# YOUR Top 10 Reasons for Your Favorite Breeds!



## Cedar Point Kikos (Oct 16, 2013)

You know those posts you run across on the web? Top 10 or Top 5 reasons to get ____ breed of goat?

Well, I thought it would be fun for us ( and helpful to newbies ) to make our own lists like that!

*Rules are:*
1) List your breed 
2) List your reasons why you like that breed, what's great about it, etc
3) You can also add things to watch out for with that particular breed (i.e. Nubians can be loud, etc)
4) It doesn't matter if your breed (s) are already listed! 
5) Have Fun 

You can also list your "Dream" breed - you know, the one you would really like to get, but can't right now? List that one and why you'd like it!

P.S. I'll post mine in a bit


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## goatblessings (Jan 6, 2015)

What a fun idea!!! OK so here it goes!

Nubians.

5. Those darling floppy ears - who can resist? Lots of colors for variety.

4. They are bigger, so I can see them without my glasses and they don't squink though the small gaps in the fence.

3. They are all so loving and sweet and love their momma (me!)

2. LOTS of sweet, delicious milk that can be made into great stuff.

1. Vocal when they see me. I know right away if anyone is "off", in trouble, or feeling the "lovin" season coming on.


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## MylieD (Sep 16, 2013)

Mini Lamanchas

1) Cute little nubby ears.
2) They stay small.
3) Lots of color variety and/or blue eyes.
4) Sweet as can be.
5) Not very noisy.


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## Cedar Point Kikos (Oct 16, 2013)

goatblessings said:


> .... 4. They are bigger, so i can see them without my glasses...


:rofl:


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## ShireRidgeFarm (Sep 24, 2015)

Nigerian Dwarves 

1) Sweet personalities
2) Playful - they love to climb!
3) Colorful coats and eyes 
4) Delicious milk
5) Small, easy-to-handle size


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## Cedar Point Kikos (Oct 16, 2013)

Kikos:
1) Sweet, friendly personalities
2) Super easy to care for
3) Don't need grain/frequent deworming/hoof trimming
4) Do great on only bush
5) Lots of color ( if you get the right goats )
6) Great moms
7) Super easy kidders
8) Fast growing
9) Medium size ( at least my does are...bucks tend to get fairly big )
10) Can be milked & used for meat

Nigerian Dwarfs are my dream  Because:
1) They're small
2) And SOOO cute
3) A very small amount of goat to teach to the milk stand 
4) They sell well
5) Lots of colorhttp://www.thegoatspot.net//www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/


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## AncientBlue (Dec 21, 2014)

Nigerian Dwarfs are what I have.

1) Big personalities. They take on a personality and you know who is who.
2) Rich and creamy milk
3) They don't go through nearly the amount of hay I thought
4) Incredibly cute
5) Good moms
6) Incredibly entertaining to watch from the porch.


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Nubians

1. They are friendly
2. They are amazing looking with moonspots! 
3. They have delicious creamy, high butterfat milk
4. They have adorable floppy ears
5.They give a decent amount of milk
6. They have lots of personality

Cons
1. They are loud
2. They are loud and finally...
3. They are loud :lol:

If I had a farm with lots of land I would get Kikos...just love,love,love the look of them


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## goatblessings (Jan 6, 2015)

Cons...
1. They are loud
2. They are loud and finally...
3. They are loud 

:laugh:
(Sorry NYGoat mom - this is your quote and don't know how to do it right!)

For those of us who are old and hard of hearing (and obviously lack internet skills) this helps!


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## Bree_6293 (Aug 4, 2014)

Mine are australian mini goat:
1. Awesome individual personalities. Each one is so different from the next
2. So many different colour variations
3. All the different ear types. I prefer my elfs and pixies but can also have munchkin and nuwby ears
4. They provide hours of entertainment
5. They are cuddly and sweet to people they know but are very clear when they don't like some one or a new person comes to close
6. They all have their own voices which they use to get my attention as soon as they see me
7. They are so cute!!!!!
8. My bucks are cuddly and sweet with great natures too
9. Some make really nice creamy milk and all the ones I have trained to milk stand have been really easy.
10. They are a nice small size which is easy to handle! We also have boers that I find are just too strong for me to enjoy but my partner prefers them.


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## MylieD (Sep 16, 2013)

> nuwby ears


What's that look like?


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## AncientBlue (Dec 21, 2014)

"6. They all have their own voices which they use to get my attention as soon as they see me"

Ooh good! I thought I was the only one who knew which goat was speaking by their voice. I'm glad I'm in good company


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## Bree_6293 (Aug 4, 2014)

MylieD said:


> What's that look like?


Nuwby ears are just long ears like Nubians or boers. In the minis they are called nuwby.


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## ShireRidgeFarm (Sep 24, 2015)

AncientBlue said:


> "6. They all have their own voices which they use to get my attention as soon as they see me"
> 
> Ooh good! I thought I was the only one who knew which goat was speaking by their voice. I'm glad I'm in good company


 I can do that too, for the most part. But I just bought a couple new does this fall and one of them sounds almost the same as one of my original does so I can't always tell them apart anymore. 

But I don't think they care when I get their name wrong. :grin:


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## Bree_6293 (Aug 4, 2014)

AncientBlue said:


> "6. They all have their own voices which they use to get my attention as soon as they see me"
> 
> Ooh good! I thought I was the only one who knew which goat was speaking by their voice. I'm glad I'm in good company


Oh yes they all have their own voices which I have learnt which belongs to what goat haha. People think I'm mad when they are over and one goat calls out and I say one minute gretal I will be there in a minute and then another talks and it melly please be patient, hilda there is no need for your screaming haha. Some of mine sound very similar but I can Normally tell them apart still.


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## RaineyDayFarms (Oct 10, 2013)

1)Mini silky fainters

1-love the extreme coats
2-bangs(except when the bucks pee on them)
3-fairly docile and they like attention
4-they come in a wide range of colors and blue eyes 
5-fairly compact and you can fit quite a few in the truck lol

Cons-
1-the coat can be hard to maintain. 
2-not all kids from extreme parents will get long coats
3-they faint and when they do they have to go to the muddiest area.


2)Boers, they are my favorites.

1- I really love the overall appearance. Very substantial and solid. 
2-easier to find shows for
3-marketable
4-Straws from awesome bucks is easier to obtain
5-paints and dapples!


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

Uh-Oh. We're a 2 breed family!

LaManchas


7. They have a quirky sense of humor.
6. Our milker GALLOPS to the milk stand. So funny!
5. We got the first one free. :-D
4. They are fairly easy to train. We can walk our girls with only 1 finger on the collar!
3. They are much quieter than Nubians or Nigerians.
2. They have adorable funny little ears.
1. Teats that can actually be milked "normally". ;-) (My apologizes to my Nigerians)

Downsides: Um...Hmmmm, can't think of any!!!

**************
Nigerians

5. Their milk is absolutely THE best.
4. All those colors!
3. They eat less than the bigger goats.
2. Sometimes they are snuggly. (No, not all the time!)
1. Baby Nigies are the cutest creatures on earth...

Downsides: Stubborn, Noisy (Mine never shut up), Always playing games without telling me the rules! Can you say, "Not particularly easy to milk"?


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## CrazyDogLady (Aug 9, 2014)

Well, now I can't wait for my pair of Nigerian Dwarfs!! Not that my rescue LaManchas aren't a hoot, I'm enjoying the heck out of them, knocking on my front door and waking me up every morning.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Well this is a hard one for me. I really do like different breeds for different reasons, so I'll go with my two favorite breeds
Lamancha-
1. Very loyal and loving
2. Not in a pushy kind of way
3. Raise awesome kids
4. They are different because of their ears
5. Great mothers

Now for me they have a con so I don't have a whole herd of them lol and that's I have to milk them

Now boers
1. I don't need to milk them 
2. Nothing is more cute then a baby boer with their big floppy ears
3. I get good money for them
4. I don't have to trim their feet near as often as my dairy and dairy cross
5. They also raise awesome kids and wonderful mothers
6. They take can clear brush without worry about cutting up their bags like the dairy I have.
7. They come in all kinds of colors

(I know only 5 but I'm going with it lol)


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

Humm.... I love my Lamancha but also love my Saanen and now nigerian....Ill list in order of Favs as I feel about it right now lol

1) Lamancha
Pros: Love their quiet sweetness, Docile temperament, yummy milk..sweet teenie ears, variety of color, great in hot or cold weather, good milkers
Cons: not every one can get past the ear thing, so selling kids for some take time..
2. Saanen
Pros: they are lamancha with ears lol...They are docile and sweet, love to give kisses, amazing milkers with yummy milk...large goats...
cons: no color lol...and dont do well in heat
3. Nigies, Im new to Nigerans but quickly becoming a fan
Pros, adorable..lots of color...Blue eyes in some, sweet and fun and amazing sweet milk and tons of cream!! Take less to feed
cons: less milk, can be mouthy like a nubian lol..


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## MoonShadow (Mar 1, 2015)

Nigerians

1-Thay are small and easyer to handle
2- they dont eat a much as larger breeds
3-They are super sweet with lovely personalities 
4-They have super sweet delicious milk
5-They come in many fun and beautiful colors
6-They are super playful and jumpy and springy haha
7-They are very lovable (even my adults will sleep in my lap)
8-They are wonderful mammas 
9-They can do well in smaller spaces compared to larger breeds
10-They maybe sweet but they deffinetly have attitudes 

Cons- none they are perfect for me and i love them so very much


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

What?!? No Boers yet?
Ok I started out years ago with Nubians. I loved them! They were never really loud, at least not continuosly. But then again Im a heavy sleeper.

In comparison Boers are; 
Much more laid back. 
Not as sensitive to change in routine.
The milk is even richer than Nubs but not near the long of lactation & comparatively awful teats for milking.
More meat on a Boer than Nub.


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## Cedar Point Kikos (Oct 16, 2013)

Jessica84 said:


> (I know only 5 but I'm going with it lol)


You can do as many was you want! 5's not the limit


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Nancy I did boers too lol but I did lamachas too 
Happybleats when I first started getting goats I had a saanen and she was more out going in the heat then my boers, my Nubians were the cry babies on heat, still are lol but I only ever had the one saanen, I loved her so much I never had the heart to get another one


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

Jessica84..my saanen are lethargic sissies when temps are about 90...lol...but when we hit cool weather, they are so happy and playful...


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Well I am pretty sure there's something in the water here to make my animals a bunch of freaks lol but my sannen was a special girl, she even tried eating nails one day and put up a big fight when I fished them out (I need the head smacking icon lol)


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

Huh.... That's a tough one....

It's either Oberhasli or Nubians

I love the milk of Nubians, they are easy to milk... Love them ears They seem to kid easily and they come in many colors... They are sweet and personable. The one and only con I have is they are LOUD, and can wake up the dead when you can't console them....

Oberhaslis are sweet and also personable. They are quiet...., and they are good producers. The only con...., not much color variations.....

I do have a Lamancha/Nubian mix, excited to see how she turns out production wise

Trying to decide between Kiko and Boers for meat side of things.


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## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

Oberhasli-

4-They are sweet and gentle
3-They are striking with their bay markings
2-They are smallish so take less room 
1-Awesome sweet milk

Cons-
1-They are all marked the same!

Nubians-
8-Love the Roman nose and floppy ears
7-Most popular dairy goat in my area
6-Rich, high fat milk
5-Dual purpose-meat and milk
4-Easy to find new animals because of the popularity
3-Easier to disbud bucklings, they don't scur as easily
2-Easier to tell when they are in heat because they SCREAM non-stop
1-Huge range of colors!

Cons-
1-They are the dumbest creatures on the farm
2-They are loud and obnoxious
3-Sometimes the extreme Roman nose causes breathing issues (They sound like Darth Vader!)

Lamanchas-
1-Once you get used to them, the ears (or lack thereof, are cool)
2-Mild tempered (unless you are a Nubian with long ears)
3-Sweet milk
4-Wide variety of colors 
5-Starting to become very popular in my area

Cons-
1-Loves to bite Nubian ears
2-Ear gunk
3-A lot of people are freaked out by their earless looks
4-Sick of people accusing me of abusing them by cutting off their ears!

Mini combos of the above breeds-

all the pros plus smaller size!!!!!!!!!!

All the cons minus the small size


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Ok I thought it was just my lamanchas that bite ears!! Mine don't really butt in a fight they are like little rabid dogs and go for the ears......(I think they are jealous over their lack of ears lol)


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## cowgirlboergoats (Apr 29, 2012)

Of course Boers for me  
10) You don't have to milk them
9) They are very easy to raise. It's easy for my parents to take care of them when I got to go to school. 
8) they have so many different personalities
7) They are so dang cute when they were babies
6) They almost as cute as when they get old
5) They get good sized and don't escape as much (Never say they never will! I got a doe that will walk through the electric fence, even when they are fully charged)
4) You get good price (at least around our place) for anything that looks like full boer (Meat price and show/breeding stock price)
3) I love their ears!
2) They are usually pretty quite (Unless you slam the toilet seat down, hear a car pulled up, see you, hear your voice, etc.) 
1) They are my babies. They love everyone that will feed them!

Cons.
1) They always want to be fed
2) Sometimes they don't want to take care of the babies. (HOWEVER, they kid pretty easily. I want to say about 5 does that need help out of 4 year (or so....) 
3) they can be a pain in the butt!


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

Well, I have mostly Nigerians and only one baby Mini Mancha ... so not super experienced. :laugh: But I love my little goats.

Nigerians.

1) They are small, thus easier to handle for routine care, and easier to sell as pets.
2) They are smart, you can teach them things, and when I look into their eyes they have that spark of understanding.
3) They are loving. They will stand and just soak up affection, and give me kisses. Sometimes they want on my lap. :lol:
4) They are funny. A great sense of humor with strong personalities.
5) They are healthy. I like looking out and seeing plump, fluffy goaties!
6) Their milk is delicious. They produce well for their size, and the taste is just heavenly.
7) They are cute. It's harder to stay mad at a cute animal, even when they are very naughty creatures!
8) They are colorful. Even though my herd is pretty much all brown, the breed in general has some fun colors going on.
9) They are easier, cost wise, to maintain due to a smaller size. Which I can use as an excuse to have more!
10) They are sassy. I love sassy.

What to look out for.

1) Some breeders breed only for the cute factor. You have to make sure they are bred for production, health, and personality before color.
2) Because they are small, they will slip through cattle panels while babies. Fence holes should be small.
3) Because they are smart, they need to have adequate room to stretch their legs, and playthings to keep them out of trouble (not really a con, but worth posting).
4) They can have small teats.


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## Cedar Point Kikos (Oct 16, 2013)

You guys have to stop posting Nigerian Dwarfs! :lol: I'm getting nd-itis 
And I can't get any right now


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Seems like most people have dwarfs! I am a standard gal myself...but when I go to the zoo, I like seeing them...they are cute


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

NyGoatMom said:


> Seems like most people have dwarfs! I am a standard gal myself...but when I go to the zoo, I like seeing them...they are cute


I think they are soooo cute and wouldn't mind having some BUT I can't imagine having any with my bier bucks around and the kids would never have a chance with all the wild animals around here. I'm with you I'll admire at the zoo or sale or my friends house lol


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## PygmyMom (Mar 3, 2014)

Cedar Point Kikos said:


> Kikos:
> 1) Sweet, friendly personalities
> 2) Super easy to care for
> 3) Don't need grain/frequent deworming/hoof trimming
> ...


Kiko's are my dream goat! Why?

*they are bigger than my mini breeds but generally smaller than a standard dairy/meat goat.

*their amazing coats and colors

*their overall mellow personality and ease of training

*their dual purposes

*the Bucks. Oh my the Bucks are so gorgeous! The longer fur and beards make them look so regal and like they are really wearing coats!


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## Cedar Point Kikos (Oct 16, 2013)

You're so right about all of the above, PygmyMom! I love my Kikos  ND's would only be a "side" thing - they couldn't get in the way of my Kikos


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## Blackheadedboers (Dec 19, 2013)

Boers are my all time favorite!!! 
1. I love how big and bulky they are ( they Rimini me of mini beef cattle) 
2. Those long ears and Roman noses!!! 
3. They have such great personalities!. 
4. They're fat! ( I always feel like my couple Nubians are starving compared to my boer does) 
5. All their cool color patterns. 
6. I love showing them at fairs. 
7. They are pretty easy to train and most don't forget their training. 
8. They taste pretty good
9. Most are easy kidders 
10. Who can't resist a baby boer! 

Cons
1. They can be pushy with their weight. 
2. They are always hungry ( even after you feed them) 
3. They can become quite picky eaters!!

I just love my Boers they are awesome!! ( though Nubians and lamanchas are pretty neat too! )


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## SeventeenFarms (Dec 10, 2013)

I dont have a lot of experience with many breeds, yet I am a Boer fan, having four, and one dwarf Nigerian. A few reasons I like my Boers-
- easy going, calm, usually content, and pretty smart
- easy to handle 
- they get along with our other animals, such as the horses and chickens
- they can be clowns at times, which makes them fun to watch and be around
- not aggressive. I can trust them. They have almost dog-like loyalty, and stay in sight when out and around free ranging. 

On the other hand, they do not like my dwarf Nigerian, and I have to keep them near, but separated. 

I haven t figured out my dwarf. Although she was raised from a kid, and is friendly one second, she turns completely aggressive the next. If she was bigger I would not be able to handle her. I understand most dwarf Nigerians are not aggressive at all. Still she is part of the family; we are careful, so she stays, and we keep trying.


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## Barnes19 (Sep 8, 2013)

Um ... can I have more than one favourite? Lol. Actually my favourite would have to be a cross! Mostly I have Nubian/Swiss crosses. Nubian/alpine is particularly good.

1. Ears. Gorgeous ... darling floppy nubian ears. Or, in those who are 3/4 alpine, straight long ears with a lovely curvature.
2. Lovely colours.
3. Pleasant shape and outline ... something about the cross between the nubian and the swiss conformation is really pretty!
4. Nice coats ... the winter coat has just enough insulation for my mild climate without being to shaggy, and the summer coat is short and glossy.
5. Good feet ... slow growing, solid.
6. Good quantities of milk
7. Decent butterfat content of milk
8. Long lactations
9. Good tasting milk
10. Hardiness
11. (tough I've got to) Sweet loving personalities.

Potential drawbacks ... well let me put it in a positive way ... if they get their head stuck in a fence, you will know. Their call for help is amazingly effective.


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## RPC (Nov 6, 2009)

My favorite breed is BOERS

10) usually quiet except at feeding time
9) I love their horns
8 )long floppy ears
7)pretty easy going normally unless it's feeding time
6)big and bulky
5)cutest kids when they are born
4)they may not come in a ton of different colors but when they do it can be a nice supreme
3) pretty good mothers 
2) they grow pretty quickly
1) they are really easy to sell around here.


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

lottsagoats1 said:


> Nubians-
> 
> Cons-
> 1-They are the dumbest creatures on the farm


Spewed my coffee. Thanks for the laugh!


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## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

Barnes19 said:


> Um ... can I have more than one favourite? Lol. Actually my favourite would have to be a cross! Mostly I have Nubian/Swiss crosses. Nubian/alpine is particularly good.


YES! YES! AND YES!!!

LOVE my Alpine/Nubian crosses!

1. Airplane ears! They leave the head with an exuberant leap, then swoop gracefully down along the face. They flap hilariously, and when the goats run they look like they're trying to fly! :angel:

2. Colors! Oh my goodness! Alpines are colorful. Nubians are even more colorful. And when you cross them you get fireworks! Move over Nigerian Dwarfs! :rainbow:

3. Lovely conformation. You get the long, graceful legs, noble head carriage, and deep brisket of the Nubian combined with the straightness, width, and angularity of the Alpine.

4. Milk! Alpine capacity, Nubian butterfat.

5. Attitude. The excellent work ethic of the Alpine and the friendly, people-oriented personality of the Nubian. :cart:

6. Coats. The thickness and warmth of the Alpine coat combined with the short, silky smoothness of the Nubian.

7. Tails! Has anyone noticed that Nubians have amazing tails? This seems to be dominant because all of my crosses have their Nubian fathers' long, fluffy tails. They're too nice to trim for shows--it's sacrilegious to shave such a beautiful plume.

8. Heads. The Alpine influence straightens the profile and eliminates the underbite, but the Nubian lends a noble Romanesque bump to the lower part of the face. They look proud but not arrogant.

9. Hybrid vigor. It's a thing, folks!

10. Confusion among the purebred ranks. Everyone asks, what breed are they?? They'll never be "NOA" because they don't quite fit anywhere and that's the way I like them! :dancedgi:

Down sides? Well, that hair-raising Nubian scream gets passed to some of them. I could do without that. Luckily my "screamers" don't talk too often.


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

Damfino said:


> YES! YES! AND YES!!!
> 
> LOVE my Alpine/Nubian crosses!
> 
> ...


I was going to get a few Nubian/Oberhasli crosses, breed them actually, but now I want alpine/Nubian crosses. I guess I'll start with Oberhasli though


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