- Feeding Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Goats Hay. There are two main types of hay, leguminous (nitrogen fixing) and grass hay. ...
- Feeding Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Goats Forage. Access to outside vegetation can reduce the amount of hay that it’s necessary to feed goats and the exercise is good for them.
- Goat Mineral. Goats need minerals and vitamins but the amount that they get from their hay ration can vary tremendously depending upon where the hay was grown.
- Water. Access to a continuous source of clean, fresh water is very important for goats. They’re actually rather particular about their water.
- Extras. Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is another item that many goat owner’s offer free choice to their goats.
- Feeding Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Goats – Who Gets What. Although all goats basically need the same foods, each goat requires differing amounts of hay, mineral, water, and grain depending upon ...
- Mature Does. Lactating does need higher protein levels and benefit from legume hays and a higher protein (14 – 18%) goat feed.
- Bucks and Wethers. To maintain condition and avoid issues with urinary calculi, bucks and wethers should be fed a diet low in protein and calcium with a specific ratio of ...
- Growing Kids. Goat kids should receive goat milk for the first eight to ten weeks until they are weaned. ...
What do you feed Nigerian dwarf dairy goats?
Feeding Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Goats – What Gets Fed. Because goats are designed for processing fibrous plant material, the most important feature of their diet is free choice, good quality hay or hay and forage. Next, they need access to free choice goat mineral with a balanced ratio of calcium to phosphorus.
Are Nigerian Dwarf goats good for 4-H?
Even the youngest of 4-H club members are typically able to raise, control, and show these goats. Like all other goat breeds, Nigerian dwarf goats are herd animals. They will not do well alone, and need at least one other animal as a companion. Goats of this breed also make great companions for an aging horse, llamas, and sheep.
What do you feed a wether?
Hay, and/or grass and roughage should make up the majority of a wether's diet. The hay will keep their rumen healthy and functioning properly. Fat is stored on the rump, along the spine, and on the chest.
What to do with a 14 year old Nigerian Dwarf doe?
I have a 14 year old Nigerian Dwarf doe, never bred. She has a 5 year old companion. She is very healthy, but of course has lost her top line due to age. Any thoughts of any supplements that I should support her with ? They are on grass pasture, grass hay and 1/2 cup goat chow daily. Also, get forage when out on walks.
What Should I feed My Nigerian dwarf goats?
Feeding Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Goats Hay Good quality, properly harvested alfalfa might contain 15% protein whereas similarly processed timothy grass might contain 7% protein. A good quality, mixed legume/grass hay is a good starting point for feeding Nigerian Dwarf goats.
How much grain do you feed a Nigerian dwarf wether?
Nigerian dwarfs and pygmies only need about 1/2 cup each per day while standard sized goats need about twice that much. Bucks and wethers should not have grain after about six months of age, and does only need grain at the very end of pregnancy and while in milk.
Should Wethers eat grain?
Bucks and wethers should not be fed any type of grain or goat feed routinely because it can wind up causing urinary stones, which can kill them. Some people are quick to say that if you feed them alfalfa, the calcium will balance the phosphorus in the grain so that you are not as likely to wind up with stones.
Do Nigerian dwarf goats eat everything?
They only seem to nibble at everything while only really eating mostly feed and plants. Ensure the safety of your goats by checking their pasture for toxic plants.
Do wethers need minerals?
The best thing to do is feed your wethers a grassy alfalfa hay (this is a mix or orchard grass and alfalfa), a loose goat mineral (we like Sweetlix Meat Maker) and NO GRAIN. If you must give snacks, try raisins, carrots or apples, instead of grain and flour-based snacks.
Is alfalfa good for wethers?
Wethers: We recommend good quality orchard grass hay. If you feed a mixed hay of orchard grass and alfalfa, alfalfa should not exceed 10% as alfalfa is thought to contribute to the potential for urinary calculi (blocking).
Can wether goats have sweet feed?
They also prefer a mix of whole oats and pellets rather than just pellet feed. Because goats love sweet feed, it can be used as a training tool.
Is beet pulp good for wethers?
Beet Pulp for Wethers The calcium-to-phosphorus ratio in beet pulp is very high. This can cause urinary calculi in wethers, a painful condition where excess calcium causes solid particles to form in the urinary tract. For this reason, beet pulp may not be the best choice when feeding your wethers.
Can wether goats eat oats?
Corn, wheat, barley, and oats are not good for goats. They are high in carbs and low in protein. Milking does need 16% protein in a goat feed, and simple grains have half that or less. Grain can cause urinary stones in male goats, and it offers zero benefit to them.
Do goats need a salt block?
Salt is essential to good goat health. Goat salt comes in salt and mineral blocks or loose salt. Unlike wild goats, domesticated goats cannot wander and find the salt they need in their natural environments. Salt blocks or loose minerals are a necessary supplement for goats.
How many flakes of hay does a goat need?
Goats require about two pounds of chaffhaye for every 100 pounds of body weight. A 50-pound bag of chaffhaye equals about one 90-pound hay bale. Goats also can be fed grain or grain pellets.
Can Nigerian Dwarf goats eat too much hay?
A goat can not eat too much hay. Given the choice, a goat will eat what it needs.
What is the best food for a Nigerian dwarf goat?
There are many other “supplements” that are fed in small amounts to Nigerian Dwarf goats such as beet pulp, kelp, roasted soy meal, and black oil sunflower seeds.
How much roughage does a Nigerian dwarf goat eat?
A 75-pound adult Nigerian Dwarf goat (the size of a typical adult female) will consume from three to five pounds of roughage per day, depending on the quality (nutrient level) of the forage . Goats are notorious for wasting hay, or pulling out the tastiest pieces and throwing the rest on the ground.
What is the ratio of calcium to phosphorus in goat milk?
The goat mineral should contain calcium and phosphorous because these two minerals are necessary for goats to build bones and make milk. The ratio of calcium to phosphorous is also very important and it’s typically recommended that it be 2:1 in the mineral mix. A ratio of 16% calcium to 8% phosphorous is common.
What do goats eat?
And, goats are happy to eat things we consider weeds like poison ivy and multiflora rose. In springtime, goats should be introduced to lush growing vegetation slowly to avoid negatively impacting their rumens or developing enterotoxemia (over-eating disease).
Why do goats refuse to drink water?
They’re actually rather particular about their water. I’ve seen goats refuse to drink because the water tastes different from their normal water or it has a goat dropping in it.
How long should goat milk be given to a baby?
Goat kids should receive goat milk for the first eight to ten weeks until they are weaned. They will start consuming hay within a few days and should have free choice access to a good quality hay. After they are weaned, a higher protein starter ration is appropriate for growing kids until they’re about six to eight months old. Their grain ration needs to increase as their body weight increases and should be between one to three percent of their weight depending on their rate of weight gain and body condition.
What plants are toxic to goats?
There are plants that are extremely toxic to goats and these plants should be removed from pasture areas before allowing goats to browse in them. Rhododendron, azalea, mountain laurel, wilted cherry, rhubarb, and hemlock are all plants that are highly toxic and should be removed.
How much milk does a Nigerian dwarf cow give?
Nigerian Dwarf does give 1-8 pounds of milk per day when lactating, with an average of 2.5 pounds per day. Their milk averages 6.5% butterfat, but can reach as high as 10% late in lactation.
What is a Nigerian dwarf goat?
Nigerian Dwarf goats are compact, docile, and productive little animals… . Because they are smaller than standard goats, and have a friendly disposition, they are easier to manage and live with, making them popular as pets. But they are also low-maintenance dairy goats, giving a surprising amount of high-quality, ...
How long does it take for a Nigerian dwarf goat to produce milk?
Nigerian Dwarf goats produce milk for about 300 days per freshening, and breed throughout the year, rather than seasonally. This makes their polyestrous nature favorable. If you want a steady supply of delicious, high-quality goat milk, you only need a couple does, and to stagger their breeding.
How much does a Nigerian dwarf goat cost?
The cost for registered Nigerian Dwarf breeding stock is $200-$500 per goat, depending on their availability and bloodline. Wethers to be sold as pets are generally available for as little as $50-$100.
What is the difference between a Nigerian dwarf goat and a Nigerian pygmy goat?
The primary difference between Nigerian Dwarf goats and Nigerian Pygmy goats are their body proportions. Nigerian Pygmy goats tend to have stocky, barrel-like bodies, a bit like normal-sized goats with short legs.
Why are Nigerian dwarf goats so popular?
Like all goats, Nigerian Dwarf goats are useful in pastures to clear weeds and underbrush and improve grass for grazing animals. Their docile nature makes them easy to keep with grazing animals and not require special care or quarters.
How high should a fence be for a Nigerian dwarf goat?
Fences should be about 4 feet high since Nigerian Dwarf goats can't jump higher than that. Goats will lean, stand, rub, and chew on fencing, particularly if they have smaller pasture, or if there seems to be attractive forage on the other side, so posts should be no further than 8 feet apart.
What should I feed my wether?
Hay. Hay, and/or grass and roughage should make up the majority of a wether's diet. The hay will keep their rumen healthy and functioning properly. Fat is stored on the rump, along the spine, and on the chest. If their back is squishy and it's hard to feel their backbone, they may be a little chubby. If you can feel the spine sharply and easily, ...
How often should I water my dog?
Water should be fresh daily or twice daily, and the buckets should be scrubbed free of muck when needed. Apple Cider Vinegar can be added to the water. As long as the wethers will drink it, some breeders feel the ACV helps dissolve developing urinary stones before they become an issue.
Can goats have minerals?
Goats without good minerals will not thrive and are more prone to wormloads and illnesses. We currently use Southern States Top Choice Goat Mineral. For wethers, we like to make sure that ammonium chloride is added to their minerals, as an additional preventative for urinary stones. We copper bolus as needed.
Is copper bolus safe for goats?
Copper bolus is much safer than the paste. Goats should be given loose minerals or herbal minerals, not in a block. Goats often cannot get the minerals they need from a block, and will wear their teeth down trying.
Do goats eat hay?
Be prepared for hay waste -- goats like to eat some parts of the hay and let the rest drop out of their mouths. Resist putting the wasted hay back up into the basket, that is an invitation for worms, and goats do not usually eat hay that has been on the ground.
Do goats need copper?
This is not true, goats need copper to be healthy. A sheep mineral won't have the copper levels a goat needs. That said, be careful to follow dosing advice. Too much of anything is a bad thing, and copper poisoning is possible. Copper bolus is much safer than the paste.
Can wethers get grain?
Grain. I do not recommend that pet wethers get grain. In my opinion there is no need for it, and it is a leading cause of Urinary Calculi. Depending on the calcium levels in your area, alfalfa pellets or timothy pellets can be given to wethers instead of grain.
