# Pygmys for milking???



## mcd311 (Feb 16, 2013)

I had been researching milking goats and had read Nubians or Norwegian Dwarfs where the best tasting and best milking...I can not find any for sale in our area. Central Louisiana.
I was given a meat goat to raise and need to get him some goat buddies before he thinks he's a dog 
Can you milk Pygmy goats? There is a pregnant female with two males for sale and she believes they are pygmy and has only had them as pets.
Thank you for any advice!


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

Yes, you sure can milk pygmy goats! It's my understanding that they give milk similar to Nigerian dwarf milk, maybe a little higher in butterfat. Before you buy, you should look at her udder and make sure she has 2 normally formed teats, no extra teats or "spurs."
There's a member called Liz who milks (or has milked) some pygmy/ND crosses.
Those are cute goats. I'm no expert, but it looks like they may have some Nigerian in them.


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## mcd311 (Feb 16, 2013)

I just found my answer 



liz said:


> I have had a purebred pygmy doe who put out over a quart a day of very good, sweet milk...my pygmy/nigerian cross does have also done well with output, I did find it a bit hard to find a short but capacious container in which to milk because Pygmy's tend to have low slung bellies and short legs making it difficult to have enough room under them to milk into a standard 2 quart SS pail.
> 
> My oldest cross doe, Bootsie had her last freshening in 2008 and she stayed in milk for 26 months... such a great, well mannered girl who loved to be milked, even though the last 8 months I milked her, output was just a pint a day but I loved the one on one with her and it broke my heart to dry her off.
> 
> Please do separate your buck and doe... rebreeding soon after delivery is very hard on a lactating doe and pygmy's as well as nigerians will breed year round as they don't have a set breeding season like most standard breeds do...you may want to look for another doe to keep company for your doe as well as a wether for your buck once you separate the current 2.


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## mcd311 (Feb 16, 2013)

milkmaid said:


> Yes, you sure can milk pygmy goats! It's my understanding that they give milk similar to Nigerian dwarf milk, maybe a little higher in butterfat. Before you buy, you should look at her udder and make sure she has 2 normally formed teats, no extra teats or "spurs."
> There's a member called Liz who milks (or has milked) some pygmy/ND crosses.
> Those are cute goats. I'm no expert, but it looks like they may have some Nigerian in them.


Thanks, I wondered if they might be a cross, I was looking at pygmy colors and shapes and the All white one in the photo had me wondering.

I'm going to call the lady today and see if she still had them and visit them.


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## mjgh06 (Sep 4, 2012)

Yes, we milk our too. I love the thick, rich, creamy milk - especially for coffee.


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## mcd311 (Feb 16, 2013)

Mmmm never thought about creamer for coffee!!!!


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

Oh, by the way, it's *Nigerian* dwarf. I would be surprised if there were none in your area. There's a farm in southern AL called Oldesouth Farm that sells great milking goats - a little pricey, but good bloodlines.


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## mcd311 (Feb 16, 2013)

That would be a big difference wouldn't it  lol


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

The pics show me that those are likely crosses of Nigerian Dwarf and Pygmy.... and as long as they have a decent sized udder with 2 teats, milking them is a definate possibility 

Color as well as build can say alot for the 2 breeds but I have seen registered nigerians with a short cobby build too.

My Angel is a perfect example of a cross... she's as white as snow but her sire was my late pygmy Hank, he was a classic pygmy black with frosted ears and nose.... Angels dam is a ND/Pygmy cross... gold and white with a stocky build. Angel is not a good milk doe however... she raised her kids just fine but her udder is literally 2 perfect teats on her belly...no capacity, just supply and demand.


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## mcd311 (Feb 16, 2013)

I love learning all this!!! Thank you.
I was born and raised on a farm but never had goats (sheep and goats where the only animals we never raised)
I've been living the city life for the past 15 yrs and am so excited to be at a place to raise my kids on the farm!


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

Nigerian Dwarves are spreading like wild-fire, if they aren't in your area they will be soon :laugh: You have some lovely does!!


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## mcd311 (Feb 16, 2013)

ThreeHavens said:


> Nigerian Dwarves are spreading like wild-fire, if they aren't in your area they will be soon :laugh: You have some lovely does!!


Those are the ones I'm looking at getting (two males one female) I'm not sure which one it is but the female is pregnant. They are an hours drive away so I asked the lady (sounding like the crazy goat lady LOL) if she could send my a pic of the goats udder, if she can't my youngest and I will go for a drive this week and visit them.

She had never heard of someone milking a pygmy  so I'm sure she thinks I'm nuts!


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## nursehelg (Jul 5, 2012)

Hi there! I live in south louisiana, Hammond actually. I have nigerians. I bought mine from a lady in Covington. Keep a look out on here because we are testing to see who is pregnant and hopefully we will have babies this spring. These will not be registered but should make good milkers. I will also hopefully have my first mini alpines!


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## mcd311 (Feb 16, 2013)

nursehelg said:


> Hi there! I live in south louisiana, Hammond actually. I have nigerians. I bought mine from a lady in Covington. Keep a look out on here because we are testing to see who is pregnant and hopefully we will have babies this spring. These will not be registered but should make good milkers. I will also hopefully have my first mini alpines!


Will do!
I'm up just north of Leesville.


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