*(This is just the basic's of goat care and is to be used as a guide to how we care for our Nigerian Dwarf goats here at Laurel Haven. It is in no way intended to be used as "the way to raise all dairy goats" alt hough we have a few years ofexperience we are still learning ourselves and are open to tr y new goat management practices if it is beneficial to our herd.) Nigerian Dwarf Goats The Nigerian Dwarf is a miniature goat of West African origin. Nigerian Dwarf
goats are small in size and have very colorful markings. The AGS breed standard
sets the maximum height for does at 22.4" with bucks up to 23.6". Their gentle,
friendly personalities make them good companion pets and easy to handle.
Nigerian Dwarf goats are a true dairy goat and have been approved as such by the
US Department of Agriculture making them eligible for youth 4-H and FFA projects. A healthy Nigerian Dwarf doe can produce a surprising amount of sweet
milk for her small size, as much as two quarts per day. Nigerian Dwarf milk has
between 6% and 10% butterfat, with higher protein content than most other dairy
goat breeds. So if you wish for your pet to provide you with milk, she most
certainly can. We have included our favorite Goat Milk Recipes . Amazing
little animals, you just got to love them. Normal Ranges
Rectal temperature = 102.5 - 104 F is in normal range
Pulse rate = 70 - 80 beats per minute
Respiration = 15 to 30 breathes per minute
Rumen Movements = 1 - 1.5 contractions per minute
Puberty = Bucks can reach puberty as early as 7 weeks old; Does reach puberty around 4-7 months of age
Estrus Cycle = on an average of around every 25 days
Gestation = 145 to 155 days (5 months) Life span = Nigerian Dwarfs average 12-18 years
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Feeding
Goats must have fresh water available at all times. In the summer we give our goats fresh cool water several times a day. In the winter goats prefer warm water.
(It warms up their bellies on those cold winter mornings.) Our goats are fed twice a day, each receive (1 cup in the morning & 1 cup in the
evening.) Our does & bucks receive a feed that we mix ourselves, it consists of 3
parts ³steamed crimped oats³, 3 parts ³Blue Seal´ Dairy Goat pellets, 1 part sweet
feed of ³COB´ with black oil sunflower seeds. Our wethers get mostly "steamed
crimped oats" because many sweet feeds contain grains and wethers can be
susceptible to a fatal condition called urinary calculi (calcium stones in the
urinary tract) if they are over-grained. Bucks can be susceptible to this condition
also. Goats should have hay available to them throughout the day, free choice. We prefer a mixture hay of Alfalfa, Timothy & Orchard grass. Goats are "browsers"
and should be allowed to rummage for grasses, leaves, weeds & bushes. But be
careful many plants are toxic. The more common yard plants toxic to goats are:
oleander, azalea, castor bean, buttercup, rhododendron, philodendron, English
ivy, chokecherry, laurel, daffodil and many members of the lily family. Cultivated
plants that have toxic substances that can harm goats include the tomato, potato,
cabbage, rhubarb & avocado plants. Other toxic plants are various toadstools and
mushrooms, mistletoe, and milkweed. This is just the most common toxic plant list.
For a more complete list check the USDA Agriculture Information on poisonous
plants to livestock. Health
We believe that all goats need immunizations to stay healthy. We give all goats
here their Bar-Vac CDT(clostridium perfringens types C&D tetanus toxoid) first
immunizations as a kid. When the goat reaches 1 year old and every year after it
receives a booster Bar-Vac CDT injection. Goats do get parasites, (worms, lice, fleas, ticks ...)and our goats are dewormed 4x
yearly. I alternate wormers for my goats because they can & will build a resistanceto wormers. I worm according to seasons: Ivomec Plus wormer orally in spring &
fall (kills lice and other external parasites also). Safeguard paste ( @ 5x the
dosage) in winter & summer. This keeps our goats worm & parasite free all year. We make sure that the goats have a trace mineral salt (it will be the red kind) at all
times. Goats will need these minerals that are missing in it's environment to keep it
healthy. And we always keep common baking soda available for our goats. A goat
eats baking soda to keep urine acidity in the proper range and it helps with
digestion. Goats will self medicate themselves. They know when they need the soda
and how much they need. A goat can lap up an average of 2 tablespoons of baking soda a day.
Never overfeed your goat oats because they will bloat. Bloat is an excessive
accumulation of gas trapped in numerous tiny bubbles, making it impossible for
them to burp. If this should ever happen a cup of oil (corn, peanut, or mineral) or
baking soda will usually relieve the condition. But be careful giving any goat an
oily substance orally because it can choke due to the oil consistency is different
than most liquids. Bloat can be fatal, another good reason to keep baking soda
available.
Medications we keep on hand can be seen here in our Goat MedicineCabinet . We do recommend that every goat owner have emergency supplies
readily available. We get our supplies from our Veterinarian, EastGate Feed Mill,
Tractor Supply Company, and online at Jeffers Livestock & Caprine Supply. The most important advice we can give is if you are to own goats, please find a
good ruminant veterinarian in your area. We have been fortunate to find a
ruminant vet only 10 minutes away from Laurel Haven, who comes here regularly
to check our goats and give care when needed. He also disbuds our kids humanely
and is very knowlegable about goats. It is wonderful knowing help is only 10
minutes away if ever needed. We wish all that owns goats be lucky enough to find
a ruminant vet in their area as compassionate for goats as ours is. Shelter
A goat hates to get wet and needs a proper shelter to escape the rain, snows &
wind. We provide our goats with dry shelters with straw for comfort and warmth.
Inside the shelters we have built shelves around the sides. Many of our goats love
to sleep up off the ground on these shelves and little ones feel safe under them.
They are not to fussy about the type of shelter you provide for them as long as theycan escape the rain & snow. But most important is that it is kept clean & dry. Our
shelters are cleaned daily with fresh dry stall and straw to prevent parasite or
bacteria from growing. Outside of the shelter there should be a place for your goat to be able to roam &
play. Goats love to jump and play king of the hill. Stumps & logs make great play
toys, along with the large spools used for cable etc. A small rock pile will help keep
hoofs wore down, although hoofs will still need regular clippings. We trim our
goats hoofs every other month but do maintenance checks in between.
General Information You should never have a single goat, for they are herd animals and will become
very lonely. At least have a pair. The more the merrier. Wethers tend to make the
ultimate ³pet goat´ and tend to get along well with all other goats. If you keep your
goats healthy you will have happy goats. A goat will usually let you know if
something is wrong, be it they are sick, unhappy, or just bored. Our goats give us
hours of enjoyment. They are silly little creatures that love to play. They are also
very intelligent animals that can be trained and made into lovable great pets.
Everything was written from my own experience or educated information obtained by books and the internet. Every goat breeder has there own way of doing things
depending on region & climate and what works best for them. It is best if a new
goat owner gets a book about caring for goats. Some good books I recommend:
"Your Goats: A Kids Guide to raising & Showing " although it says for kids it has
general easy to read information & instructions. "Raising Milk Goats the Modern
Way" is another overall good book, easy to understand goat references. If you have any questions about Laurel Haven Nigerian Dwarf goats, DO NOT
hesitate to contact us, we can be reached easily by emailing [email protected]
