Nigerian Dwarf Goat
Nigerian Dwarf Goat
Goats were among one of the very first domesticated animals and have been part of human life as companions and a source of hides and food for millennia. Many thousands of years of selective breeding have produced a large number of breeds specialized for different purposes and climates. Their particularly rich milk, small size, and easygoing manner make them popular as family pets and for small-scale dairy operations.
Capra aegagrus hircus
Herbivore
Western Africa [VIEW MAP]
Urban Areas
Contact yard animals always have access to a quiet time area when they need a break from human affection. Guests may enjoy time with the animals anytime except during the coldest or rainiest conditions, but it will always be a surprise to find which specific breeds and individual animals are there to greet them.
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Nigerian dwarf goats can produce up to two quarts of milk each day. Their milk has 10 percent more protein and butterfat than is found in most dairy goats’ milk. These goats have easygoing temperaments and can live peacefully with other kinds of livestock.
As the name implies, these are small goats with a short, straight coat in a wide variety of black, white, brown, red and gold color patterns. Average adult weight is 40 to 60 pounds, length is 24 to 30 inches, and height is 16 to 20 inches (males can stand up to 23 inches).
These goats live about 10 years. Females can be reproductive by 4 or 5 months of age, and males perhaps as young as 2 months. Gestation lasts 145 to 153 days and results in several kids at a time, 3 and 4 being more common than singles or twins.
Bucks smell to tell if a doe is in estrus by the behavior known as “flehmen.” In this behavior, they extend their necks and heads into the air and curl up their upper lips.
Contact yard animals always have access to a quiet time area when they need a break from human affection. Guests may enjoy time with the animals anytime except during the coldest or rainiest conditions, but it will always be a surprise to find which specific breeds and individual animals are there to greet them.
The Nigerian dwarf goat is a miniature dairy goat breed of West African ancestry. Nigerian Dwarf goats are popular as pets and family milkers due to their easy maintenance and small stature. However, because of their high butterfat, they are also used by some dairies to make cheese.
At the Zoo, we offer the goats a varied diet of Bermuda hay, browse (clippings from non-toxic plants across the Zoo), some grain and produce.