# Making Minis



## annanicole18 (Jun 3, 2009)

I just goat my first two goats both are does one is a pygmy and the other a saanen/alpine.  I would like for their babies to pay for their feed for the year and am wondering what is the best breed to breed them to?   how much is a goat stud?  I am willing to pay a decent stud fee especially since i would like to get some mini milk goats out of my pygmy but am wondering if she could carry a full size baby or should i have gotten a full size and bred to a pygmy?  thanks for any help


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## GrassFarmerGalloway (Jun 3, 2009)

annanicole18 said:
			
		

> I just goat my first two goats both are does one is a pygmy and the other a saanen/alpine.  I would like for their babies to pay for their feed for the year and am wondering what is the best breed to breed them to?   how much is a goat stud?  I am willing to pay a decent stud fee especially since i would like to get some mini milk goats out of my pygmy but am wondering if she could carry a full size baby or should i have gotten a full size and bred to a pygmy?  thanks for any help


I'd breen the saanen/alpine to a pygmy or Nigerian dwarf, if you want small milking goats.  I wouldn't let a pygmy become bred with a full-size kid.  It could be dangerous.

As for stud fee, it probably varies and I have no idea of an example.  Can't help here.  :/


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## bheila (Jun 3, 2009)

I wouldn't breed a Pygmy with anything but a Pygmy.  You run the risk of the kids being too big.  With the other doe, you can breed her to a Pygmy if he can get up there or a Nigerian.


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## D Bar J Acres (Jun 3, 2009)

I would just breed both does to a  Nigerian buck.  Nigerians are finer boned than pygmies, so the kids heads and shoulders should be smaller and fit thru the birth canal just as easy, if not easier on the Pygmy doe.  The full size doe crossed to the Nigerian would give you a true mini breed.  

To get a mini milking breed you MUST cross a Nigerian buck onto a full size doe.  Crossing the other way will result in large kids and higher birth fatalities.  That would give you a first generation kid.  If you then took kids from that kind of first generation cross, and bred them together you would have a second generation, and so on.  If at any time you'd breed back to a full blood Nigerian or full size, you'd fall back to a first generation (even if you'd be crossing a 3rd generation mini, it's still go back to a 1st generation cross).


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## haviris (Jun 3, 2009)

I agree, breed both w/ a nigi.


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## nightshade (Jun 3, 2009)

ditto


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## jojo@rolling acres farm (Jun 3, 2009)

Hi, I raise registered fainters and registered mini silkies. I do not breed my doelings until they are at least 15-18 months old. Breeding too young is not a good idea. When you wait and breed later your more likely to have multiple births and healthier stronger babies. The more mature doe will milk better and take care of her kids better too. 

Buckings can breed at 4-5 months old but I don't breed them until they are yearlings. I always try to make sure the bucks are not too large for the does - this makes kidding easier on the does.

Remember to give your goats really good nutrition - it makes all the difference!

Good Luck!


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