Nubian Goats Info

Nubian goat is a goat breed, which is actually native to Middle East and North Africa. The Anglo-Nubian breed was however, developed in England by breeding native milking stock and goats from the Middle East and North Africa. The resulting Anglo-Nubian breed, also known as Nubian breed is one of the resilient goat breeds that can tolerate very hot climatic conditions. They are also quite large and have a long breeding season, as compared to other dairy goat breeds. They are often considered as one the best goats for milking purposes.

Nubian Goat

They have many distinctive characteristics, which help them to get easily recognized. Some distinguishing characteristics include, a large, pendulous or floppy ear, and a Roman nose. A roman nose is also called aquiline nose, for the prominent and slightly curved bridge. The male goats are pretty large and can weigh up to about 175 lbs, while the females usually weigh around 135 lbs. The female goat or 'does' usually attains a height of 30 inches, while the male or the 'buck' can grow up to a height of almost 35 inches. The coat is short, fine and glossy, which gives a sleek look to the body. The coat can be of any color, spotted or particolored.

These goats are highly resilient, withstanding very hot climates and also temperatures down to -15 degree Celsius. They are much larger than the common dairy goats, and have more flesh on their body, which makes them an ideal dual purpose breed. In other words, they can be raised for both meat and milk. The milk of these goats are considered very healthy. The fat content of the milk is however, more than that of the milk of other dairy goats. The butterfat content of the milk is about 5% more than the milk of most other goat breeds, excluding the Nigerian Dwarf goat, Boer goat breeds and Pygmy goat. The milk is smooth and very creamy, and it can be used to make both butter and cottage cheese.

Raising Nubian Goat

Apart from meat and milk, they can also be raised as pets. In fact, they can be considered as excellent pets, due to their good temperament. These goats are sociable, intelligent and won't bother you much, unless they need something. If you are considering to raise these goats for milk, then you pay a little attention to their food. You have to provide them good quality food, to get better milk. So, give them plenty of good quality grains, pasture, alfalfa and clover hay to eat. Along with these, give them lots of water, about 3 to 5 gallons of water daily.

A shelter for goats is very important for ensuring their better health. So, build a good shelter, that can protect your Nubian goats from getting wet. However, while making a shelter, be sure to use only non-toxic things, and avoid the plants that are toxic to goats. The shelter should be properly fenced in order to protect them from predators, and also to prevent them from wandering off. Along with shelter, you can provide them dry bedding such as, wheat straw or hay to lie on. To maintain the health of the goats, it is very important to keep their shelter clean from manures and soiled bedding. In addition to these, the hooves of the animals need to be trimmed regularly, if they are in a hilly area. This can be done once in every three months in order to avoid foot rot.

Whether you want to raise Nubian goat for its meat and milk or simply as a pet, you have to take good care of them to keep them healthy and robust.