Around our place 2017 - meet our goats

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We've had Nigerian Dwarf dairy goats for over 6 years now and I still love them as much now as I did when we first got them. 

Some of the reasons I love Nigerian dwarf goats are:

  • They are small - only weighing in around 30 - 45 lbs. full grown - I can pick them up myself.
  • They are not overly rambunctious. They are not hard on pasture or fences.
  • They get along well with most animals and humans.
  • Their manure is great in flower beds and gardens.
  • They don't need a lot of space.
  • They do not eat nearly as much as a full sized goat. We only need approximately 25 bales of good high quality hay for 4-5 full size goats for all winter.
  • Their milk is mild and creamy... I love using it in baking and cooking with it. The kids love to drink it.
  • They have a great temperament! They are great with people of all ages. They are super friendly and love human interaction.
  • The baby's are so little and so much fun to watch.

Our small herd has changed over the years.... so I thought I'd do an update. Last year, we took out our big pasture fence and fenced in a smaller pasture which meant selling more of our goats. 

We are trying to downsize somewhat and make things more manageable around here.

 We have had 11 babies born since we first started. We only breed our goats every 2 years, as we want them to have a break in between babies and milking.

 Right now, we have Jelly Bean (10 yrs.) She throws some of the pettiest baby's, but so far most of them have been boys, so I'm hoping for a beautiful girl from her this next spring!

Flipper (4 yrs.) is a great milker. PS. If you have goats - give them a toy to play with - they love this spool!

Baby (3yrs.) Is the most friendly one out of the bunch and her first baby Pixie was beautiful....

Pixie (2 yrs.) - this year will be our first year breeding her.

And our newest little guy Buckle (6 mo.) Who we will be breeding all the girls too this fall.

My oldest daughter does all the milking these days. We only milk once a day and then let the baby's back with the moms - you can read more here.

 We love the fresh taste of the Nigerians milk. We milk on ice and do not keep bucks while we are milking, as bucks can taint the taste of the milk. 

 I am still using the awesome goat stand my hubby built for me back in 2008 - it's also great for trimming the goats hooves and for brushing the goats out.

 We still use Shaklee Basic H Classic to worm our goats and have never had a problem.

 We only feed our goats grain/feed when they are pregnant, nursing, or we are milking them. All other times, they have pasture and hay, mineral block and clean water available to them. 

 When it comes to feed, our goats get only the best - I like to mix my own goat feed. We use cleaned oats, 12% sweet feed, black sunflower seeds, and sometimes I will sprinkle Shaklee protein on top for them. 

 I offer baking powder free-choice to my goats. Baking soda keeps the PH level in the rumen consistent. It has also been stated that baking soda can help with stabilizing a goat’s urine acidity.

When we clean out the barn (we use the goat manure in our flower beds and garden.) - we always put DE down and then put down wood chips. I clean out the water buckets with Shaklee Basic H and Basic G (here's a great post about Basic G and how it works better than bleach) at the same time. I love the smell of a clean barn! 

 We also have chickens and run them in the same pasture as the goats.


 So, yes, I still love my Nigerian dwarf dairy goats.

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