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The Nigerians Dwarf Goats are small goat breeds of West African ancestry. These goats are known for their naughty and playful personality and they are also a great family pet. The milk produced by Nigerian Dwarfs is much higher in protein than the milk of other dairy goats. The high percentage of butterfat also gives a rich and sweet taste to its milk. Nigerians Dwarfs are quick learners and easily trainable when petted. Nigerian dwarf weighs between 25 – 45 pounds. Although these goats are small, yet they need lots of space to play and explore. They require toys such as tree stumps, rocks, and a few climbing structures, with which they can entertain themselves.
Nigerian Dwarfs as a pet:
These goats are the best choice of dairy farmers due to their compact size and highly milk productive. Nigerian Dwarfs are a great addition to the family as a pet. This goat breed may survive in any climate and requires less space to graze and play when compared to other dairy goats. Nigerian dwarf goats are very adaptable and are able to live comfortably with other domesticated animals such as horses, donkeys, and other cattle.
Diet and life span of Nigerian Dwarfs:
Generally, Nigerian dwarfs consume small size plants and weeds as they are designed for processing fibrous plant materials. Free choice, good quality hay etc are the other most important feature of their diet. Further, they need access to free choice goat mineral with a balanced ratio of calcium and phosphorus. The kids of Nigerian dwarfs can be fed with the bottle and this practice makes them more bonded with their owners. Usually, Nigerian dwarf goats have easy births and kids born are at an average of around 2 pounds. These goats can have a lifespan of between 12 to 14 years when cared properly.
Breeding and milk production in Nigerian dwarfs:
However, there is no specific breeding season of Nigerian dwarfs, their gestation period after successful mating stays for about 145 to 153 days. Usually, a doe gives birth to 2 to 4 babies at a time. Male goats mature quite early i.e. within seven months whereas female goats usually mature at their seven to eight months of age. Nigerian Dwarf goats go into heat at around every 21 days throughout the year and so their bucks also. The presence of buck can induce in does 7 to 10 days after they are exposed to buck available.
Nigerian dwarf goats highly milk productive compared to their body size and also considered as best dairy goats. A doe can produce about 2.5 pounds of milk regularly. The milk is given by the female doe when she is pregnant and gives birth to the babies, every time when a doe give birth to their babies, the milk production starts. As these goats breeds every year round, so the milk provided is fresh throughout the year. Milk of these goats contain about 5 to 10 percent of butterfat content, milk produced has a sweet flavor which is liked by many people.
