# Nigerians worth milking?



## harleybarley (Sep 15, 2014)

I have mini goats and LaManchas. I'm accustomed to getting half a gallon or more per milking, even from my grade doe. I am looking to add a Nigerian doe to my barn, but I want a dairy goat, not a pet. Looking at ADGA production info on goats that are for sale, I'm seeing data like 500 lbs. of milk per year. 

The ones that have USDA data - and decent milk production - seem to give 4 or 5 lbs early on, then drop to 2 lbs around 100 days. Do Nigies drop off that fast?

Am I missing something? Is it hard to find a true dairy Nigie? Or is it something weird like most farms drying off before 305 days?


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## justamerefarm (Sep 2, 2014)

I too wold be interested in what others have to say about NG does. I have two. They are on their second freshening. I've never gotten more than a half a cup from them wether they are nursing or not. Are they just pet stock or is there a certain strain that are milk producers. They're cute and fun but really quite useless? Give me my Nubians any day!


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## margaret (Aug 30, 2013)

I believe 1 quart a day is pretty average for Nigies. I milked 2 this past year and it was worth it for what I fed them.


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## canyontrailgoats (Jan 4, 2014)

You need to buy does from good milking lines! Depending on genetics and diet, a nd typically produces 1-2 quarts daily. I'm not sure how quickly their production drops off.. It's worth it if you don't need gallons a day, and you can keep more in the house...which may mean more kids to sell while getting plenty of milk.

Justamerefarm, are you sure your goats aren't crossed with pygmy? Just curious...


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## justamerefarm (Sep 2, 2014)

No, they are pure bred NG, registered, tattooed, with papers, from Armstrong BC


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## canyontrailgoats (Jan 4, 2014)

^^ well that's odd :shrug:


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## LadySecret (Apr 20, 2013)

justamerefarm said:


> No, they are pure bred NG, registered, tattooed, with papers, from Armstrong BC


What do you feed them when milking? Even my ND doe with not so great udders milks well. She gives 1.5 cups once a day. She's not out of great milking lines.


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## justamerefarm (Sep 2, 2014)

I feed all of my goats a breakfast of a mixture of goat text, black oil sunflower seeds, hydrated alfalfa pellets and hydrated beet pulp pellets. This what they have always had and the Nubians too. They get about three cups a day as well as free feed alfalfa/Timothy hay. They have a goat mineral block, which they like and they get treats such a whole wheat bread, almonds and carrots.


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## LadySecret (Apr 20, 2013)

That should be enough for a cup or two per milking. Do you have any pictures of their udders? Do they lack capacity?


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## justamerefarm (Sep 2, 2014)

Can't figure out how to post any pictures on here lol. I've tried. But they have quite small udders. One has a single kid this year and the other twins. They feed their babies well and are very guarded good mothers. Even when I put the babies way at night, they still have nothing for me in the am.....


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## justamerefarm (Sep 2, 2014)

Should I be giving them more rations?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

How much does each one get per feeding?


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## justamerefarm (Sep 2, 2014)

About three cups. A full to the top 500 ml cottage cheese container.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Once or twice a day?


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## justamerefarm (Sep 2, 2014)

Just once.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

If you are milking, you need to milk twice a day and feed them the 3 cups twice a day.


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## harleybarley (Sep 15, 2014)

canyontrailgoats said:


> You need to buy does from good milking lines!


That was why I asked in the first place - even Nigerians from herds that do milk testing often have less than a quart a day, and 2 quarts seems to get a Nigie above 90th percentile.


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

I agree with Karen...you can up the feed and milk twice a day but a mini is a mini...you may get better producers than what you have now, but they aren't standards....from what I have seen you need to milk 2-3 nigis to get what one standard will give.
This is generalized peeps... I know there are some that do better, but around here I always hear of nigis giving in _cups_ per milking, not quarts.


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## harleybarley (Sep 15, 2014)

justamerefarm said:


> They feed their babies well and are very guarded good mothers. Even when I put the babies way at night, they still have nothing for me in the am.....


I have a goat who was like that. She produces over a gallon a day. And wanted to save every drop of it for her kids. Looked to me like she didn't have anything left after I got my scant cup. No, she was holding back. She'd go right to her kids for a long drink of the milk I wasn't allowed to have. :wallbang:

If your does are holding back, spend more time washing the udder and massaging it before milking to see if it helps her let down more.

Even my best producers tend to have small udders when their kids are keeping them drained.


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## justamerefarm (Sep 2, 2014)

Hmmm, thanks people, will keep trying, will also try twice a day and times two for rations.


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## CrescentMoonFarm (Apr 28, 2015)

ksalvagno said:


> If you are milking, you need to milk twice a day and feed them the 3 cups twice a day.


ND need 3c of feed 2x a day if milking, is this correct?

I'm currently giving the girls 1c 2x a day and only milking once a day for now (the babies are still nursing). They are on pasture the rest of the day, and always have alfafa available to them.

My one girl gives about 1c at a time, while her sister gives me 1 quart.


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

My FF Nigerian Dwarf gives a quart in the morning. I only milk once a day while kids are on. I have gotten a quart per milking before. It really depends on your bloodlines. Also, look for larger teats - it really helps!


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