# Average size



## Jadeyngomez (Apr 24, 2015)

What is the average size of a 1 year old female Nigerian dwarf goat I have one who is really small and petite. Just wanting to know is she's big enough to breed without trouble


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## goatblessings (Jan 6, 2015)

From what I understand, most Nigie breeders recommend the doe weighing at least 40# and have nice wide hips. Also, look at the size of your buck. I would make sure he doesn't throw large kids and prefer him not to be too big. Watch your feeding program in the last month of pregnancy.
Hopefully some mini breeders will chime in here.


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## MoonShadow (Mar 1, 2015)

Following! Ive been wanting to know this for awhile. I don't know if 'm doing something weird or no but it seems all my does are small and grow slowly(none of them are related) but then again maybe thats normal or something maybe im just comparing them to my wethers and my buck since they seem to have grown and are growing just fine.


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## Redbarngoatfarm (Jul 8, 2015)

Do you know her weight? Height at withers? Her parents? There really can be a range...I would only breed to a second generation small buck, one who's father was small too or similar size.


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## Jadeyngomez (Apr 24, 2015)

I'm not sure what to do to get height at withers


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## Jadeyngomez (Apr 24, 2015)

Not a good pic she's a skittish goat but her compared to my rooster and almost 1


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## jmez61690 (Jun 16, 2015)

You can get her height by measuring from the ground to the top of her withers...

She does look very small. My one year old ND doe comes up to my knee.


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## ShireRidgeFarm (Sep 24, 2015)

She looks very small! I'm no expert, but I'd be concerned about breeding her to anything much bigger than she is... 

One of my first fresheners this year was a petite Nigerian Dwarf doe, so I was a bit concerned about breeding her, but she is an average height and width. She had healthy twins without any help - she's even gaining more body mass now. 

Your girl looks really small though... It would be neat if you could find a Nigerian Dwarf buck around her same size and then try and make mini-dwarfs.


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## Jadeyngomez (Apr 24, 2015)

She is 18" tall from her back down to her hoove and 29 1/2 all the way around her stomach


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## goatblessings (Jan 6, 2015)

Did you measure her stomach from just in front of the front legs, or from the middle?


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## Jadeyngomez (Apr 24, 2015)

Middle


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## goatblessings (Jan 6, 2015)

Measure the heartgirth, not the middle. That gives you a more accurate idea. I would just weigh myself and then pick her up and get a weight to be accurate. But, just my opinion, she looks very small and I can't tell about hip width from the pics. If you don't know much about the buck I would let her grow another 6 months and see what the buck is throwing in larger does.


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## LibertyHomesteadFarm (Feb 1, 2014)

As a ND breeder, I would definitely not breed her anytime soon. She looks about the size of many of my 3 month old Nigies. She appears to be stunted; has she ever had problems with worms, cocci, anemia, or other health problems?


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## LibertyHomesteadFarm (Feb 1, 2014)

Most of my 1 year old Nigerians are 60-80+ lbs.


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## Redbarngoatfarm (Jul 8, 2015)

Are you certain she is a year old?


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## Jadeyngomez (Apr 24, 2015)

Yes almost she was born January 2nd


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## Jadeyngomez (Apr 24, 2015)

Her dad was real petite and mom not real big either


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