Information for those who are new to goats or are still learning:
Nigerian Dwarf goat Information:
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Nigerian Dwarf goats are a breed that is considered miniature. Adults on our farm weigh between 40 and 100 lbs, and it is dependent on their lines and feed intake.
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GOATS NEED TO BE HOUSED WITH ANOTHER GOAT.
You cannot buy just one. Goats are very social and need to be with other goats. When buying a buck you need to buy a wether or another buck for them to have a companion, unless you already own a buck or wether. The same applies to does, you always need at least 2 together.
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Does should not be house with bucks as Nigerian Dwarves' can breed year round. Bucklings can be fertile at 8 weeks, and doelings can be fertile as early as 8 weeks, but is usually between 3-5 months of age.
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Care:
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Goat hooves need to be trimmed every 2 weeks-2 months (individual goats vary) for optional hoof health. We are currently using the 'Hoof Boss' for goats, and it has been working great and trims feet much faster than clippers. Goats can be affected by lice, mites and worms - consult your veterinarian for signs and treatments, not the internet.
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Feeding:
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Kids should be fed grass hay (a tiny bit of alfalfa or clover present is okay). Alfalfa or red clover hay should only be fed to lactating does. All goats need free choice loose mineral available (it is very important to get loose mineral NOT block mineral). Goats need copper, so it needs to be goat specific mineral with a good copper content. They should also always have access to clean water (goats will not drink water if it is dirty), and forage - hay in hay feeders (goats can also be very picky and won't eat hay off the ground), grass, or tree leaves. They are ruminants so they always need access to forge to keep their rumen working. It is also very important to check what plants and trees are in their fenced area as to make sure none are toxic to them. Grain should only be fed to pregnant or lactating does. Kids do not need much grain or sweet feed, unless underweight. Wethers and bucks do not need much grain, as they would be at an increased risk to developing urinary calculi (urinary stones), from unbalanced calcium to phosphorus ratios if present in their diet.
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Fencing:
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Our recommendation is for fencing to be at least 5 feet high. Goats can jump very high if they really want to escape. Goats are also very curious and will find ways to get out. Woven wire is the best fencing choice, as our goats have broken our welded wire welds. Electric fencing also works well for adults but is not very effective with kids, as they can fit through the small spaces. We currently use wire and electric wire fencing for our does and kids. We use electric net fencing for our bucks, which means they only have pasture access when there is no snow on the ground.
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Housing:
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Straw or wood shavings make great bedding for them. They will need to be cleaned out often (every month or less) as the ammonia from their urine will build up quickly and can be damaging to their lungs. We lock our goats in at night to protect them from predators, as we have coyotes in our area. Shelters do not need to be insolated, but should be draft free and have 4 walls for winter. The goats will make thick coats to keep themselves warm.
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Breeding:
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Female goats should NOT be bred until they are at least 8 months old, over 40lbs, and have a rump width at least 4.5 inches (thurl to thurl). I prefer over a year or 45lbs. Some goats will not be over 40lbs until they are 2 years old. Bucks need to be housed separate from does, as Nigerian's can breed year round.
The biggest mistake new goat owners make when buying a buck is buying it based on colour, you should never do this (in our opinion) - colour should always be a bonus. You should only buy a buck for improvement for your herd no matter the purpose of your goats. It will pay off in the long run. You should buy a buck based off of his parents (if young) or his progeny. I would recommend seeing pictures of parents and siblings, to see if they have traits you wish to improve in your herd. Buying based on farm name alone is not a sure way, as a farm never has only good animals. Again blue eyes, polled, moonspots, wattles, and colour should not be major deciding factors, they should be icing on an already good animal, or waiting until a good animal with them is available.
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Kidding:
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We have learned that the best kidding pens are those where the moms can't see each other in adjacent pens but can see and interact with the rest of the herd. This minimizes fighting when they come out of their kidding pens after a couple days to a week of bonding with their kids.
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It is very important to always be there for their kidding, even if nothing goes wrong, and make sure the kids get their colostrum and can move around without issue. If something is wrong you are there to help or get hep. If a kid is slow check their temperature. A plastic bag on their body and a sink full of warm-hot water can work well to bring a hypothermic kid's temperature back up so they can nurse. Do no feed them until their temperature is up.
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All kids require their dams colostrum in the first 24h of life. If none from the dam is available we keep extra colostrum from the previous year in our freezer. For bottle kids we mix last years frozen milk with their dam's current milk and sometimes milk replacer. In our experience, even without the dam's current milk, mixing with the older thawed milk helps to reduce the risk of digestive problems and scours from milk replacer. It is important to try and incorporate some of the dam's milk as it has valuable immunoglobulins for the kid.
Buying Goats:
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Make sure to get them from CAE, Johne's, and CL abscess free herds. If this gets into your herd it can destroy it, and you won't be able to have goats on your farmland for some time as some diseases can get into the soil. Make sure to ask as many questions as you can about the goat and their pedigree. Make sure there are pedigree, pedigree health records, and herd health records available. Buy from a reputable breeder who sends sale receipts after purchase.
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Information above is based on our own experience raising goats and should not be used in place of advice from a veterinarian or animal professional. If you have additional questions, not addressed above, please send us an email to giffensglade@gmail.com. Google and Youtube are also great resources, but make sure to always fact check. Please consult a veterinarian for medical related advice, not google (injectable dewormer should not be used orally for goats even though many webpages say this that are not veterinarian sites).