The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: SouthWestTom on March 22, 2017, 03:02:37 pm
-
Hi All,
I am hoping that someone on here might be able to help. I’m trying to find some Nigerian Dwarf dairy Goats in the UK. I’ve searched extensively online (and seen a few old threads on here), but cannot find any within the UK. I know we have ‘Pygmy’ goats here which have some Nigerian Dwarf in them, but my understanding is that these are not really suitable and haven’t been bred for dairy & milking.
The reason we’re after Nigerian Dwarf Goats specifically (rather than say, Golden Guernsey’s, which we’ve also considered) is that they sound like an ideal fit for us. They apparently don’t need loads of space (we have a small paddock of about 0.35acres), are efficient converters of feed to milk (we have limited finances available to buy in lots of feed), their milk is rich in butterfat (so ideal for cheese making!), and they’re relatively hardy with few birthing problems (whereas I understand some Pygmy goats have to now have C-sections). Based on what we’ve read about the breed in America where they’re normally kept for dairy, they sound like a great smallholding livestock breed.
Any help locating some Nigerian Dwarf goats here in the UK would be massively appreciated!
-
I was looking for them too. Saw some on preloved but I think they are just pygmies.
What if we cross let's say guernsey with a pygmy buck?
In the USA they have something called kinder goat which is cross between nubian and pygmy. Smallish dairy goat.
-
As far as I know there is no nigerian dwarf goats in the UK, even though some claim there is, there is only pygmys which amalgamate the different types of dwarf goat originally imported,and their breeders main focus is breeding them for pets. But there could be strains of pygmy that are similar to these nigerian dwarf as some pygmys can be quite milky, its finding the right ones and breeding for milk rather than pets, if that's what you want or start a pygmy / dairy x. I would n't want to milk a pygmy unless had to - very much finger and thumb job!
-
Have you considered an 'old English ' goat?
-
May have possibly found some (been looking for at least two years!) will let you know tomorrow after I have been to look. :)
-
Let us know how you get on Stacey.
I haven't got space for goats yet but I always thought N. Dwarf goats sounded ideal
:goat:
-
Hi Stacey, please let us all know if they are Nigerian goats as the suspense is killing us lol. I think with the amount of people looking for them it could be a possibility of getting together and splitting the costs of importing.
-
Advert on preloved
** Proud to be the only Nigerian Dwarf breeders in the UK to be recognised by the NIGERIAN DWARF GOAT ASSOCIATION.**
Have you always wanted a pet goat but felt you don't have the space? Our little Nigerian Dwarfs may be just what you have been looking for!
They don't need rolling acres or even a paddock, just a draught proof shelter and a securely fenced exercise area which most medium/large gardens can accommodate. OK, so they will need hay to supplement their grazing, a little food twice a day and fresh water always available but then they will repay you with many years of fun and affection.
You have probably seen lots of stocky little Pygmy goats at Farm Parks etc but we breed the much rarer (and we think prettier!) Nigerian Dwarfs which are a little taller than Pygmies , with longer necks, smaller heads and much more graceful lines altogether. Just like you would expect a
dairy goat to look but in miniature. When full grown our goats' backs are just about knee-high so think Labrador dog size and you won't be far wrong.
Rules and regulations regarding keeping goats are also minimal. Before you can bring your goats home you have to contact the Rural Payments Agency who will give you a CPH (County Parish Holding) number and a herd number . There is no charge for these and no-one comes to check on your premises. We have to note your CPH number on a Movement Order when you collect your babies and that's about it.
We are currently in the middle of our kidding season and we have some really stunning little kids around. If you would like to come and see you are very welcome and a £50 non-refundable deposit will reserve your babies until they are weaned. This is usually around 4 months but we let the mums decide when they have had enough. We like to do everything as naturally as possible to produce healthy, confident babies and relaxed, contented mums. You may have noticed I say "babies" and we never sell one kid at a time. Goats are herd animals and a solitary goat would be a very unhappy little creature. Also, we do not separate twins as they are strongly bonded all their lives.
At the moment we have boy/girl twins, pairs of boys, pairs of girls, triplets and a couple of singles but this will not last long as our kids are reserved very quickly so if you have strong preferences it's best to contact us ASAP. At this point may I make a strong plea for you to consider a pair of boys.They are all castrated before they leave home so no "stinky billy" smells and no pushy behaviour, just calm and loving without those hormonal swings which the girls sometimes suffer. In keeping with our "natural rearing" policy we also do not remove the horns from our kids. This is a procedure which has to be performed while the babies are just a few days old and it involves burning their horn buds off with a red hot iron. As you can imagine this has been known to cause brain damage, even death so we prefer to leave them in their natural beautiful state. Goats are generally very placid creatures and ours never use their horns aggressively. They are a playful affectionate breed and what could be nicer than sitting in the sunshine with a cup of coffee
surrounded by your cuddly little goats?
All our little boys are £175 each
and the girls are
£225 each
This includes ear-tagging as per DEFRA requirements, Vaccinating against a variety of clostridial diseases, tetanus etc, Worming and treatment for any external parasites.
We are now in our 23rd year of breeding goats and have been specialising in Nigerian Dwarfs for much of that time. The experience we have gained over these years is fully available to all of our owners at any time. We are at the end of the phone whatever questions you might have. We look for the very best homes for all our kids and so we only sell to lovely people!
You are very welcome to visit our babies anytime. Just let us
know when and I'll make sure the kettle is on!
P.S. We are right behind RAF Coningsby so why not make a day of it and visit the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight?
(http://da1urhpfd469z.cloudfront.net/uploads/advertphotos/17/0402/29947035-681-640x628.jpg)
(http://da1urhpfd469z.cloudfront.net/uploads/advertphotos/17/0402/29947036-681-640x667.jpg)
(http://da1urhpfd469z.cloudfront.net/uploads/advertphotos/17/0402/29947037-681-600x602.jpg)
Link to add
http://www.preloved.co.uk/adverts/show/116419265/nigerian-dwarfpygmy-goat-kids-perfect-pets-from-175.html?link=%2Fclassifieds%2Fhorses-livestock%2Fgoats%2Ffor-sale (http://www.preloved.co.uk/adverts/show/116419265/nigerian-dwarfpygmy-goat-kids-perfect-pets-from-175.html?link=%2Fclassifieds%2Fhorses-livestock%2Fgoats%2Ffor-sale)
-
Nigerian dwarfs with toggles????
-
I saw their advert long time ago, asked them to send me picture of the adults so I can see their conformation etc but they never responded me...
-
Hi All,
Apologies for the delay in responding - as is probably the case with most of you, it's crazy busy here at this time of year!
Thanks loads for your replies and for all the really useful info.
Macgro7: great idea regarding a GG X Pygmy. I wonder if anyone have any experience of a cross like this? if so, it would be great to hear about their experience. (I will have to have a more thorough search back through the forum).
Talana: we were thinking along the same lines of trying to locate a milky strain of Pygmy that are similar to the nigerian dwarf breed. Our only concern here is the amount of time/effort involved in embarking on a breeding programme like this. It sounds like it could be a great idea for a project for someone though, and it appears that there is definitely a market for this kind of breed in the UK.
Farmershort: we did look into an old English goat a while back and I can't remember the reason for deciding against it. I will have to look into the breed again as from a quick search, it does look good.
Staceyluu: Any update on your lead!? Were the goats you looked at N. Dwarf?
Jaymac76: Excellent idea regarding possibility of getting together and splitting the costs of importing - we'd definitely be keen on this, just wouldn't know where to start with all the paperwork/red tape!
mart6: Good find! Has anyone from the forum any experience with these breeders? Anke - am I correct in thinking that N.Dwarf goats don't normally have toggles?
-
Looking at the American sites I've never seen any with toggles, they also look to be generally short haired, more like a reduced sized dairy goat than a pygmy.
I've heard crossing a saanen with a pygmy gives a small economical milker.
-
If you do go the importing route
Let me know if you need help splitting costs, i would be interested .
-
I would think there would be a lot of red tape with importing, risk of disease etc, not sure about current situation but CAE was rife there.
I wonder about frozen semen or embryos? I think frozen boer embryos were brought in. Not 100% sure though.
-
I would think there would be a lot of red tape with importing, risk of disease etc, not sure about current situation but CAE was rife there.
I wonder about frozen semen or embryos? I think frozen boer embryos were brought in. Not 100% sure though.
You are right re red tape and risk of disease
I am member of BBGS and friends have imported live does and bucks from overseas
Will see if i can get any info
-
You can only import from some countries, not from others. I am pretty sure you cannot import from USA, but there maybe a list somewhere. However, these goats are not an economic prospect, so I would think it is not cost effective to import - either semen/embryos or live animals. CAE is only one of the issues... as importing Boers has brought CLA into the country...
So unless you have limitless resources I would have though that either a GG or a GG crossed with even a pygmy might be an option very similar to a Nigerian Dwarf. GG milk yields are not that high, they are a placid and easy-going goat to keep, don't need extensive grounds etc etc - what's not to like?
-
As a breeder of 'pygmy's' this often comes up - pygmy's & nigerian's were imported yonks ago and in the uk fall under that same breed society - as far as I know (show me evidence if you know better) were never kept pure with their own type. I do often have conversations with owners about one being more one way than another and vice versa - I have a very petite first kidder this year that for her size has what I would say was a very good udder and like wise another petite girl who is rearing triple boys unaided.
In my experience - sightly taller, slimmer, slightly longer in the body (longer in the body helps with kidding) v shorter, squarer, more often a longer coat, can be shorter in the body, cute but possibly kidding issues - kidding issues are not fully to do with body type, its often to do with over feeding - I learnt that the hard way.
If I ever had a min. and as kids are due to leave it would be an interesting experiment - oh and I have miked a pygmy (just for their relief) to me it's just like milking a sheep
-
Hi All, some Nigerian dwarf goats for sale on pe loved.
-
Hi guys,
Thanks for your posts - all really interesting and informative.
Based on the feedback received in this thread and after further research, We've ruled out importing NDG's due to the red tape and cost.
I think a Golden Guernsey or GG X Pygmy might be a good option. Does anyone have any experience of a cross like this? if so, it would be great to hear about their experience, especially with regards to feed costs, milk production, and hardiness.
Jaymac76: good spot. Is this the advert you found: http://www.preloved.co.uk/adverts/show/116760089/pure-bred-nigerian-dwarfs-imported.html?ref=advert-share-email (http://www.preloved.co.uk/adverts/show/116760089/pure-bred-nigerian-dwarfs-imported.html?ref=advert-share-email)
This does look very interesting, if genuine.
-
Yes that's the add. Give Jann a call she is very knowledgable on goats and a very nice person to have a chat with.
-
Hi sorry guys I am the worst genuinely don't remember commenting and came on today looking for something else! I did end up getting two kids from the add posted further up. The kids I got have Anglo Nubian in them so I am going for the mini Nubian kind of vibe. I think the thing is we don't get Nigerian Dwarfs that are verified in any way here so my theory is looking for the Nigerian type we have got with a bit of a milking breed in and hope! Obviously I won't know whether that pays off for a couple of years until my babies have babies but they are amazing to watch true characters. I'm also going to see Jann the lady mentioned in the next couple of weeks as she has rescued some Nigerian type goats so hoping to have a milking goat sooner rather than later. - She also milks her pygmies I believe.
In an ideal world we would import pure registered Nigerian Dwarfs with good proven milking lines but that isn't going to happen so I'm working with what I've got! Very hopeful for the ones Jann has got right now! If anyone has any other questions feel free to PM me I will actually check and remember this time!!
-
Hi. I also was looking for Nigerian Dwarf goats and gave up looking as I decided that there weren't any in the uk. But have just found a herd of them. They are a lot more elegant than pygmys as pygmys were originally bred for meat Nigerians for milk. I now have a small herd. So if you are still looking contact me
-
Hi, here is a photo of my little Nigerian Dwarf Goats.
-
Hi, I know this post is old(moderator please approve) I am trying to get in touch with rivendell regarding NDs as they said they have a herd. I've tried pm but says error occurred and tells me I'm not allowed to send pm... Not sure why... I'm hoping rivendell will see this post and get in touch... Anyone else who has found NDs also please get in touch. Thank you ????
-
Hi, I know this is an old thread but I was hoping perhaps the Nigerian Dwarf goat breeder could contact me. I have just been creating an area for my goats and have a holding number but would like the smallest goat possible due to the size. I like the sound of a goat that is short haired and gives birth with less complications, although I appreciate the point made of over breeding. I also would like to take them to our local hospice and therefore no horns would be a must. Hoping you are still out there.
-
Hi, I know this is an old thread but I was hoping perhaps the Nigerian Dwarf goat breeder could contact me. I have just been creating an area for my goats and have a holding number but would like the smallest goat possible due to the size. I like the sound of a goat that is short haired and gives birth with less complications, although I appreciate the point made of over breeding. I also would like to take them to our local hospice and therefore no horns would be a must. Hoping you are still out there.
Honestly get a couple of Golden Guernseys - very placid and friendly (if bottle reared and disbudded) and much better to reach for someone sitting down/wheelchair if your main idea is to use them as therapy goats. Pygmies can be quite boisterous....(and they will get out of most kind of fencing set ups... and GG's are probably a lot cheaper to buy...