“It’s sort of like trying to fence in cats when they’re kids and so small.” It’s cheap to buy, easy to move around, and the pen doesn’t need to be big because they don’t need a large area of pasture. She uses pens made from concrete reinforcing mesh to contain kids under 12 weeks. Paula’s block has standard 8-wire fencing.
SMALLEST CAPRINE UPGRADE
You’ll probably need to upgrade your fences It’s important to ensure goats learn that fences are to be respected, and they’re not permanent houseguests.ģ. But if a tiny goat kid learns to squeeze its way through a fence and run into the house, you’re training it to do the same thing when it’s older.Ī pasture-friendly way to feed stock in winter Their tiny size and cute personalities make them easy to manage when they’re small. “They’re so cute when they’re little, running into the house and sitting on the couch.” The Nigerians’ small size means it’s also tempting to bring them indoors, and even these experienced breeders admit they succumb to their very high cute factor. Saanens are the same when they’re kids but they get over it when they’re about a year old and are more interested in eating grass.” To be fair, most of our (Nigerian Dwarf) goats are younger (under 18 months), and they may lose some of that as they get older. I’ve found them quite different to your standard dairy goat, so curious, a bit adventurous.
SMALLEST CAPRINE FULL
“They’re fascinating, they’re so full of personality. Joy is very ‘Nigerian Dwarf’ in her approach, and typical of Paula’s experience with the breed so far. They say never work with animals, but Tiramisu the Saanan stands quietly beside Paula to have her photo taken. The NZ Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Goat Association is keen to encourage people to take part in their breeding programme so more people can enjoy the delightful little goats as pets, and for milking.
Why your livestock can't stop itching this winterĪt 18 months, she’s just 57cm high at the shoulder (the official measuring height for goats) and Paula expects she’ll only get a few centimetres taller. She’s 75% Nigerian Dwarf, and the balance is a mix of standard-sized Australian dairy goat breeds (Australian Brown and Australian Alpine). Paula says they’re only a couple of generations into what’s technically called a ‘grading up’ programme and they’re already getting great results. It will have the same height, weight, and production values as the original US breed – 57-60cm high, weighing around 35kg – but the cost to buy them will be much more affordable. Careful selection of stock means after five generations, the group will create a NZ version of the Nigerian Dwarf. This process is used by cattle, sheep, and goat breeders to upgrade a breed’s bloodlines. READ MORE Introducing New Zealand’s newest and tiniest breed of dwarf goats “So we’re ‘breeding up’ – or down, sizewise – using our bucks and mating them with standard-height dairy goats and some smaller breed goats.” “We couldn’t afford to bring in purebreds,” says Paula. Tirimasu, a standard-sized Saanen doe (2.5 years) who measures 90cm high at the shoulder Nigerian Dwarf-cross Joy (1.5 years) is 57cm high at the shoulder and won’t get much higher.
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