# mini goat ?



## HobbyFarm (Oct 13, 2016)

If everything goes right I will be getting a Nubian doe this spring. I put a deposit on it if she actually has a doe. If by chance she does not I would like to go with a mini I think. I have doing a lot of research on Nigerian dwarfs and they were my second choice. Then tonight boyfriend asked why not go with either a mini manch or mini alpine. He thinks that the Nigerian will be to small and the grandchildren being so young (she is 9 months and grandson is a year.) I have older ones but he thinks the full size may be two big for them to play with. I will keep my Nubian because I always liked them growing up. So what breed do you think would be best for young grandchildren under supervision and still provide me with a good quantity and tasting milk.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

I'd say LaMancha. Super gentle, calm, excellent milking potential and you don't have to breed them each year. They will milk through sometimes 4 and 5 years. 
Nigerians are cute little guys. Be sure of your source though. Most are bred to just be pets and don't milk well at all. I've met more than a few that had "small dog syndrome" too.


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## JK_Farms (Nov 12, 2016)

I love mini Nubians they are super sweet and gentle!


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## capracreek (Apr 5, 2016)

WOW that is an interesting comment as I have both Nigerians and Pygmies and for me the Nigerians are the gentle little guys and my pygmies are sometimes a little testy. Not with us but with each other. When we first got into goats in fact we separated them real quick because the pygmies beat up on the Nigerians and would not let them eat. Now for the most part they all intermingle except at rut time when we separate the girls with the buck we are breeding them to. The Pygmies with our Pygmy buck and the Nigerian with our Nigerian buck. I did not realize in the beginning how hard it was to keep those bucks in line!!! They were little escape artists for sure.


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## HobbyFarm (Oct 13, 2016)

I am hope everything goes according to plan and I get my Nubian this spring and possibly a Nigerian dwarf. I plan on breeding the Nubian next year and if I get a doe then breed both of them to a Nigerian buck along with my Nigerian dwarf. The problem I am having is that with no one in my area selling mini-Nubian I will not be able to find another mini Nubian buck to breed the off springs to so I will not be able to go any further then f-1 is it even worth thinking about it or should I just stay with the Nubian they are purebred and stay with purebred Nigerian Dwarfs. I am still looking for options but so far this is the best I have come up with.


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## goatblessings (Jan 6, 2015)

You probably have done this already, but have you checked the mdga website? They have a list of breeders. You said in an earlier post you are close to Erie, PA. Quite a few mini-nubian breeders listed for PA. May be worth a look if you haven't checked them out yet. Good luck!


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## JK_Farms (Nov 12, 2016)

capracreek said:


> WOW that is an interesting comment as I have both Nigerians and Pygmies and for me the Nigerians are the gentle little guys and my pygmies are sometimes a little testy. Not with us but with each other. When we first got into goats in fact we separated them real quick because the pygmies beat up on the Nigerians and would not let them eat. Now for the most part they all intermingle except at rut time when we separate the girls with the buck we are breeding them to. The Pygmies with our Pygmy buck and the Nigerian with our Nigerian buck. I did not realize in the beginning how hard it was to keep those bucks in line!!! They were little escape artists for sure.


I have pygmies too and they are super mean to my other girls (one is mean to my bicker when in heat!) I dont have problems with the bucks escaping but my pygmy doe Flora ( the doe that beats up my buck) she has escaped a 5 ft stall 3 times plus the buck pen twice which is 6 ft


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## capracreek (Apr 5, 2016)

JK_Farms said:


> I have pygmies too and they are super mean to my other girls (one is mean to my bicker when in heat!) I dont have problems with the bucks escaping but my pygmy doe Flora ( the doe that beats up my buck) she has escaped a 5 ft stall 3 times plus the buck pen twice which is 6 ft


That's funny we have a new nigerian dwarf doe who is a master escape artist. It was a battle royal to keep her away from bucks this fall. I pray she did not get bred. But pygmy or nigerian I love the little goats.


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## lilaalil (Sep 5, 2014)

I would just get whatever breed appeals to you, then be sure to raise them right, and make sure your grandchildren interact with them properly too (no chasing, playfighting, etc). Even a tiny Nigerian can badly hurt a little child, so it's really more about the attitudes of each, more than size, that will make a good relationship between the goats and grandkids. 

Will you be bottle-raising, or picking up your goats after weaning? 

That said, any breed known for being sweet has a definite advantage! I don't have any experience with LaManchas (not available in my area), but if goathiker says they are calm and gentle, I believe her


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