# How Many Kids Do Nigerians Typically Have?



## MellonFriend (Aug 8, 2017)

I've heard that 2-4 is common. Does four really happen commonly? or is it really more like 2-3, and does 1 ever happen if they are healthy? Also do first fresheners have less kids than they will in the future?


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## IHEARTGOATS (Jun 14, 2016)

The highest percentage is 2
1 and 3 are about the same probability
4 or 5 is lower
I had a doe freshen 3,4,3,4
Her daughter has had 2 twice
Her granddaughter had 4 as a FF
I have one doe who has had a single every time
I've had a couple have 2 every time
I've had one have 2,2,1,2
One had 2,3,2

I hope that helped 

I can tell you if I had a choice I would take 2 every time


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## MellonFriend (Aug 8, 2017)

IHEARTGOATS said:


> I hope that helped
> 
> I can tell you if I had a choice I would take 2 every time


Thanks that really does. How come you would prefer 2?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Because goats only have 2 teats.


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

2 teats  No uneven udders, no runt that always gets kicked off.


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## BrokenArrowRanch (Jun 6, 2013)

A doe I sold had 4,3,3,4,2,2,3.her daughter had 2 then 4. Another does had gave me 2 sets of twin bucks grr. And another a set of twin bucks. Having twins is easier. Only doe I trusted to care for them all was the first doe I sold. Regret selling her every day.

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## MellonFriend (Aug 8, 2017)

ksalvagno said:


> Because goats only have 2 teats.





Suzanne_Tyler said:


> 2 teats  No uneven udders, no runt that always gets kicked off.


Oooh,, I should have thought of that. That makes a lot of sense.


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## capracreek (Apr 5, 2016)

I have a registered Nigerian doe who had 2 FF and 4 second
I have another registered who has had 1 each time. 
I prefer two as both get to nurse equally. With 4 it was a struggle making sure all got enough at a feeding. Then the bigger stronger ones pushed the back. 2 is so much easier.


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## IHEARTGOATS (Jun 14, 2016)

2 usually have the best birth weights also
Say from 2.5 lbs to maybe 4 lbs
When you get triplets and quads you can have some under 2 lbs
They can survive down to about 1.5 lbs but takes some work
i know a couple of people that have had 6 and all survive

ETA 
I would say the sweet spot is 2 kids about 3.5 lbs


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## BORGIA (Mar 17, 2017)

My mother goat had 2 last year and 3 this year. One of the doelinhs she had last year had 1 this year and the other didn't get pregnant.

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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

Annika (my avatar) had 2,3,2,4. The triplets were all bucklings and she nursed them herself with no problems. By the time she had quads we were pulling babies to bottle feed anyway, so she didn't nurse them. Her daughter has had two sets of twins.


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## daisymay (Feb 13, 2017)

My ff 2 year old had a single. I didn't know any better and one side was not nursed on. I started hand milking but wasn't quick enough so she is lop sided this year. I believe she was out of triplets. I purchased her when she had a month and a half in pregnancy left to go. I didn't over feed her as I was worried about having a large single.she was likely to have one as she was checked at osu.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I thought they were known for litters! I have a FB friend that raises NDs and hers has quads and quints every single dang time. We have been friends for about 3 years now and so far the smallest I have seen was or had triplets 2 kiddings ago.


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## daisymay (Feb 13, 2017)

my ff also didnt get grain, dont know if that makes a difference or not....


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

Perhaps @Jessica84's friend is really good at flushing, and also her does are really excellent mothers????

I know I only want twins. Singles tend to get too large, and litters have "tangling in the womb" issues. Twins are perfect.


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## MellonFriend (Aug 8, 2017)

mariarose said:


> Perhaps @Jessica84's friend is really good at flushing, and also her does are really excellent mothers????


What is this-"flushing"? I have heard of it before and I couldn't seem to really understand what it meant.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

mariarose said:


> Perhaps @Jessica84's friend is really good at flushing, and also her does are really excellent mothers????
> 
> I know I only want twins. Singles tend to get too large, and litters have "tangling in the womb" issues. Twins are perfect.


Maybe so but knowing nothing of the breed and just watching her birth announcements I thought that was the normal thing for these goats! 
Ok flushing, if I can explain it right is right before breeding you jump the protein levels up/up the feed for them. This will not work if a goat is really really in condition though. The body basically kinda says wow we are having a really good year so let's drop some eggs lol since I'm good with twins and detest anything more then 2 and I don't like playing with feed that much lol I don't flush. I did I guess flush on accident for 2 years but didn't have a choice lol I bought some alfalfa hay with a lot of weeds in it and come to find out when those weeds are cut at the right time are super high in protein. Those two years I had the most triplets till last year which I can not explain one bit! I fed straight alfalfa but I guess maybe my parents did a super job on it and it was better then years before, no clue lol


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## ShireRidgeFarm (Sep 24, 2015)

Feed flushing (giving a doe extra grain for ghe few weeks before being bred) really increases the number of kids a doe will have.

I'd say most goats have twins or triplets, but my girls regularly have 3 or 4 kids when I feed flush - my first freshener last year had 4.

One of my does had just 1 kid at the farm she came from, but she has had 4 kids and then 5 kids for me. She set the farm record!

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