Nigerian Dwarf goats....HELP ! information needed.

[mhwc56]

i have been offered 2 Nigerian dwarf goats( 1 very small doe and 1 wether of unknown ages.) and know absolutely NOTHING about them except that they are a small,friendly milk breed...that's it...

i have never had goats before ,don't know what they need nutritionally or anything else.
does anyone on here have them as pets? All the info i could find on line just says the size, origin ,that kind of "facts" which doesn't tell me near enough !
i need to know what they should be fed ,how to house them, what health needs,worming,shots etc. they should get ...what their temperments are really like. Space requirements and any thing else you can give.
the person offering them just bought the herd and doesn't really know much about them either.
ALL input would be greatly appreciated!

 

[lasergrl]

Fiascofarm.com has everything you could want to know.

Good quality grass hay and a goat mineral. NO grain is needed if not being bred/milked. Graining a wether can cause urinary blockage. They need early vaccinating, hoof trim.

 

[key west chick]

I have 5 nigi's. I love them! I have 3 does and 2 wethers. I trim hooves about every 3 months. Feed them Bermuda hay, and split a couple cups of goat pellets to get them back in their pen a few times a week when I let them out. loose minerals, not the block kind. Make sure its for goats and not just livestock minerals. Goats need the copper but sheep do not. So make sure its for goats. Clean water. Mine get picky if a leaf is floating in it. Hubby built this big goaty box for them to sleep in.

Right now they are in dog kennel panels but soon we will be fencing in the backyard for them. Not sure what kind of fencing we are going with though. They will need a CD&T vac and worming, though I use the famacha method. Mine are big lap puppies. Super friendly.

 

[terrilhb]

I got to billy's in June and just got a female 1 week ago. I love them. I have done almost what key west chick did. I so love my goats. Billy's are stinkier and rougher but mine are still loveable. The female is a gentle soul. I am still learning. I say go for it if you can take care of their needs. If you take them good luck and so enjoy.

 

[glenolam]

As long as you're sure it's a wether with the doe you're fine. If you leave a doe in with bucks you're running the risk of having her bred year round regardless of age, condition, previous kidding date, etc. Not to mention the bucks will mate with doelings as soon as they come into their first heat which can be as early as 6 weeks of age (way to young to be bred).

For now, if you have some type of enclosure for them to get out of the elements and a small area for them to play in they'll be fine. Let them out and take them for walks every now and then.

Free choice water and minerals are key and hay is most likely free choice although some people feed only a flake or two each time the hay feeder is empty to reduce waste.

You'll want to see if they've had their CD&T vaccinations yet. If not, they should get 2ccs each regardless of age, weight or gender. Depending on their health they may or may not need to be wormed. You can take a fecal sample to a vet, any vet - even small animal - and they can tell you what you're dealing with. The most common dewormer is Ivermectin (Ivomec, Ivomax) but there are a lot others out there. My advise, though, is to only deworm as needed. I don't see the point in worming for something that's not there.

Trot on over to the BYH site - TONS of us goat people on there and a lot of info on the stuff you'll need to know!

Good luck and post some pictures!!

 

[imtc]

I have 2 nigerians pet does myself and LOVE them. (first time owner when I got them). I've had them now for about 2 years. They don't require much space so mine are housed in a sectioned off part of my back yard I'd say 30X60 ft. that is enclosed with 5ft fencing. We plan to add another fenced in area hopefully this spring to make that larger but for now it works well. I provided them with a large size dog house for the first year or so for shelter and they both fit in there together fine and have since cleared out a shed that is now their "barn" with coatal hay for bedding.

Personality wise they are very much like dogs (mine probably get more attention than my dogs...lol) and are extremely social and friendly. I take mine for walks around my property pretty much every day (no leashes) and they NEVER stray away from me. They run to me every time I go outside and enjoy being touched and petted. Mine have no horns (which I would highly recommend) because they will do damage with them and can hurt you with them (whether they mean to or not)...mine would jab me a lot with hers to get my attention and with small kids I decided to have them removed.
They are also very playful and love to climb, so having things for them to jump up on is fun for them. I have a large rock and a wooden platform they can jump on and also a little tykes plastic playscape for them to play on. Large tires would be something fun along with those large wooden cable spools....things like that.


For diet I keep alfalfa hay available at all times and provide goat pellet/feed. They also have a salt block and powder minerals available at all times. I also mix a bin of various grains (alfalfa pellets, steamed rolled oats, sunflower seeds, cracked corn, sweet horse feed)....I have chickens and they also like the grains. It is not necessary to have both types of feed though, I just prefer to have both so they get a variety. I also buy them horse treats/cookies they really like.

I've found them to be very easy to keep and LOVE their personality. You will really enjoy yours if you get them.

Here are my 2 girls.

 

[Persimmon Creek]

We are looking to get nigerian dwarf goats (inexpensively) for milking. If anyone (unfortunately) is looking for a home for their babies, we would provide a very good one! All of our pets are spoiled rotten We are in NC, but would travel to GA and TN as well. Thank you!