Читать книгу Raising Goats For Dummies - Cheryl K. Smith - Страница 69

Nigerian Dwarves are miniature goats that came to the United States from Africa. They’re considered dwarves because they’re a product of hereditary pituitary hypoplasia, which means they’re small but normally proportioned. They are colorful, friendly, easy to handle, and in some cases quite good milk producers. Figure 3-4 shows a Nigerian Dwarf goat.

FIGURE 3-4: Nigerian Dwarf goat.

Two height standards exist for Nigerian Dwarves. The Nigerian Dwarf Goat Association allows 17 to 21 inches for does and 19 to 23 inches for bucks, while the American Goat Society allows a maximum of 22.5 inches for does and 23.5 inches for bucks. Their average weight is around 75 pounds.

Their kids are the cutest things around, and Nigerian Dwarves have a lot of them. Quadruplets aren’t rare, and you even see quintuplets and sextuplets from time to time. The does tend to be easy kidders (I’m not kidding!) and natural mothers.

Nigerians are popular as milkers, 4-H projects, and pets. The wethers are easier to sell because they make good backyard pets and are easy for children to handle. They can be expensive, but if you find a breeder who will sell them unregistered you can get them for a reasonable price.

Some Nigerian Dwarves give only about a pound (one pint) of milk per day, but others produce as much as 8 pounds (a half-gallon). A lot of them are hard to milk because of their small teats, but others have been bred to alleviate this problem. If you want these goats for milking, make sure to ask about milking, look at the udders, and try milking some goats, if you can.

Some urban goat farmers shy away from the Nigerians, despite their petite size, because they can be loud. But their flashy colors and winning personalities are a draw.

You can eat a Nigerian, but most people don’t. The cost isn’t worth the end result, and besides, they’re so darn cute!