Nigerian Dwarf

The imports came between about 1930 and 1960: small goats of the West African Dwarf group, brought over for exhibition. The dairy conversion came later, and it came with paperwork: a herd book was established in 1980, and the American Dairy Goat Association recognized the breed in 2005.

The growth since has been steep. Nearly 7,000 purebreds were registered in 2002 alone; by 2023 the US population stood just under 40,000.

The ADGA standard holds does between 17 and 22.5 inches at the withers and bucks between 17 and 23.5, with weight around 75 lb. The standard's point is proportion: dairy conformation scaled down, not dwarfism. Any color goes, including multicoloured.

They are precocious. Bucks can breed from three months and does from seven or eight, gestation runs 145 to 153 days, twins are the norm and triplets are frequent. Life expectancy is eight to twelve years.

Gentle is The Livestock Conservancy's word, and it rates the breed suitable for a novice. The Nigerian Dwarf was first selected as a companion and show animal, with the emphasis on a graceful appearance and a gentle disposition. The American Goat Society adds gregarious, friendly and hardy.

Alabama Cooperative Extension describes them as intelligent, fun and escape-prone, and the last of those is the handling problem.

Keep bucks apart from does outside a planned breeding season, which is Penn State Extension's advice for any herd. In the breeding season bucks give off the strong, urine-like odor Penn State describes, worst from September to early January.

Horns may or may not be present, the Conservancy notes. ADGA's show rules bar animals with natural horns, so horned kids meant for showing are disbudded; Mississippi State University Extension recommends doing it between 4 and 14 days of age.

The milk is the argument. Nigerian Dwarf milk has the highest butterfat of any dairy goat, higher than a Nubian's, which makes a small quantity worth handling: Wikipedia's figures are about 750 lb of milk a year at 6.5 percent butterfat and 3.9 percent protein. They also breed year round.

Beyond the dairy they serve as show, companion and meat animals.

Less room than a standard goat. Alabama Cooperative Extension recommends dwarf breeds such as the Nigerian Dwarf where land is limited, and the American Goat Society notes they thrive in almost any climate.

Fencing that holds a small, escape-prone goat. Penn State Extension's recommendation for any goat is electrified woven wire or 2 by 4 foot livestock panels at least 48 inches high.

Company. Goats are herd animals, and Alabama's extension service advises keeping them in pairs or groups rather than alone.

A balanced, free-choice loose goat mineral. Mississippi State University Extension notes that goats' soft tongues make it hard to get enough from a block, and Penn State notes that most products formulated for sheep carry too little copper for goats.

Routine care: parasite control, vaccinations, hoof trimming and veterinary checkups, all on Alabama's health list for pet goats.

The Nigerian Dwarf graduated from The Livestock Conservancy's Conservation Priority List in 2013. The Conservancy records registrations of nearly 7,000 purebreds in 2002 and 5,900 in 2011, and describes the population as having increased significantly.

Graduation did not settle what the breed should be. The Conservancy notes several breed organizations with differing philosophies and a pull in two directions: selecting for production tends to make the goats larger, while selecting for companion animals favors small size. Its view is that the breed is best conserved by agreeing on a vision that keeps its particular combination of traits.

The trade is quantity and fencing. You need several does to match one standard goat's output, so equipment and labor per liter are high, and an animal that size gets through fencing that would hold anything larger.

Registration matters more than usual because the standard carries maximums. ADGA has registered the breed since 2005 and its standard sets height limits, so ask an adult animal's height as well as for the papers, and ask for the dam's milk records.

Two registries have stakes in the breed, ADGA and the Nigerian Dwarf Goat Association; ask which papers the herd carries.

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