Nigerian Dwarf Goat

Nigerian dwarf goats have a small stature and colorful markings. The history of this breed dates back to the eighteenth century, when their ancestors - miniature goats of West African origin were brought to the United States via sea. At that time, they were mainly used as food for the predators in the zoo. These imported goats consisted of two types - one with a compact body and short legs and the other type had a more streamlined and slender body with comparatively longer legs. Until the 1970s, there was no obvious distinction between the two types. Later, they were bred selectively, which resulted in two different breeds - the compact and cobby African pygmy and the slender and dairy-type Nigerian dwarf. The popularity of Nigerian dwarf goats owe to their adoption as pets and as livestock dairy goats.

Physical Features
As stated earlier, Nigerian dwarf goats are of small size and the body is well proportioned with straight nose and upright ears. They are available in various colors, color combination's and patterns. The common colors are white, black, cream, red, buckskin and chamoisee. While some of these goats have blue eyes, others have white color on the tip of their ears. Normally, these goats have horns, but most of them are dehorned (removal of horns) within two weeks of their birth. This is done for the safety of the members of the herd as well as that of humans.

According to the American Goat Society and the American Dairy Goat Association, the height standards of this animal should be less than 22.5 inches at the withers (highest point of the back of an animal) in females and less than 23.5 inches for males. As per the Nigerian Dwarf Goat Association, the height of females should be between 17 to 19 inches, with a maximum allowed height of 21 inches. The same applies to male, but 19 inches is the minimum allowed height in males.

Behavior and Breeding
Nigerian dwarf goats are very gentle in nature, and it is very easy to train them. Hence, they are very popular as pets and being small-statured, they require less space. Their gentle nature makes them good pets for children and aged people too. Generally, does (females) and wethers (castrated males), are preferred as pets as the bucks (adult male) have an unpleasant odor.

There is no specific breeding season for this goat, as it can breed year round. The gestation period is 145 to 153 days and normally, this animal gives birth to two to four young ones (sometimes five). The males become fertile at an young age of seven months, but females can breed by the age of seven to eight months.

Milk
An average Nigerian dwarf goat can yield up to 3 kilograms of milk per day. The milk of this goat has 6 to 10% of butterfat and is rich in proteins. Their milk, which is sweet in taste is very good for making cheese, fudge, soap and other goat milk products. As this goat can breed year round, there can never be any shortage of milk throughout the year.

You can always own a Nigerian dwarf goat as a pet or for dairy purposes. Both way, this animal is perfect to serve your purpose.