# pygmy vs nigerian



## heavenlyhaven (Apr 17, 2008)

first and foremost 
how do you tell the difference between the 2 breeds
onder: 
i honestly have no idea
:laugh: 
they look the same to me

which breed would you choose and why
:whatgoat: 

what do you look for in buying (breed specific)
:lovey: 

thanx in advance
my 13 is doing research and wanted answers from ppl who actually raise them

around here ppl either have standard size dairy or meat


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

In my experience with nigies, there are 2 "body styles"...one is the same as a standard dairy goat, just on miniature scale, the other is not as refined. They also can have blue eyes and a variety of colors and patterns.
Pygmies can only come in certain color patterns , never have blue eyes and are very wide and stocky little goats...not as refined or dairy looking as nigies.

It's sad but true that some people don't realize that a Pygmy is a breed of goat, not a "size"...around here, I've come across many that say a goat is a Pygmy just because it's short :?

NPGA and NDGA are registries for Pygmies and Nigerian Dwarfs. Each has a ton of info on each goats breed characteristics.
http://www.npga-pygmy.com http://www.ndga.org


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## heavenlyhaven (Apr 17, 2008)

thank YOU liz
my son is writing a paper from school and wanted some first hand information
i appreciate you taking the time and posting the links
:angelgoat:


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## Calico Patch Farm (Mar 8, 2011)

Hi. I actually did one of my 4H demos on this topic. There are many ways to distinguish the breeds. Here is some of what I know:

*General Appearance:*

Pygmy goats are bred to be cobby or stout. Their face should have a dish. Their necks should appear muscular along with the rest of their body. They need to have a wide chest floor with legs squarely set.

Nigerian dwarfs' appearances should be very similar to that of a full-size dairy goat. Ears need to be upright and their faces should be either straight or have a slight dish. They may be disqualified from a show for being over-sized. Blue eyes have been introduced into many lines lately. They will not be disqualified for having them, but will not be placed any higher because of them. Some people just like the blue eyes.

*Coloring*

A pygmies color should be solid. Different solid colors they can be include gray agouti, light caramel, dark caramel, and black. There are other acceptable forms of these colors. Belly bands are also accepted. Any other markings are considered mismarks.

A Nigerian dwarf on the other hand can be any color. They may be a solid color like pygmies, and combination or three colors, and anything in-between.

*Bred For...*

Pygmy goats were once bred for meat. They are now mostly bred for show and pet. The breed originated from Africa.

Nigerian dwarf goats were bred for milk and still are. They are also bred for show and pet. The advantage to having a dwarf to other dairy goats are their size. They eat less and take up less space then a full-size goat and a good milking doe can produce almost as much as a full-size goat.

Hope this helps!


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## black-smith (Jan 20, 2011)

pygmys are a meat/dual purpose breed, 
Nigerians are a dairy breed and are judged using the same scorecard as a standard size dairy goat...


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