At Krebs Dairy Goats, our priority is to breed Nigerian Dwarf goats that are practical, high-production milkers with the excellent dairy conformation that exemplifies the true miniature dairy goat. We breed for traits related to ease of hand milking, such as large teat size (large teats are vital for Nigerians, as many lines have small teats that are difficult to hand milk). All of our goats are dual-registered with the American Dairy Goat Association (ADGA) and the American Goat Society (AGS). We participate in ADGA and AGS DHIR 305-Day Milk Testing and 1-Day Milk Testing. Our herd name is "Krebs."
All goats and sheep on our farm tested clean of the diseases CAE/OPPV, CL, and Johne's in September, 2017, and in all random testing conducted before and after. Read more about our herd's health here.
About Nigerians
Nigerian Dwarf Goats originated in West Africa, and it is believed that they were first imported to the United States to serve as big cat food. Apparently, some wise people recognized their potential beyond dinner, and Nigerians are now an extremely popular goat for milk production, showing, and pets.
Nigerians' milk has the highest butterfat content of all breeds of dairy goats and cattle. Their milk is sweet and creamy, free of the unappealing "goaty" flavor people often associate with goats' milk. The high butterfat content also makes it ideal for making cheese, butter, and soap. A good mature Nigerian doe can produce over a half gallon of milk a day.
Nigerian Dwarf Goats are the smallest breed of dairy goat and should look like a miniature version of the larger dairy breeds. The maximum acceptable height for bucks is 23 1/2" at the withers and for does is 22 1/2" at the withers. Their small size makes them practical homestead dairy animals since they are easy to care for, handle, and accommodate. They are also perfect for 4-H since children can handle them easily.
Nigerians does are known for their large litters and typically give birth to two to four kids at a time. Unlike many larger dairy goats that only breed seasonally, Nigerians have the advantage of breeding year-round, so you can "stagger" kidding in order to get the optimal amount of milk throughout the year.
Nigerians are extremely friendly, cute, and intelligent. Besides all their practical dairy qualities, they make great pets. They can be trained like a dog (even house trained). They are also great for weed control -- they love some weeds so much they'll eat the weeds before grass. They come in a huge variety of colors, shades, and patterns and are the only ADGA/AGS-recognized dairy breed that can have either brown or blue eyes. Further Reading About Nigerians and Dairy Goats ~ American Dairy Goat Association ~ American Goat Society ~ American Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Association ~ Nigerian Dairy Goat Association