Basic Goat Care
The Nigerian Dwarf is a miniature goat of West African origin. Nigerian Dwarf goats are small in size and have very colorful markings. The AGS breed standard sets the maximum height for does at 22.4" with bucks up to 23.6". Their gentle, friendly personalities make them good companion pets and easy to handle. Nigerian Dwarf goats are a true dairy goat and have been approved as such by the US Department of Agriculture making them eligible for youth 4-H and FFA projects. A healthy Nigerian Dwarf doe can produce a surprising amount of sweet milk for her small size, as much as two quarts per day. Nigerian Dwarf milk has between 6% and 10% butterfat, with higher protein content than most other dairy goat breeds. So if you wish for your pet to provide you with milk, she most certainly can.
Normal Ranges
Rectal temperature = 102.5 - 104 F is in normal range
Pulse rate = 70 - 80 beats per minute
Respiration = 15 to 30 breathes per minute
Rumen Movements = 1 - 1.5 contractions per minute
Puberty = Bucks can reach puberty as early as 7 weeks old; Does reach puberty around 4-7 months of age
Estrus Cycle = on an average of around every 25 days
Gestation = 145 to 155 days (5 months)
Life span = Nigerian Dwarfs average 12-18 years
Feeding
Most breeders feed a 16% - 18% protein dairy goat feed or dairy ration. Make sure your feed is specific for goats as many other livestock feeds are toxic to goats. The quantity of grain feed is in proportion to the size, age and condition of a particular goat and should be fed accordingly. Hay in the form of a good grass hay, alfalfa, etc. should be available at all times as well as mineral salts and fresh clean water to both does and bucks.
Bucks and wethers should be given special attention with their grain feed intake to help prevent urinary calculi. Most wethers do not need grain after they are finished growing and buscks only during rutt. If you fdo feed grain, a feed containing ammonium chloride is recommended as their grain feed source. If this is not available then top dressing their grain with the proper amount of ammonium cholride. Adding vinegar to their water helps in keeping the acid levels in control also.
Goats need plenty of fresh water to keep them healthy. This is especially true of the pregnant and nursing doe. Water is critical to bucks and wethers also for proper maintenance of their urinary tracts.
The following are some seasonal watering tips:
Winter: bringing warm water out to your goats in winter is well worth the effort. They love it and drink more. This is very important for those bucks and wethers that need to consume more water. Milking does need the replenishment of fluids lost in providing that fresh milk we so enjoy. So go ahead and spoil them, they not only need it, but deserve it. Electric stock heaters can be used as well; making sure all wires are protected from goats having access. Summer: keeping cool clean water outside all day is essential. Again for bucks, wethers and milking does water intake is needed to keep them healthy and in top shape. Changing water periodically during the day will provide them what is needed. In extreme hot weather conditions, ice or ice packs in buckets is an option if you will be away during long periods of time during a day.
Goats should have hay available to them throughout the day, free choice. We prefer a mixture hay of Alfalfa, Timothy & Orchard grass. Goats are "browsers" and should be allowed to rummage for grasses, leaves, weeds & bushes. But be careful many plants are toxic. The more common yard plants toxic to goats are: oleander, azalea, castor bean, buttercup, rhododendron, philodendron, English ivy, chokecherry, laurel, daffodil and many members of the lily family. Cultivated plants that have toxic substances that can harm goats include the tomato, potato, cabbage, rhubarb & avocado plants. Other toxic plants are various toadstools and mushrooms, mistletoe, and milkweed. This is just the most common toxic plant list. For a more complete list check the USDA Agriculture Information on poisonous plants to livestock.
Health Care
We believe that all goats need immunizations to stay healthy. We give all goats here their CDT(clostridium perfringens types C&D tetanus toxoid) first immunizations as a kid. When the goat reaches 1 year old and every year after it receives a booster CDT injection.
Goats do get parasites, (worms, lice, fleas, ticks ...)and our goats are dewormed using an herbal dewormer. Goats can build up resistance to chemical wormers and they have to be rotated based on season, worm type, and wormer resistance.
We make sure that the goats have loose minerals formulated for goats at all times. Goats will need these minerals that are missing in the environment to keep it healthy. And we always keep common baking soda available for our goats. A goat eats baking soda to keep urine acidity in the proper range and it helps with digestion. Goats will self medicate themselves. They know when they need the soda and how much they need. A goat can lap up an average of 2 tablespoons of baking soda a day.
Never overfeed your goats or allow them any possible access to feeds because they will over eat and get something called Bloat. Bloat is an excessive accumulation of gas trapped in numerous tiny bubbles, making it impossible for them to burp. If this should ever happen a cup of oil (corn, peanut, or mineral) or baking soda will usually relieve the condition. But be careful giving any goat an oily substance orally because it can choke due to the oil consistency is different than most liquids. Bloat can be fatal, another good reason to keep baking soda available.
We recommend that every goat owner have emergency supplies readily available. We get our supplies from our Veterinarian, Feed Supply, Tractor Supply Company, and online
.
The most important advice we can give is if you are to own goats, please find a good ruminant veterinarian in your area. We wish all that owns goats be lucky enough to find a ruminant vet in their area as compassionate for goats as ours is.
For information on the infectious diseases CAE, CL, and Johnes that plague the goat world please click on the button below.
Housing
A goat hates to get wet and needs a proper shelter to escape the rain, snows & wind. We provide our goats with dry shelters with straw for comfort and warmth. Some people build shelves inside the shelters, around the sides. Many goats love to sleep up off the ground on these shelves and little ones feel safe under them. They are not to fussy about the type of shelter you provide for them as long as they can escape the rain & snow. But most important is that it is kept clean & dry. You also want to make sure that while being draft free, your shelters are also well ventilated! Our shelters are cleaned daily with fresh dry shavings and straw to prevent parasite or bacteria from growing, A sixteen foot square enclosed area per goat is adequate. Goats need an excerise yard as well measuring at least 250 square feet per goat. We also have kidding pens inside our barn to keep our Does safe, warm, and contained around kidding time. We strive to make sure our kids have the best clean, roomy, draft free, and safe start to life.
Make sure your fences are 'goat proof'. Goats are notorious for testing your fences. Insure your fences are high enough to prevent leaping over and secure enough to prevent wiggling under. Goats love to rub against fences so make sure they are very secure. Also, make sure anything that they may like to climb on is far enough away from your fencing.
Outside of the shelter there should be a place for your goat to be able to roam & play. Goats love to jump and play king of the hill. Stumps & logs make great play toys, along with the large spools used for cable etc. A small rock pile will help keep hoofs wore down, although hoofs will still need regular clippings. We trim our goats hoofs every other month but do maintenance checks in between.
Hoof Care
Regular hoof trimming, about every 4 - 6 weeks is needed to prevent lameness or infection to the hoof. A correctly trimmed hoof should have the same shape as a kid's hoof. We use hoof trimmers purchased from a goat supply catalog. Utility knives can also be used.
Ask the breeder you purchased your goat from to show you the proper way to trim a hoof. If the breeder can not do this, find an experienced goat breeder that is willing to help you out. This acitivity takes a lot of time and experience depending on the size of your herd. Most goats like it as much as we enjoy going to the dentist. Goats will generally fuss while having their hoofs trimmed, bucks are notorious for making the task even more formidable.
Patience and sharp tools help in getting through this every month. The tools need to be in proper condition to trim hoofs. Blunt instruments that won't cut through the hard "leathery" hoof can cause cuts to you or the goat. It is recommended to wear gloves while trimming. Many a hand has been pierced or cut while holding on to a struggling hoof. Rusty instruments should never be used to trim hoofs.
Be sure to have bloodstop on hand when trimming hoofs, as an accidental cut into the quick of the hoof may occur. Clean the wound and place bloodstop on the wound. Apply pressure if needed to make sure bleeding will stop. If a deep wound - clean wound well, pack with powdered bloodstop, bandage and secure the bandage on the hoof. Isolate the goat from the herd to prevent abuse from the other goats. Wait for a few hours until it stops and release goat back into herd after removing bandages. If the wound does not stop bleeding after a prolonged period, call your veterinarian. Make sure you are up to date on your tetanus shots!
After you have completed the major trimming of the hoof, a hoof plane could be used to plane off any bumps or rough edges left by the trimmers.
If hoofs have grown so badly and long that they look like little elf shoes, more care is needed to trim away the excess hoof. Sometimes, depending on the length of hoof, the hoof can become so hardened that normal trimming techniques will not work. Standing the goat on wet straw for an hour prior to trimming will help soften the hoofs for cutting. If hoofs are grossly overgrown, take caution to remove small quantities of hoof over time (this may take weeks to get the hoof back into shape). Removing large segments at once may cause severe hoof damage, infection, and/or lameness. Remember, it has taken a long time for the hoof to get in bad condition and it takes time to bring it back to normal.