We chose Nigerian Dwarf goats because of their wonderful reputation  for giving delicious, sweet, creamy milk. I also liked the idea of a small breed of goat that would be easier to handle and not too intimidating for our young children.

We have learned a lot in the last few years about our animals! Nigerian Dwarf goats, are in general, hardy little animals. Our does have excellent maternal instincts, and almost never need assistance or intervention in the birthing process. (Although we do make it priority to be available when our does are birthing!)

  One very important component of our goats’ diet is a goat specific loose mineral, that is available to them at all times. Goats need copper, cobalt, selenium and many other essential minerals in order to stay healthy and keep their milk tasting sweet and fresh with no “off” flavors. Don’t make the mistake of using a sheep/goat mineral, since sheep cannot have copper at the levels a goat needs.

Early this year (2022) I signed up for our first linear appraisal, which is a program offered by ADGA to help “score” animals based on various physical traits on a linear scale. We hope this will be educational in helping us make wise breeding decisions according to the strengths and weaknesses of our various animals. 
 As of August or September of this year, we will also be starting on DHIR, and look forward to having more official data on our does’ milk components and production.