Nigerian Dwarf

[Bryannjamie]

Seems the milk volume isnt much different, and sounds like it taste sweeter with more butterfat for the cheese making. I need to know how difficult is the small breed to hand milk? Will I have trouble putting the two breeds together, although I have never had trouble with my girls and the other kids, rabbits or chickens. And lastly, are small bucks the same as large breed bucks, such as spray/scent and temperment?

Thanks to all

Buon Natale e felice anno nuovo !

 

[ksalvagno]

You might want to try milking a Nigerian if you can. They are different and their teats are smaller.

The bucks do all the same things as any other buck. But I don't think they smell as bad. Also, they are easier to handle since they are smaller.

 

[SDGsoap&dairy]

Will I have trouble putting the two breeds together

Maybe it was in another post and I didn't catch it, but which two breeds? Lots of people keep standards sized dairy goats with Nigerians without any trouble, but you wouldn't want a standard sized buck around your nigi does.

 

[chandasue]

If you get a nigerian dwarf be sure she comes from good milking lines (bred for milk production and nice udders and teats). Around here you typically get what you pay for. Not all are high volume milk producers, but the milk is really delicious regardless. (The ice cream and chevre made with their milk is great because of the butterfat!) I hand milk mine but it was without a doubt frustrating for both of us at first. It's usually just 2 fingers and thumb, rather than using your whole hand. It is fine to have a mixed herd. I'm adding a lamancha in the spring to my sweet lil' NDs.

Edit to add: The bucks apparently vary in stench by individual. I know of several that are not very smelly at all, but have heard from others that they had the stinkiest little bucks they ever had.

 

[AlaskanShepherdess]

My experience with goats has come from 2 weeks goat sitting some Alpines for a friend when I was 20 (almost 5 years ago), and owning Nigerian Dwarves for the last 6 months.

Once I figured out how to properly milk my ND's I found it to be no more difficult then the alpines, but I have small hands. It would be harder for my husband to milk with his larger hands, but I don't think it would be so hard that it would make him not want Nigerian Dwarves. We really like ours ND's much better for many different reason's.

Per amount of feed they eat, they produce more milk. The lady I bought 5 of my goats from (2 bucks and 3 does) once goatsat 2 Alpines for a friend. Those 2 alpines ate 3 times as much as ALL of the ND's and gave only 2 quarts of milk more per day then the the 3 ND does.
As ChadandSue said, it will be important to find ND's with good milk producing lines as if you don't, you may not get more milk per feed.

ND's produce between 6-10% butterfat, depending on the feed and doe. A Jersey cow produces 6% butterfat.

ND are very hardy, I live in the frozen North of mid Alaska and they are currently handling -45 below temperatures just fine with just a small insulated goat house for warmth, no light bulbs or heaters needed. One is being persnickety though and won't come out of the house to eat, even though she is not cold when we drag her out. *silly girl*

ND's are sweet. All of ours are very sweet and loving (although one is very shy and doesn't like being caught). I have only once had one butt me, and that was within the first week of my owning them, and because one doe took offense to my chasing another around to try and give her some cayenne pepper to get rid of the sniffles they were all coming down with after the stress of moving over 400 miles.

My bucks do stink but not so bad that I feel I can't handle it. (I have a sensative nose) It has only ever gotten really bad if I was not able to move their summer time pen for several weeks, or if during the winter I do not clean out their house and pen for 2 months. I clean every month and that keeps all the messes and smells down nicely. I do make sure and wear goat clothes for taking care of all of them because otherwise I would smell goaty all day.

Don't be afraid to ask to barter! I only put $90 (gas as we had to travel over 400 miles to get 5 of them) in cash out for my 9 well bred, dual registered ND's. We bartered my husband's chicken tractors and carpentry skills for all of them. If I had paid cash, it would have been over $2,450 just for the animals. I also got with the 5 some very high quality milking supplies, dehorner, hoof trimmers etc....