# Which Would You Choose?



## Scottyhorse (Feb 11, 2013)

I want to add a full size dairy doe to my mini herd. (Nigerian Dwarfs) 
So far I am thinking a Togg, Nubian, or Alpine (those are the most common I have found, but it's mostly boers) 
Just wondering which you would pick out of those three:
1. Which would be best to be bred to a Nigerian
2. Which one you like best and why

Thanks


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## Biancak89 (Apr 4, 2013)

*Nubian*

I would go with the nubian, I lOVE those ears! From what i've read they mesh well and still will produce in quantity and quality but it depends on what your going for- looks, production, what kind of cheese you want. I don't know which one would be best as I'm not much of a breeder just have pets. It looks like the nubian is the most popular with other breeders or if you want to go where not many have a togg may be what you want.


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

I'd go with a Alpine or a togg. Both have very nice udders if you get one from good lines. Nubians are loud and obnoxious. 
Any of them would be ok to breed with ND's if your just crossing them anyway . But I'd breed an alpine with one, just to have better looking babies.
I breed alpines, and have for about 25 years. They are my favorite breed dairy wise. My best girl peeps is a tad over 3 gallons a day milker. She's from some of the best lines out there though.
All my other girls are 2 to 2+ gallons a day.

But beware, a lot of people will milk them out right before you get there and tell you they are over a gallon a day milker and once you milk them you realize thay they are really only a 2 cup a day milker.
So when buying milker it is important that you see them before they are milked and possibly if they or you could milk them there when they are at a 12 hour fill (beware again, some does have very fleshy udders that look like they'd hold a lot but once their milked it really doesn't look any different because they don't hold much milk. )


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## Scottyhorse (Feb 11, 2013)

Little-Bits-N-Pieces-ADG said:


> I'd go with a Alpine or a togg. Both have very nice udders if you get one from good lines. Nubians are loud and obnoxious.
> Any of them would be ok to breed with ND's if your just crossing them anyway . But I'd breed an alpine with one, just to have better looking babies.
> I breed alpines, and have for about 25 years. They are my favorite breed dairy wise. My best girl peeps is a tad over 3 gallons a day milker. She's from some of the best lines out there though.
> All my other girls are 2 to 2+ gallons a day.
> ...


Yeah I don't want another loud goat because the bucks are already loud enough 
I have surprisingly found a few Togg breeders in WA, so I am contacting them to see if they have anything for sale. Haven't looked at Alpines yet, but I will next.

3 Gallons is a lot of milk! I think we use about 1 gallon a day, but it would be good to be able to make cheese and soaps. 
I never thought about what you said about the udders. I will make sure to milk them when I go to look at them.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

I know an excellent Alpine breeder here in Oregon. All CAE free tested does with good capability and show potential.


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

I personally would not go with Alpine. They are wonderful and gorgeous, but can be rough with each other, and I wouldn't want that in a mini herd. 

Any full-sized goat can be a bully to it's little peers. You want to look more at personality than breed. Starting with a kid is best so that they grow up and learn that the little ones are boss. I was very fortunate -- I added a 2 year old Lamancha to my herd and she is amazing with them. BUT it could have also gone the other way and she could have been a wicked bully. Her personality is very maternal and laid back. That's what you should be looking for  Just my two cents. From what I have read, I would chose Nubian, Lamancha, or Saanen.


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## Curious (Feb 6, 2013)

I have found Alpines to be bullies also. I have two alpine crosses who bully and fight, and their dam was the same way. My Nubians may be talkers but they have all gotten along well with each other. I also never saw the adults beating up kids in the herds that I got them from, whereas the Alpine cross dam would walk over and pin a kid to the wall repeatedly butting it. I'm not saying that all Alpines are like that, but from what I've read and experienced, they seem to have a tendency be that way. I personally love my Nubi babies because they answer when I talk to them haha. Guess I'm just weird. 

I would definitely look more at personality, like ThreeHavens said.  Good luck choosing!


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## lottsagoats (Dec 10, 2012)

I had Alpines for years, they are my favorite and I never had problems with them being bullies or nasty to my Nigerians. I have Nubians and Lamanchas now, with 1 Oberhasli. Obies are very sweet goats, I had a herd of them and they never bothered the other smaller goats either.

Nubians can be stubborn, stupid and loud in my experience. But, that's what sells in my area, followed by the Manchas, so that's what I breed to sell. My heart belongs to the Alpines and Oberhaslis. Saanens are good natured and fantastic milk producers too, but the ones I had lacked the outgoing personality of some of the other breeds. Toggs are the only breed I haven't really owned, though I did have a Togg/Alpine rescue doe who was a very nice girl. 

Probably any breed would work for you, but you might look at the resale popularity for the kids to see which breed would be the best to go with.

It seems the MiniManchas and Mini Nubians have a better resale market, followed by the Mini Alpines, at least that's what I've seen from advertisements.

My most bossy, nasty mean goat ever has been a Lamancha. In fact, I own her right now. She is gorgeous with a super udder and great production. She can raise quads that grow as well as their 1/2 siblings and still she has left over for the house. But, she is a mean nastipants to the other goats. As soon as her kids are weaned, she is headed down the road because she is such a antisocial doe. She is very friendly to humans though. That's why she is still here.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

> My most bossy, nasty mean goat ever has been a Lamancha


wow..lol.I never saw a mean Lamancha lol..

mini Nubians are popular...Nubians period, but they are mouthy...mine are the loudest lol....but I love them..... I love the lamancha breed...but Alpine would be a nice cross as well.. I you are looking for quiet and docile and a good cross..try Saanen..


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## Scottyhorse (Feb 11, 2013)

I think right now I am wanting to go with a Togg, because from what I have read they have a the right personality to fit in with a mini herd, plus it would be good to get some into this area.. Who knows, maybe I would start breeding them 
If Aplines are that way, I wouldn't want to put them with our Nigerians..


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

I would shop around. Check out what is out there and see what one you like best. I am sure one will realy grab your heart.


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## Scottyhorse (Feb 11, 2013)

Or five


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## sgian (Jun 18, 2008)

It also depends on what you will use the milk for. For example, if you want goat cheese, then you should go with a breed that produces more butterfat like the Nubians, Nigerian Dwarfs, and LaManchas. However, if you just want to drink the milk, then Saanens would be a better choice because they are supposedly the highest producers, but their milk doesn't have as much butterfat. Here's a comparison of breeds with some information on butterfat content. http://fiascofarm.com/goats/breeds.htm

I would recommend tasting milk from various breeds if at all possible in your state.


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## sgian (Jun 18, 2008)

I forgot to mention that I don't know how much of a goat's personality is due to the breed vs how it was raised. It's the old Nature vs. Nurture argument. As already mentioned, if you raise a doeling with the goats you have, you will have the best chance of them getting along, in my opinion, regardless of their breed.

For example I have had three goats with at least 50% Nubian. The first was a flighty doe that did not like contact with humans. She was probably raised in a large herd with little contact. The second was a billy who loved people and would jump 6 foot tall fences like it was nothing whenever he felt like it. He also had my dogs scared, lol. He was probably a bottlefed baby based on his behavior and on his reaction to a bottle when we showed him one. The third I just got, a Nubian and Saanen mix, and so far she is flighty. It's not that she is from a large herd, but the prior owner didn't spend every day with his goats or give them treats very often. I'm trying to train her right now. So that is why I would say how they are raised is just as important if not more important then what breed they are.


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## Scottyhorse (Feb 11, 2013)

sgian said:


> It also depends on what you will use the milk for. For example, if you want goat cheese, then you should go with a breed that produces more butterfat like the Nubians, Nigerian Dwarfs, and LaManchas. However, if you just want to drink the milk, then Saanens would be a better choice because they are supposedly the highest producers, but their milk doesn't have as much butterfat. Here's a comparison of breeds with some information on butterfat content. http://fiascofarm.com/goats/breeds.htm
> 
> I would recommend tasting milk from various breeds if at all possible in your state.


Good point. I'd like to try making cheese and soap/lotion to sell. We have Nigerians, so that's why I am thinking maybe a Togg so we can have both? 
Plus I like Toggs


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## peggy (Aug 11, 2010)

It is personal preference but any goat from any breed can be a bully or a sweetheart. I won't recommend a breed but I will say that I would go with what sells in your area. I love the Lamancha breed very much but they are not very popular around here so I do not breed them as I would not have a market to sell them and there are always ones for sale, eventually. Good luck in your quest. It is fun to shop around.


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## Scottyhorse (Feb 11, 2013)

Most people around here sell boers, but obviously those aren't milk goats!


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## rosawoodsii (Feb 20, 2013)

Forget the Alpine; they're too aggressive. I'd choose a Saanen myself, but if I didn't have that as a choice (or a Sable--a colored Saanen), I'd probably go for the Toggenburg, only because I don't like the vocalness of the Nubians.


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## rosawoodsii (Feb 20, 2013)

sgian said:


> The third I just got, a Nubian and Saanen mix, and so far she is flighty. It's not that she is from a large herd, but the prior owner didn't spend every day with his goats or give them treats very often. I'm trying to train her right now. So that is why I would say how they are raised is just as important if not more important then what breed they are.


I agree. I raised a Saanubian and she was one of the best goats I've ever had. She wasn't vocal like the Nubians, and had the capacity of a Saanen and extra butterfat from the Nubian side. She was very sweet, not flighty at all, handled daily.


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## TrinityRanch (Mar 26, 2013)

How about a Toggenubialpine? I'm pretty partial to those.

1. Nubian/Nigerians are pretty popular. I see a lot of Mini Nubians around here.
2. Tough! We have only ever had Nubians, but wish to buy a Togg or Alpine soon!!

If I were in your situation, I would get a Toggenburg. They are 3-4 inches smaller than the other 2, who tend to get very large and sometimes much stronger. They'd be better with Nigis IMO. Plus, mini Toggs are so cute!!


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## thegoatgirl (Nov 27, 2011)

I would go with Alpines.  My does (and bucks!) are the sweetest things! And there's a lot more colors out there, too. They also are a bit better milk producers, in my experience. (We looked at some show Toggs and found that they produced only about 3/4ths of a gallon a day-a gallon from teh best doe in the herd, no offense to those Togg breeders out there!) And Nubs are just wayyyyy to loud for my taste, LOL-again no offense to the breeders!

Good luck!


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## Delilah (Jan 6, 2013)

I think a Togg would be the best bred to a nigerian because that would be a cute and interesting mix lol!
Toggs are the best in my opinion they are kind of like parts of all the goats that we have personalities. Like they are cuddly like the Nubians some times, they are playfully like the Nigerians, and they are kind of calm at times like the La Manchas. Just my opinion though from my Toggs.


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## Delilah (Jan 6, 2013)

Psssst....you should go with the Toggs lol!!


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