We raise Nigerian Dwarf milk Goats. This breed originated in West Africa. They are useful
little animals. They are great if you want a small amount of milk or meat at one time. They
were originally brought to our farm to control the Chinese tallow trees and other weeds in our
pastures.
They are easy to raise. In our climate they need a small shelter to let them get out of the rain and some wind protection during very cold wet winter days. In general they tolerate the cold well. They tolerate the hot wet climate here much better than the Boer, Nubian or Spanish goat. They tolerate parasites better than the previously mentioned breeds and they rarely get foot rot. We are continually treating and trimming hooves in the big goats but rarely in the dwarves. We have had several hundred goats and while we have done no formal study the Nigerians tolerate parasites and foot rot much better. They are consistently better mothers than the Nubians and Boers and have more frequent twins and triplets.
Our Nigerians have turned into pets. They are useful for any other goat purpose but these are charming well behaved (for a goat) animals. They require minimal outlay to keep and care. They make excellent pets for children. Witness all the petting zoos with Nigerians or Pygmies. Some of the first known imported animals went to the Wm. Hearst estate in California to browse the lawn and be seen by the visitors (about 1940).
My wife sells Nigerians. If you are interested call, write, or email.
An excellent bi-monthly magazine devoted to Nigerians is:
Here is some information for the inquisitive.
It is reputed that this goat came into the country as fodder. Literally they were shipped here with lions. On the voyage to the United States the lions would be fed these small goats. The goats were small enough to be a meal and so in theory it was a neat and clean operation. The excess or unused goats were sold after arrival in the US. I don’t know if this story is true. Before 1940 some were imported and were occasionally used as a companion for thoroughbred horses. They would keep the horses company so they were not so easily spooked. I would imagine having a goat running under your legs eating scraps of grain or dropped alfalfa would after a time calm any high spirited thoroughbred. In the early fifties some were legally imported. There are two miniature African goats. The African Pygmy goat is an achondroplastic dwarf while the Nigerian Dwarf is a pygmy. I own both types. The difference between the two breeds is grossly that Pygmies are stockier and slightly larger. The true Nigerian Dwarf is smaller more slender and resembles a normal milk goat. (This is odd because medically speaking dwarves are achondroplastic and pygmies appear normal other than being abnormally small because of abnormal pituitary functioning. I do not know how the two breeds got their respective names.) The Nigerian Dwarf will actually produce a fair amount of milk. Both types are easy to care for with minimal needs and of excellent disposition.
The International Dairy Goat Association started the Herd book on the Nigerian Dwarfs. They were originally registered with them. They can be a lot of fun to show. It is a great way to meet lots of friendly and curious people and makes a good pastoral hobby.
Nigerians goats are ruminants and chew a cud. They are primarily browsers. This means they eat a highly nutritious diet that is rich in protein. They do not eat much but they eat high quality browse and grass. They can do quite well on a diet of grass alone. They do not need to be fed grain unless you are using them to produce milk. It is hard to resist not feeding one of your pets a handful of grain each morning though. I have an acquaintance that feeds her two valued pet Nigerians every morning in her kitchen. A rule of thumb is that for a goat in milk production 5 pounds of 16 to 18% protein concentrate is fed per 100 pounds of body weight per day. In addition they need good quality hay for roughage.
I am amused when I watch goats graze. They are nibblers and sample everything. They are hard on the weeds because even if the weeds are not palatable the goats frequently kill them anyway. Each goat in the herd takes a small nibble or a couple of leaves before they decide they really do not want to eat the plant. When a herd of 50 walks by with each goat taking a couple of leaves the weed is decimated. The goats will kill most weeds and trees that dare grow higher than the grass. This makes them highly useful.
The baby goat or kid is the cutest animal on the farm. They run, play, climb and are acrobats. You have to see them to understand. Many goats raised as pets will follow you around just like a pet dog. They are very sociable and will climb into your car for a ride to the vet with little encouragement. They will try and follow you into the house if given the chance. They are pleasant and good natured.
They make excellent pets for children or grandchildren. The goat is small and so it is less likely to injure a child unlike a horse etc. They tolerate children well. The children are not afraid or intimidated by them because of their small size. Petting zoos especially like them because of their gentle nature and disposition. Zoos also like the minimal care the goat requires. The goat’s horns should be removed if they are going to be around children.
Companionship for the lonely is something dogs and cats do well. Goats are good companions also. Unfortunately they do not housebreak which limits some of their usefulness as companions.
The goats will, if raised with your cows or horses, tend to stay with them and keep them company. Goats are very sociable animals and stay where they can see their herdmates. The larger animals are sometimes able to protect them from predators. You need to have a woven wire fence to keep goats in and predators out. Barbed wire and most electric fences will not deter them from exploring.
The Nigerian will produce enough milk for one or two people and her kid. One would not give you enough to sell but would probably keep your personal needs supplied. The milk has good taste and is useful for those who have cow milk allergies or intolerance. The fat is in a more dispersed form in smaller globules and is apparently more easily digested.
Meat is readily available from these animals and makes excellent barbecue or cooked in any other chevon or goat meat recipe. The meat from a 20 or 25 pound animal is excellent-- tender and tasty. Many ethnic groups consider them to be a delicacy. I would personally agree. The meat is low in fat. If you do not want to eat them they can be wethered or castrated and make an excellent pet and browser. They have excellent parasite resistance and harvest food so well that they probably have some future use in cross breeding trials to add hardiness and resistance to parasites to other goat breeds. Some people have used the skin for purses and other leather items.
The Nigerian has moderate sexual dimorphism. The male buck weighs 40 to 100 pounds and is 18 to 23 inches at the shoulder or smaller. The female doe is generally two inches shorter and weighs 30 to 80 pounds. The buck is a sturdy robust vigorous animal. They obviously cannot compete with my 300 pound Nubian buck but will consistently breed does of almost any size given very brief opportunities. They, like most male goats, smell because of their sexual habits. My Spanish, Nubian and Boer bucks can be smelled a hundred yards away during some seasons of the year but my Nigerian bucks are much milder.
They are gregarious herd animals. They take good care of their young. Occasionally I find one goat that will let any kid suckle. This is a useful goat to keep around for my orphans and multiple births. Nigerians have no defenses against predators such as dogs or coyotes. Hawks will occasionally take a kid. All the kids are small and susceptible to any predator. Nigerians usually hate the rain and if they have a barn, shed or lean-to will run to it at the first sprinkle of rain.
The doe cycles every 18 to 24 days. They are sexually precocious and will breed at 3 to 4 months age. This is not advisable. Bucks can occasionally fertilize a doe when they are 3 months old. The length of gestation is 150 days. Unlike most goats Nigerian and Pygmies will breed year round and are not seasonal. The births are frequently multiple. They run more than 30% multiple births. Most of the multiple births are twins with some triplets, quads or more. The multiple births do surprisingly well. Twins are not a problem for mom to raise. Some of the does do not raise triplets or quads as well. Nigerians usually do not require assistance during parturition. They like a quiet corner of a barn or out under a tree to birth the kids. If bred at 3 or 4 months of age you are likely to have complications of dystocia or difficult births. If bred after 9 or 10 months they do not generally have problems.
Nigerians Dwarves are overall an easily and cheaply maintained animal which are good pets. They can supply family or personal needs such as milk, meat, companionship and weeding ability.