# Are Nubians the best for Butterfat content?



## ruminantlover27 (Dec 28, 2011)

I want a goat with a high butterfat content. I've heard Nubians are good? 
Any other breeds? And Nubians don't produce the most milk right? What breed does? Is flavor so different between breeds? I want to have a mixed herd I think, but don't know what to get. Thanks


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## Roll farms (Dec 28, 2011)

I can't swear this, it's what I've read - Nigerians have the highest butterfat of all dairy breeds.  You could probably snoop around the ADGA website and find out.

If I ever got a Nigerian, I would look long and hard at the teat size / amount of milk given, b/c most of the ones I've seen in person wouldn't be worth the trouble.
I'm used to getting a lot of milk w/ little effort from our goats, so I'm spoiled.

I have seen pictures of Nigis w/ udders that look as easy to milk as the standard dairy goats, and have read of some who give around 1/2 g a day.

Of the standard dairy goats, yes, Nubians do have the most butterfat.  As for their production, that depends on the bloodlines you get.
Some of my Nubians give 1/2 - 3/4 g a day, I've got one 4 yr old who's giving a shade over a gallon a day.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Nubian milk.  So creamy and sweet.

I've got an Oberhasli who peaked at 11.5# this year  (almost 1.5 g).  Her milk is 'good'....just not as creamy as the Nubs.

I've got some Toggs who give about 1 g a day...they are related....dunno if it's in my head (I don't care for Toggs) or genuine, but to me their milk tastes...sorta...goaty.

I had a Nub x Saanen who gave a lot, and was a real easy keeper.

Never had a pure Alpine or pure Saanen.


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## kstaven (Dec 28, 2011)

As much as breed does have some bearing on butterfat I have found diet plays a much bigger role in this and milk flavor/texture.

When it comes to large breeds I would take Toggs for cheese making and  cheese yields over any other breed. Limit or remove the grain and their milk is very palatable without loosing production. Noticed this with them a long time ago.


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## peteyfoozer (Dec 31, 2011)

Nubians do have high butterfat content. I like them, but I have also had some crossbred goats that had nice milk. My first freshener Nubian doe had triplets last January and was giving me 1 1/2 gal a day and some of the best tasting milk I ever had. Unfortunately, she is ghastly to milk! Have to put 2 sets of hobbles on her and chain her feet down to the stand! Her sister gave less milk, but would let anyone walk up and milk her anywhere. Go figure!


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## Boudicea farm (Dec 31, 2011)

I think it depends on the goat, my nubian puts cream on her milk, also had a boer cross that did too, I also heard nigerians as a whole have very high fat content milk.


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## BetterHensandGardens (Dec 31, 2011)

Nigerians do produce the highest butterfat content, generally 6 - 10% for ND's as opposed to 4 - 6% for other breeds.  If looking at ND's, make sure they come from a long line of good milkers (meaning good teat size, good udders, good quantity of milk) a good ND doe can produce lots of very high butterfat milk.


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## Charlottesweb (Jan 6, 2012)

Good information


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## Annamarierw (Jan 6, 2012)

I raise and milk 3 does for cheese,butter and such.  
The amount of milk fat  depends on lots of things... not just the breed but the Saanen is best known as the Holstein of the goat world, producing a high quantity of milk with somewhat low fat levels. At the other extreme is the Jersey of the goat world, the Nubian. They produces a lesser amount of milk with a high fat content. The Toggenburg, La Mancha, Alpine, and Oberhasli fall somewhere in between. I have no mini or pygmy's but have heard that they are a close runner up to Nubians. Goat milk is usually anywhere between 3-8% milkfat but have heard of a Nubian cross doe with 9.7% milk fat! WOW 
It also depends on the doe.... Age, Build, what they are feed, what region you live in. Milk fat also changes threw the lactation cycle.... it is usually really high in the beginning and then tapers down in the middle then back up again when the amount of milk reduces at the end of her lactation cycle.
I have found that I like a cross between Nubian/La Mancha for my makings~  they produce a good amount of milk with a nice amount of fat (for butter,cheese) and also is very tasty to drink. 
2 of our does are La Mancha/Nubian cross~ Their milk makes the sweetest creamiest butter I have ever had!
Our Saanen "mrs.YumYum" has TONS of great milk to drink and I do make butter with her milk/ just does not produce as much


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## KinderKorner (Jan 6, 2012)

Kinder - 5-7%


Nigerian - 5-6%


Nubian - 4.61%


American La Mancha 3.80%


Oberhasli 3.6%


Alpines - 3.56%


Saanen - 3.52%


Toggenburg 3.38%



I found this on google.

I know both Nigis and Kinders can go a lot higher than that.

I raise Kinders and love them.


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## Annamarierw (Jan 6, 2012)

KinderKorner said:
			
		

> Kinder - 5-7%
> 
> 
> Nigerian - 5-6%
> ...


I think there are too many factors that change the levels of the butterfat to put a specific # on breeds like that. A round about # maybe but to be that exact for a specific breed  doesn't seem possible to me.


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## peteyfoozer (Jan 6, 2012)

I agree, there is likely an average range of what the percentages are. I have one nubian who actually has a layer of cream on the top of her milk, much like my Jersey cow leaves, where as her full sister never has one. They are even fed the same diet, but I can tell the difference in the milk between one and another.


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## GoatFaerie (Jan 8, 2012)

KinderKorner said:
			
		

> Kinder - 5-7%
> 
> 
> Nigerian - 5-6%
> ...


I'm going to be getting my Kinders in a few months (I could JUST BURST!) and thought they had they highest butterfat.  So glad I'm right!


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## SmallFarmGirl (Jan 8, 2012)

I believe Nigerians have the highest butterfat content. I own 2 and love them.


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## KinderKorner (Jan 8, 2012)

The numbers I posted are straight off google, and I believe their are just averages. All goats differ.

And I believe Nigis have the highest butterfat of the ADGA dairy breeds. But Kinders have their own registry, and I'm pretty sure their butterfat is higher than nigis. 

Pygmies butterfat is super high, but who would want to milk a pygmy.


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