# Curious question for Nigerian owners??



## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

Cross posted..FYI
Have any of you successfully milked you Nigerian Dwarf does through a season? Just curious, because if so, I think I'm heading into Nigerian Dwarves..... Im just not strong enough anymore to handle my standard goats, so I thought instead of getting out of goats, I can just switch breeds...


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## CrazyDogLady (Aug 9, 2014)

I've been milking Carina since February. I just rebred her for next year's kids. She's giving me a quart to a quart and a half a day right now. Cookie was giving me about the same when I put her back into the pasture with her quads.


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## IHEARTGOATS (Jun 14, 2016)

We do
Last year before our State Fair in late Oct out best were still milking over a quart 8 months in lactation
We are on DHIR 305 day test this year


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

You would want to breed Nigerians so there would always be someone in milk.


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

I have not personally done so, but I have a friend who milked his doe for 2 and 1/2 years after her first kidding. He had to part with her after that. Otherwise she'd probably STILL be in milk!


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

Cool... Good to hear... I think I'm going for it.... I am planning to at least have 2 in milk year around, and I will be breeding accordingly, but I would rather not breed everyone every year....


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Shouldn't this be in the GAA thread? I mean, really Janeen....we know you just want more


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

NyGoatMom said:


> Shouldn't this be in the GAA thread? I mean, really Janeen....we know you just want more


Actually all my herd is up for sale


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## PippasCubby (May 13, 2015)

I have milked a couple of mine for 7-8 months before drying off. And they were still going strong at that time. I know a lot of people that raise NDG are on the 305 day milk test and they're doing well.

I also try to kid every 4-6 months or so. That way I can always have someone in milk, I don't have to milk daily if I don't want to, and I can still sell the kids while they're cute.


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

janeen128 said:


> Actually all my herd is up for sale


Aww  How come?


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

NyGoatMom said:


> Aww  How come?


Just can't do it alone anymore... If I get this full time job, I might hire some real help, then I think I could keep going..., otherwise that's why I wanted to get into Nigerians..., a lot smaller size..


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## ShireRidgeFarm (Sep 24, 2015)

I milked one of my first fresheners for about 8 months last year. She was doing great, almost a quart a day, and it took me several weeks to dry her up. I only stopped milking her because she was pregnant. Once I got into a good routine of milking her every 12 hours, her production went up and she gave me a lot of milk. I just started milking her again this year, after her babies left, and she's already close to 2 quarts a day!


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

The other option is to breed mini's, like lottsagoats1 suggested, or get back into kinders...., then from there get into Nigerians... I think jumping from standard to Nigerians might be too much of a shock for me....


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

Update... I'll be down to 13 after Sunday, and hopefully down to 11 after the 31st. I wanted to get down to 6, then next year slowly switch over..., but I don't foresee that happening... Oh well...


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Just getting down to 6 will help.


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## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

When I had several, yes, I milked them thru an entire 10 month lactation each year.


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

ksalvagno said:


> Just getting down to 6 will help.


No one is selling unfortunately. However a meat guy would buy all the ones I'm trying to sell, but I just can't do that to the girls....


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

I'm in the same boat :wallbang: 
Currently trying to sell four, which would put me down to five goats, but they just won't sell!


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## Steampunked (Mar 23, 2015)

You guys don't want to KNOW what a Nigerian goes for here...

Heck, I can't afford a 50% one


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## Tapsmom (Sep 20, 2011)

We had a doe who kidded and we milked her through the beginning of December. We retained her daughter and when we put them back together, the pesty kid resumed nursing and brought her mama back into milk! We then milked her through the next year.


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