Nigerian Dwarf Goat

The all-purpose goat…

Nigerian Dwarf

One of the first animals my wife and I wanted after we got our small farm was a dairy goat.  Although there are many breeds, we decided in favor of the Nigerian Dwarf.

The milk from these goats is sweet and high in butterfat.  And because they are mostly grass fed, the milk is extremely healthy.  We drink unpasteurized raw milk every day and make yogurt, kefir (similar to buttermilk) and cheese with the extra. I’ve never had anyone who tasted our milk not like it.

Females are called does; males are called bucks and the offspring are called kids. Neutered males make great pets and are called wethers.  Some of you may have seen a couple of our kids on the home page of DD.com.  Their colorful markings come in so many different patterns and some goats even have blue eyes.

Each doe can have up to 4 kids about once a year.  We had two does deliver in October, one had 4 and the other had three.  All have been sold to wonderful homes with small children to love and play with them.  Some will become herd bucks, some will be the milk providers for the family and the wethers will be some of the friendliest pets you can have.  All of them will be grazing on weeds and grasses eating some of the most noxious plants, including poison ivy.  That’s why I call them the all-purpose goat.

My wife and I have given free seminars on raising dairy goats at several different locations.  These events have been well attended and the class notes were appreciated by all.  I thought I would attach a copy of our notes for those of you who may be interested in knowing more about these versatile animals.

by Tony Manasseri

  Search Library Topics      Search Newspaper Columns