Useful Information Regarding Nigerian Dwarf Goat Farms

By Ann West


The origin of Nigerian dwarf goats is Western Africa. This breed became very popular due to the fact that they have beautiful body marks and are small in size. This breed has existed for a long time, but never have they been so popular like they are today. The small size of the goat is advantageous to farmers in numerous ways. This is worth knowing about Nigerian dwarf goat farms.

The first reason why people prefer them is due to their small size which makes them easy to raise even on small parcels of land. The US Department of Agriculture classifies these goats under dairy goats. There are other goats which fall in the category of dairy goats but they are larger. The bigger goats require more space to be reared and feed requirements are high too.

The breed is safe to handle owing to their gentle nature and small size. Unlike other goats, this breed is naturally not aggressive. Hence, the goats can be easily handled. Children could be left to handle them without the risk of injuries or accidents. Given that they classified under dairy livestock, they are eligible for 4H and youth FFA projects.

Milk product capability of this breed is another factor that makes them very preferable to many people. Daily milk production can reach two quarts. The milk is also very sweet and highly nutritious. Butterfat content in the milk produced by these goats is one of the highest in the animal kingdom. The milk is also very rich in proteins.

Despite the fact that the goats can produce so much milk in a single day, many farmers who keep them do not do so for the milk. As a fact, many individuals do not milk the goats for commercial purposes of domestic use. Instead, these goats are kept as pets. The animals provide company to their owners that many people love and enjoy.

The breed is genuine and conforms to several standards. The standards which this breed of goats conform to are not any different from those which other larger dairy goats conform to. The first conformation requirement is that the body parts of the goats have to be proportional. The ears should be upright and the nose should be straight. The goats should have a soft coat with hair that grows to short or medium length.

The goats usually come in various colors or combination of certain colors which are acceptable depending on conformation standards. For the females, 17 to 19 inches is the ideal height. The males ought to be between 19 and 21 inches in height. In rare cases, the males can reach a height of 23 inches while the females could reach 21 inches.

Seventy-five pounds is the ideal weight for the goats. Presence of certain deformities or having too much weight can make animals to be disqualified from shows. Having pendulous ears, Roman nose, or curly coats are some of the deformities that can lead to disqualification. One should be accompanied by an expert when going to buy these goats so as to ensure that they conform to standards. Else, the farmer should provide registration papers for the animals they are selling for verification.




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