk. As for hardiness....they are goats they have very little hardiness lol  But if their housing is clean and they have plenty of pasture or hay(preferably pasture) and feed and regular worming they will be fine, Warning they are contagious. I started with one for milk and next thing you know I sold my other 22 goats and started breeding purebred nubians. Nubians are a great breed though I fully recommend full size nubians. Mini nubians are often more pricey and not that much smaller and just don't milk much. Especially if they have to feed kids as well. Hope this helped


 I love my Nubians. I totally agree with your post. They are quite contagious. I have 11 and LOVE 'em!!!


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## Blue Dog Farms (Aug 24, 2011)

Weelllll,after my post about the noisey nub's I may be getting one lol. I need another milker and a friend down the street has to get rid of his heard sooo Im going to take one of his does in milk and see how it goes. I do love the look of them and their gracefulness so who knows, I may be converted after all.


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## savingdogs (Aug 24, 2011)

I have mini-nubians and adore my goats. I did not spend that much on them but do have a hard time finding a mini-nubian buck for stud for them. So I have used a nigerian dwarf and got some lovely offspring. I get a gallon a day from my does, who are first fresheners. I have not had enough cream to make butter, goat milk does not separate easily and separaters are very expensive. But we have so much more milk than we need, I make pudding, cheese, ice cream and soap and still have a freezer full. But that is fine, because they are not in milk year round so my frozen will tide me over.

We love the taste of goat milk and it has spoiled us for drinking anything else. This is our first year of milking and I already do not want to have to drink cows milk anymore. I only have made simple cheeses so far, but my family loves them. 

I would highly recommend mini-nubians if space is an issue or if you don't have pasture year-round. Feeding them through the winter can be expensive, but mine are quite small goats.


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## austintgraf (Aug 29, 2011)

I love my nubians as well! They are so loving. If a sit down in my pasture(which I rarely do) they will come lay by me and cuddle up. They are like dogs except they give m milk as well as a companion


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## GoatGirl95 (Sep 14, 2011)

Thank you so much for the info everyone! Based on your answers and my research, combined with what would work for my family, our best bet is probably Nubians - that way if we DO want Mini Nubians, we'll just have one of our does 'visit' a Nigerian Dwarf! I don't think noise will be much of a problem (it might even work to deter our crazy neighbors! LOL), and unless we have more than 5-6 goaties at one point, not enough pasture won't be a problem either.  Oh I know they're contagious - I went to a goat festival recently and once I saw their sweet faces, I knew I was in big trouble - LOL! Maybe later on, after we've gotten used to life with goats, we'll try some other breeds as well - I DO like the look of Lamancha's and from what I've heard they're quite sweet. We'll be getting Nubians in the spring, when we do I'll post pictures. Thanks for your great information, it really helped me make my decision!


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