But, if you’re raising Nigerian dwarf goats for milk, weeds should be avoided. The ratio of calcium and phosphorus in the meal should be about 2: 1. Dairy goats need a year-round supply of roughage, such as pasture, browse or well-cured hay. © Copyright 2020 Nigerian Dwarf Goats World. Nigerian Dwarf Goats are cute, cuddly, lovable, active and amazingly fond of human interaction. It is important to follow the basics below when feeding Nigerian dwarf goats: -Provide good quality free-choice grass hay. As with all goats, Nigerian dwarf goats do not require much care. All goats are ruminants, meaning that their stomach is divided into four chambers that help them process food. It is the chamber that breaks down all of the roughage that they eat. There are more…, Farming Base (farmingbase.com) is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Knowing the proper answer is very important for keeping healthy, happy goats! The Nigerian dwarf has a stocky build and a characteristically broad face. Cheryl K. Smith has raised a small herd of dairy goats under the herd name Mystic Acres since 1998. Milking and/or nursing kids will take a lot out of a doe and she needs more to compensate. I fell in love with NGD’s at first sight and they brought us into a whole new level of homesteading that we had never dreamed of- the ability to have fresh milk. It is the least goaty tasting of all goat milk because of their higher butterfat content. Their small size means that they will consume about half as much feed as other breeds that are over twice their size. Its nutritional value depends on the botanical composition and the time of its use. Jun 18, 2011 New England. Bucks and dry does need 11-12% protein in their diets. My family and I are lined up for three goats next spring!! Nigerian dwarf goats love to forage, they want a nice pasture, where they can nibble on grass and weeds. We give our herd a copper bolus every 5-6 months. Mitzy was my first goat, a pygmy. How Long Do Nigerian Dwarf Goats Live? What Is Pregnancy Toxemia In Goats And How Do You Treat It? Many issues that come up, Facebook0Tweet0Pin0 This is an ailment that primarily affects male goats, especially wethered males. Proper nutrition is really all about ratios when it comes to Nigerian dwarfs. The Nigerian Dwarf Goat, despite its name, is actually an American breed of Dwarf Goat. Green fodder or pasture is the favorite fodder for Nigerian dwarf goats. Due to these qualities and their small size, they are well known far and wide as great family pets. The one big advantage of keeping Nigerian dwarf goats from a habitat perspective is the size of the fence you must erect to keep them in. Breeds to Consider. Such fodder, if used in the vegetative phase of development, i.e. Their feeding also depends on age and gender. Top 15 Cattle Breeds That Can Make You Rich. the get grain, hay,minerals, and i put branches and leaves in their pen daily, Facebook0Tweet0Pin0 Our goats are fragile creatures and we constantly have to be observant of our herds to identify problems early. They can thrive with simple housing, freshwater, and balanced goat food. They will eat your: gardens, trees, bushes, flowers, siding on your house, shoes (we still can’t find the other flip-flop), and anything else they can get their mouths on. Haylage is a feed rich in protein, calcium, and phosphorus. Farming Base (farmingbase.com) is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. So you will get fresh milk for your family consumption throughout the year, if you raise a few does. Properly feeding Nigerian Dwarf dairy goats is a major factor in successfully keeping them. Silage is very useful in feeding goats, but in general, breeders rarely use it, probably because it is complicated for them to make it. American Pygmy vs. Nigerian Dwarf – It’s easy to confuse the two breeds of “little” goats. Textured feeds usually have a sweet molasses added as well as several ingredients such as corn. Nigerian Dwarf Goats. Goats will eat grasses, but when given the choice, most will browse on leaves bef… She published Ruminations: The Nigerian Dwarf and Mini Dairy Goat magazine and Goat Health Care. Goats prefer hay that contains a little weed in addition to grass. Ease of rearing makes it very profitable for farmers to rear and sell Nigerian Dwarf goats. Nigerian Dwarf Goat Care. I would expect Nigerians to consume somewhere between 3 and 4lbs per day. Pasture is also important in goat feed. when the plants are still young, can have a satisfactory share of energy, especially protein. One important thing to remember when dealing with goats is that they are very curious and will nibble everything. Nigerian Dwarf goats also require proper feed in order to thrive. Those chambers are designed to extract nutrients from plants. Also, don’t mix the loose minerals with your grain. For adult females, it depends on whether she is dry, pregnant, or lactating. Pregnant does or nursing by goats in small quantities, i.e their food and Nigeria require care. Any vegetation in your yard, from weeds and grass to flowers and bushes means they do not require care. 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