# Is it worth it to go mini?



## i8sumpi (Dec 11, 2014)

I was wondering if it is worth it to go mini? I have 1 Nubian doe who is dry and might be old enough to retire, and 1 one year old buck . He is also Nubian. I have plenty of space to house at least 6, and we need the milk because we use it for bumbed calves. And if I do go mini, I would like mini Nigerians. So how much milk does one produce, will it be cheaper to have 6 minis than 3 Nubians, and are they overall just easier to keep? I'm completely new to the goat thing so I am a little clueless lol...


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

a well bred Nigerian can give 1/2 gallon + milk per milking easy...while a well bred nubian can do 1 gallon + a milking..of course this can vary with both breeds +/-...
Nigerian do need less feed/hay/alfalfa and mineral then a large breed..but cost wise 6 nigies vrse 3 nubian would run about the same...
fencing will need to be adjusted for nigerians...they can and will go through a cattle panel and kids can get through goat fencing..
Nigerians can be more difficult to milk if they have tiny teats where nubians should have nice easy handle teats...so if you choose nigerian...look for good size teats and a nice udder with good capacity..then theres the poorly bred nubian..lol..so I guess it comes down to what breed you like : ) and buy well bred in that breed  Hope didnt make it harder to decide lol

calves need a lot of milk...at least a gallon a day at one point...so you would want to be sure the goats you choose provides that milk with ease...I rather feed 4 goats who give me 4 gallons a day then 8 goats to get the same 4 gallons...so choosing well is key...


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

If your main reasoning is to feed calves then no, mini's are not worth it. I have Alpines and they give between 2 and 3 gallons a day per doe, so it would take 2 of my does to get the same 4 gallons, opposed to the 8 Nigerians. And that's if the Nigerians are very well bred. Your average Nigerian milks maybe a half gallon a day.

So if you have the space, 6 well bred Alpine does would give you 12 gallons a day, 12 well bred Nigerians can give you that maybe, or 24 average ones. 
But you also have to think, Nigerians multiply like cats a dogs. Triplets being the average, and quads and quints aren't out of the question. More babies inside = more babies to get tangled up and need to be fished out. So you'll be up to your neck in babies before you know it. And very well bred Nigerians are generally much more expensive.


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## i8sumpi (Dec 11, 2014)

Ok thanks for your input it helped a lot


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## ariella42 (May 22, 2014)

I agree with everything that's been said. Minis and NDs are great for a lot of things (I LOVE the taste of my mini Nubians' milk - it's super creamy), but if you're looking for volume, look into well-bred full-sized Saanens or Alpines.


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## i8sumpi (Dec 11, 2014)

I need SOME production, but I also make cheese and I drink it but my Nubian is working fine so depending on the price I will get alpines or more Nubians. Thank you everyone for your input))


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## elchivito (Apr 18, 2010)

i8sumpi said:


> I was wondering if it is worth it to go mini? I have 1 Nubian doe who is dry and might be old enough to retire, and 1 one year old buck . He is also Nubian. I have plenty of space to house at least 6, and we need the milk because we use it for bumbed calves. And if I do go mini, I would like mini Nigerians. So how much milk does one produce, will it be cheaper to have 6 minis than 3 Nubians, and are they overall just easier to keep? I'm completely new to the goat thing so I am a little clueless lol...


What please is a mini-nigerian and if there is such a beast, why would you want one? Perhaps you meant mini Nubians? 
Keep in mind that a mini-milker is a cross between a Nigerian buck onto a full size dairy doe. Not the other way around. If you're thinking that minis produce half as much milk as standards, think again. I started a line of Mini-Toggs. My Togg minis are roughly 2/3 the size of standard Toggs and eat about that much less. Their milk production is only about a fourth less than my standards. Better feed conversion. Their milk is also richer due to the Nigerian blood. Nigies have very high butter fat. I'd say that, assuming good lines from high producing Nubian does, you'll find that 4 minis will produce virtually as much milk as three full sized Nubies. I have several mini Togg does who go an easy gallon or more a day.


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## elchivito (Apr 18, 2010)

I don't know what "easier to keep" means. Minis require the same care and attention full sized goats do. The word mini can be deceptive. The breed standard for F6 ("purebred") Miniature Toggs is 26" at the shoulders. Can't imagine it's any less for Mini Nubians. We ain't talking Leprechaun goats here. The buck standing on the fence in my avatar is a registered F1 Mini Togg. He measures 28" and weighs a good 90 pounds.


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

elchivito said:


> What please is a mini-nigerian and if there is such a beast, why would you want one? Perhaps you meant mini Nubians?
> Keep in mind that a mini-milker is a cross between a Nigerian buck onto a full size dairy doe. Not the other way around. If you're thinking that minis produce half as much milk as standards, think again. I started a line of Mini-Toggs. My Togg minis are roughly 2/3 the size of standard Toggs and eat about that much less. Their milk production is only about a fourth less than my standards. Better feed conversion. Their milk is also richer due to the Nigerian blood. Nigies have very high butter fat. I'd say that, assuming good lines from high producing Nubian does, you'll find that 4 minis will produce virtually as much milk as three full sized Nubies. I have several mini Togg does who go an easy gallon or more a day.


Just an FYI I do believe there is such a thing as mini Nigerians... When I was looking for my first buck, I answered a CL ad. I drove about 45 minutes to see a very small buck that maybe was 3 inches taller than my doxin... I was shocked. Then he showed me his does... Oh my, they were literally the same height as my doxin... I thought this was standard, and was questioning why anyone would own a "Nigerian". Then I visited a Nigerian farm, and was shocked, they were actually what I was picturing in my mind.


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