They MUST HAVE access to forage along with good quality free-choice grass hay. The Nigerian Dwarf goat is able to breed year round. (But it’s worth noting that pygmies were originally raised as meat goats before they became a pet breed because of their small size.) It is important to follow the basics below when feeding Nigerian dwarf goats: -Provide good quality free-choice grass hay – Give clean fresh water daily-Provide free-choice loose minerals . Make certain the feed does not contain urea because it is toxic to goats. Usually both Nigerian dwarf and Pygmy goat kids tend to eat less than their full-size counterparts. Their small stature means they do not require as much space or feed as their larger dairy goat counterparts. Furthermore, they are browsers meaning they prefer to eat tree leaves and bushes. Properly feeding Nigerian Dwarf dairy goats is a major factor in successfully keeping them. Pregnant does or nursing does as well as young kids will also need grain to help supplement their diets. They need the acidic urine to help break up and prevent stones. In addition, goats will need free-choice access to a goat mineral to help balance their diets. As with all goats, Nigerian dwarf goats do not require much care. This is a smaller sized animal, so kids can do more with the animals you have at home when you choose a smaller breed. Nigerian Dwarf Goats. Such fodder, if used in the vegetative phase of development, i.e. Goats need a variety of minerals of which they need salt, calcium, and phosphorus the most. SalteyLove Well-Known Member. Once you get used to your own herd you will notice who looks a little thin or who might have a dull coat and you can make adjustments. Farming Base (farmingbase.com) is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. The one big advantage of keeping Nigerian dwarf goats from a habitat perspective is the size of the fence you must erect to keep them in. Loose goat minerals. Their small size means that they will consume about half as much feed as other breeds that are over twice their size. It must contain a protein supplement, and it is recommended that it be a quality sunflower meal (it contains about 33% protein on average), which is cheaper than soybean meal. 3 Month Old Nigerian Dwarf Doelings (Day We Brought Them Home) The doelings were three months old when we got them. Such a freely available premix may be offered in bulk and the form of mineral blocks or bricks. If the doe is dry or pregnant, she doesn’t need high-quality hay. As part of a balanced diet it is very important to offer your goats a free-choice loose mineral. Nigerian Dwarf goat farmers make a cool amount of cash from the milk produced from the goats. They all get a dose prior to kidding. There are more…, Farming Base (farmingbase.com) is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. For instance, with all of the ingredients being in a pellet they are more evenly dispersed. Green fodder or pasture is the favorite fodder for Nigerian dwarf goats. © Copyright 2020 Nigerian Dwarf Goats World. We haven't seen her drink either. Their gentle, friendly personalities make them good companion pets and easy to handle – even small children can be at ease with these little goats. While the information in this article will be for dairy goats, I have done my best to be as specific to Nigerian dwarf goats as I can. Nigerian dwarf goats breed year-round. Finally, back in August we bought three baby Nigerian Dwarf Goats. This site also participates in other affiliate programs and is compensated for referring traffic and business to them. Dwarf Nigerian Goat Urinary Calculi: What Is It? Such plant species contain tannins and other substances that can spoil the taste and smell of goat’s milk. Too wet hay is not for Nigerian dwarf goats. You can see just how important this mineral is. Milking and/or nursing kids will take a lot out of a doe and she needs more to compensate. In the initial period of the grazing season, which is represented by woody plants and shrubs, as well as weeds, may have higher nutrients than the usual plants on pastures. Their small stature means they do not require as much space as larger dairy goat breeds, and their gentle and friendly personalities make them good companion pets. Goats can be picky eaters at time and can even have delicate digestive systems. This site also participates in other affiliate programs and is compensated for referring traffic and business to them. By offering the mineral free-choice you are allowing them to eat what they need and when they need it. That is, water consumption and food consumption are very related and depending on each other. The nose is straight. They can thrive with simple housing, freshwater, and balanced goat food. The paws and neck are long, the horns short, while the eyes are blue. My family and I are lined up for three goats next spring!! It is often necessary to give our goats concentrates to meet the needs for nutrients, which form the basic, voluminous feed could not meet. How much hay does a Nigerian Dwarf goat eat in a week? Function and Use – What exactly do you do with such a small goat? August 29, 2019. These animals are well-meaning, love children very much, and love to play. Most of all, babies, often born as triplets and quadruplets, tend to fetch high prices. Hay is the main source of nutrients in feeding goats during the winter. The Nigerian Dwarf goat milk benefit is that it is higher in butterfat (6-10 percent) … This site also participates in other affiliate programs and is compensated for referring traffic and business to them. Goats need energy, protein, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and water. The buttermilk may contain enough good bacteria to keep the kids from scouring. It’s important to note that Nigerian Dwarf goats do need to be milked daily, but with just a bit of work, you can quickly produce rich milk that can be consumed either on its own or in the form of other milk products. Pygmy goats are a hardy bunch and when properly housed and fed, they are unlikely to come down with some Let’s get started. In this article we are going to discuss the diet specifics such as grains, fiber (hay), and vitamins and minerals. They can be easily trained and wonderful with children, making them attractive to first-timers or youth participating in FFA or 4-H clubs. It's conformation is similar to that of the larger dairy goat breeds. The most important thing with regard to feeding Nigerian dwarf goats is that you have a happy and healthy herd. Between about 1930 and 1960 a variety of small goats of the West African Dwarf group of breeds were imported from Africa to the United States to be exhibited in zoos. I hope that I have provided some good information to get you started. There is certainly a lot to love about Nigerian goats. 2. Each animal has…, Farming Base (farmingbase.com) is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. They are often found eating the leaves off of small shrubby plants. Read my article on urinary calculi for more information titled: Dwarf Nigerian Goat Urinary Calculi: What Is It? One should be very careful with alfalfa. Nigerian Dwarf goats are enjoying a rise in popularity due to their small size and colorful markings. The kids are born at an average of around two pounds! Thanks the article was helpful. Randy Haupt says. She published Ruminations: The Nigerian Dwarf and Mini Dairy Goat magazine and Goat Health Care. Feeding Nigerian dwarf goats grains alone is never recommended and they are only meant to be a supplement to help balance their requirements. May 19, 2016 at 3:14 am. I fell in love with NGD’s at first sight and they brought us into a whole new level of homesteading that we had never dreamed of- the ability to have fresh milk. Nigerian Dwarf Goat Origin and History. What Is the Difference Between Cow and Heifer? The amount of protein is more important than their quality since goats are ruminants, the microorganisms in the rumen produce their bodily, metabolic proteins. They probably eat about a flake of hay a day:) or if you’re feeding pellets, that would equal to 8 cups. Nigerian Dwarfs: The Essential Vitamins And Minerals, read my Nigerian dwarf blog for more informative articles. One important thing to remember when dealing with goats is that they are very curious and will nibble everything. Two of them (Strawberry and Blueberry) came from a set of triplets and the other (Brownie) was born near the same time. Nigerian dwarf goats, as all goats, are quite picky animals, so they eat only the highest quality parts of plants, primarily leaves, flowers, and buds, while the stem will be eaten less often. *once they start to recognize you, they will start to follow you around. Top 15 Cattle Breeds That Can Make You Rich. #6 Reason Why You DON’T Want Nigerian Dwarf Goats: Landscaping. Here is a great article to read on vitamins and minerals titled: Nigerian Dwarfs: The Essential Vitamins And Minerals. Also, they will eat weeds and grass and occasionally your wife or mothers flowers. when the plants are still young, can have a satisfactory share of energy, especially protein. Sitemap. Goats also have four stomach compartments with the rumen being the most important part of their stomach. Then once you get started with them, and kind of get a groove going with their basic care and it’s not so bad at all.. Nigerian Dwarf goats are known for their gentleness, small size, cuteness and even tempers, playful personalities and are popular as great family pets. Also, one trick you can try in order to increase milk production is to find protein sources high in lysine. Goats prefer hay that contains a little weed in addition to grass. A ruminant is an animal that chews cud. This means that they prefer to eat shrubby plants rather than pasture grasses. As for concentrated foods, a mixture of corn and barley grains is most commonly practiced, but it is not a quality concentrate. Feeding Your Pygmy Goat or Nigerian Dwarf Early cut grass-legume mix makes a fine, all-purpose hay. Cheryl K. Smith has raised a small herd of dairy goats under the herd name Mystic Acres since 1998. I was wondering how much food your Nigerian Dwarf goat eat a day? Nigerian Dwarf Goats Join Kilimanjaro Safaris (Walt Disney World) If you feed your goats too many grains, it can actually kill them. Lysine is an amino acid that has been shown to produce more milk in dairy goats. Do Nigerian dwarf goats eat weeds? Nigerian dwarf goats are known for their exceptional liveliness and mobility in searching and choosing food, which enables them to survive even in poor nutritional conditions. Full size goats consume 5-7lbs of hay per day on average. Search this site. The body is less muscular than that of the Cameroon dwarf goat. For Nigerian Dwarf goats, we recommend feeding “free choice” loose goat mineral (not a block) and baking soda. What do Nigerian dwarf goats eat? She writes a blog (ruminationsongoats.blogspot.com) and is an expert on goats at allexperts.com. Hello! She was my bud. I would expect Nigerians to consume somewhere between 3 and 4lbs per day. Feeding green fodder is especially advantageous for increasing milk yield in goats. The Nigerian Dwarf goats were a perfect breed for us because of their small stature, they fit well within our tiny piece of land (1/4 acre) which made them easily manageable. However, there are some little tips and tricks that new goat owners don’t always think about. In doing so, you must pay special attention to their quality because moldy silage can cause major health problems and the death of goats. Proper nutrition is really all about ratios when it comes to Nigerian dwarfs. American Pygmy vs. Nigerian Dwarf – It’s easy to confuse the two breeds of “little” goats. Nigerian Dwarf Goat Origin and History. 1. For adult females, it depends on whether she is dry, pregnant, or lactating. May 30, 2018 - What do goats eat? This site also participates in other affiliate programs and is compensated for referring traffic and business to them. Goats draw these nutrients from the amount of food they eat. Jun 18, 2011 New England. Nigerian dairy dwarf goats need to have a balanced meal, which means it contains all the substances that will meet their needs. I hope that I have provided some good information to get you started. This breed, along with other small goats, was imported to the United States between the 1920s and 1960s. This site also participates in other affiliate programs and is compensated for referring traffic and business to them. However, grains are a different story. There are a number of West African Dwarf goats, the Nigerian Dwarf goat among them. The best thing for goats to eat and the food they digest the best is bulk fiber and fibrous plant material. Due to these qualities and their small size, they are well known far and wide as great family pets. I took her everywhere with me… my family reunion, trick or treating, school show and tell, and the county fair. Goats, in general, need energy and nutrients to rebuild, build a body and produce milk, and these are water, carbohydrates, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. Winter browse and pastures should be supplemented with hay. Nigeriandwarfgoatsworld.com participates in the Amazon Services LLC associates program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for websites to earn advertising commissions by linking to Amazon. Their wool is usually heterogeneous in color, with no specific color. Nigerian Dwarf goats are enjoying a rise in popularity due to their small size and colorful markings. The pygmy has a narrower head than the Nigerian dwarf, and has a slighter build. the get grain, hay,minerals, and i put branches and leaves in their pen daily, Facebook0Tweet0Pin0 Our goats are fragile creatures and we constantly have to be observant of our herds to identify problems early. They will eat your: gardens, trees, bushes, flowers, siding on your house, shoes (we still can’t find the other flip-flop), and anything else they can get their mouths on. So, if a doe weighs 60lbs she must consume 3lbs of dry feed per day that she is milking or nursing. Textured feeds usually have a sweet molasses added as well as several ingredients such as corn. Here is a great little video on correct structure of a Nigerian Dwarf goat. Bucks and dry does need 11-12% protein in their diets. It is the least goaty tasting of all goat milk because of their higher butterfat content. Accordingly, the most important part of your Nigerian Dwarf Goat’s diet will be the hay you provide. We give our herd a copper bolus every 5-6 months. History. Conclusion. The Nigerian Dwarf goat is a miniature goat of West African origin. We chose the Nigerian Dwarf Goat for our farm because of their small size and the taste of their milk. Although they eat weeds, the most important food for them is hay, and the best one there is alfalfa. Check the photos below for some of the more common poisonous plants. If you don't want them to eat something, keep … We use these little stainless steel pailsto milk our Nigerian Dwarf goats. Guests will see the goats eat, sleep and play among a new warden outpost on the edge of the savanna. It is especially important to give enough minerals and vitamins to highly pregnant and lactating goats. How Long Do Nigerian Dwarf Goats Live? Since the Nigerian dwarf goat is very small, they will eat smaller plants and weeds. Goats are ruminants and feed exclusively on bulky food. The Nigerian Dwarf, like the American Pygmy Goat, derives from these, but does not resemble the stocky West African Dwarf in conformation – it has been bred to have the appearance of a miniature dairy goat. It is never recommended to mix your own feed unless you are a goat nutritionist as you can really make a mess of their balanced diet. Therefore, for grazing dairy goats, the best bud is on cultivated, sown pastures dominated by Gramineae, Italian lily of the valley, and legumes of white and red clover. Silage is very useful in feeding goats, but in general, breeders rarely use it, probably because it is complicated for them to make it. These miniature goats needs the same basic grain feed, roughage, water, mineral supplements, shelter, and vaccinations as all other goat breeds. Minerals that are … You can also feed your goats with goat feed that you buy in the feed and grain store. Pens or houses should be kept clean with fresh hay or straw for bedding. at birth, but grow quickly. She raises Nigerian Dwarf goats, Buckeye chickens, honey bees and produce. What to Feed Nigerian Dwarf Goats. Nigerian Dwarf Goat Kid Care. Goats are browsers. Dry feed is considered her combined grains, hay, and forage. Ideally they should have access to pasture year-round. They love variety so they’ll eat up your trees, bushes, & weeds before they’ll nibble on the grass. Baking Soda is sodium biocarbonate. Nigerian dwarfs goats on the other hand require significant copper levels in their diet. What do they eat? fun facts. Goats eat primarily hay or pasture. European and American breeders of the main breed bred many other breeds. Nigerian Dwarf goats have a reputation for their small size, yes, but also their docility, friendliness, intelligence, blue eyes, coats that vary widely in pattern and color, and rich milk. They reach sexual maturity early, so you must be sure to separate buck kids early. Nigerian Dwarf Goats for Urban Farming and Homesteading. They actually have four separate chambers for processing food instead of one stomach. | Powered By Asad Fareed. The only edible weed is nettle. Nigerian Dwarf Goats Join Kilimanjaro Safaris at Disney’s Animal Kingdom By Ashley Carter Orange County PUBLISHED 12:42 PM ET Dec. 17, 2020 PUBLISHED 12:42 PM EST Dec. 17, 2020 Knowing the proper answer is very important for keeping healthy, happy goats! The Nigerian Dwarf does give a surprising quantity of milk for its size. goats need vitamins A, D, and E. Goats should be allowed unrestricted, free access to the mineral-vitamin premix with the addition of salt. Nigerian dwarf goats should have free and unrestricted access to clean and fresh water. These goats are often even seen in town as a families milking goat and pet. Hay for goats must be of the best quality, pleasant smell and taste, free of mold. Alfalfa is a large donor of calcium, and larger amounts of this element can disrupt the calcium-phosphorus ratio, which can lead to metabolic problems. Mitzy was my first goat, a pygmy. A doe that is in milk needs more and the recommended percentage is 16-18%. Since Nigerian Dwarf Goats are so popular, there is a wealth of informational websites that you can use to learn more about the breed. There is also a pelleted feed that is created in a mill that has everything within a pellet. Ensure the kids receive the doe’s colostrum within 24 hours after birth, or provide them with commercial colostrum from a bottle. Like most livestock herd animals, your Nigerian Dwarf goats will eat hay, as long as it's in some kind of manger or trough so it doesn't touch the ground. There is certainly a lot to love about Nigerian goats. Not all websites are created equal, however. She was my 10th birthday present. June 12, 2016 at 8:49 pm. To maintain this level of milk production a dairy goat needs to eat between 5 to 7 per cent of her body weight daily; a dairy cow eats up to 4 per cent of her body weight per day. Does will … Here’s a quick rundown of the basics of how to feed a Nigerian dwarf goat. People began to domesticate them in central West Africa, especially in Cameroon and Nigeria. This is a process that helps them to properly digest their food. Reply. Protein concentrates can be of plant or animal origin, such as soybean meal, rapeseed meal, fish meal, etc. Ease of rearing makes it very profitable for farmers to rear and sell Nigerian Dwarf goats. Vitamins are needed by goats in small quantities, i.e. Nigerian Dwarf Goat Care. If you free range your goats on a large homestead with varying terrain, the goat herd will find plenty of ways to entertain themselves. Feed the grains separate and provide the minerals separate as well. And since goats digest foods differently than humans, learning a bit about how they process food helps in understanding how best to feed them.. Goats are ruminants and as such have four different chambers to process food rather than one stomach like humans. Although Nigerian dwarf goats were rare when I got started in 2002, today they are the fastest growing breed for all of the reasons I’ve mentioned so far. Adult goats drink between 2 and 6 liters of water a day. Our Nigerian Dwarf goats don’t eat hay, concentrate, or extra minerals. Pasture has a higher proportion of nutrients and less cellulose and lignin, which makes this feed better digestible. Although you do not need a ton of room to roam to offer a Nigerian dwarf goat a suitable home, they are truly high energy animals. Only lactating females must be fed with alfalfa. Goats are browsers. People are increasingly choosing dwarf goats for pets. Nigerian dwarf goats grow to only 21 in. This formula is similar to other baby goat formulas and should work for all type of baby goats. Their feeding depends on age and gender, also by what’s available in the region.