Best goat breed for pets?

[awesomefowl]

Hi,
My little sister and me really want bottle baby kids. I want them for pets, and to breed, so I can sell the kids. Obviosly, we need doelings. There is goat farm near us that sells young (bottle) babies for about $20 each, but I'm not sure about the dairy breeds they have......
Breeds I was considering:

Fainting goats (mini or standard; I like miniature goats)
Nigerian Dwarfs
But they are hard to find as bottle babies, and EXSPENSIVE. I don't want to spend $300-500 per kid!
Any thoughts? I really would like some goats.

 

[arabianequine]

Get a neutered male....they are usually cheaper then females. I would get pygmy goats if for pets.

 

[awesomefowl]

Yes, but I want to be able to breed the females. i do love pygmys, but can't find anybody close who would have a bottle baby or two. I really want to bottle feed them.

 

[awesomefowl]

Maybe i should just get the babies from the goat farm...

 

[sydney13]

Nigerian Dwarfs are absolutely adorable and from what ive seen of them they are very affectionate. lamancha goats are said to be the most friendliest and i think they come in a miniature size, right?
you will want to have good fencing, ive read that some dwarf goats will slip right under the fences.

 

[BlackBrookPoultry]

I have dairy breeds as pets and I think they get into much less trouble than they pygmys. Nigerian Dwarfs are great because they are small and give good milk, but if they are too expensive than they may be out. I don't know a lot about fainting goats. Oh, yes, and lamanchas are funny looking but VERY sweet.

 

[taraann81]

Quote:
I am guessing the ones near you for 20.00 are probably the buck kids. Doelings would probably be more....but who knows.

 

[The Lisser]

If you want to breed females, why not just get females and use someone else's buck when the females are old enough? A mature buck can get aggressive and when in season will pee on himself (which is going to get on you if you pet him or get near him).

If you want quality animals you will probably pay at least $100 for a female kid. But you will end up with quality. Nigerian dwarfs are small, and so you will have lower feed costs than any of the larger breeds. They are a dairy breed. Pygmies are a meat breed. Mini-Nubians are a cross between Nubians and Nigerian Dwarfs - a really nice combination, they are small goats and sweet animals that will produce great milk.

I personally love the larger dairy breeds, they are usually very sweet, especially if you bottle feed them. But they get to be 120 - 200 lbs, so that's a lot to feed. Nubian, Lamancha, Alpine, Saanen, and Oberhasli. I like the wethers for pets, but I'm not interested in breeding.

 

[awesomefowl]

Quote:
I only want females: doelings. And I want a mini breed to breed, others are too big for now. So:
Mini La Manchas - hmm.
Fainting Goats - should be eaiser to fence?
Nigerians - worried about fencing, and jumping, but I love them!

Anybody know of any breeders? Thank you for you replys!

 

[key west chick]

I have 5 Nigi's. I paid $400 each for 3 doelings, and $50 each for the 2 wethers. I had planned on milking them so I got some from good milk lines. Never got around to getting them bred so they have become expensive pets. I absolutely love my Nigs. DH and I are looking for some land and if we get enough, i may go ahead and get a buck and have a small breeding herd.