IS A FARM A FARM WITHOUT GOATS? I don’t think so, but I’m a goat enthusiast and hope that you are, too. Goats’ irrepressible joie de vivre makes every farm a happier place, but only if you know what you’re getting into (sometimes a sense of humor is an asset, too).
Goats are sweet, playful, intelligent, and personable; they are also the species most likely to escape inadequate fences and wreak havoc on gardens, orchards, and the hood of your next-door neighbor’s new car. They don’t mean to be destructive, but curiosity combined with supreme agility leads to problems unless your fences are goat-tight. Be prepared — really prepared — before adding goats to your farm.
Parts of a goat
Much of what we talked about in section 1 applies to keeping goats. While well-tended goats tend to be healthy, happy goats, there are a few additional things worth mentioning.
Before shopping for goats, learn what your chosen breed or type should ideally look like; a highly productive miniature dairy goat and a stocky pet breed like a Pygmy goat look very different indeed. And know what aesthetic features are important to you; for instance, if you want a milk goat but don’t like most dairy goats’ angular look, try a fleshier breed such as a Mini-Nubian or Kinder.
Look for a good rumen on all goats you buy; the larger the rumen (within reason) the better the goat can digest coarse fare. The rumen bulges out on the left side of a healthy, well-fed goat, especially one that has been feasting on hay, forbs, or pasture. This is true of either sex (all of my big Boer cart wethers look pregnant after eating).
Check the goat’s bite — how its lower teeth meet up with its upper dental pad. It should be a perfect match. Goats need proper occlusion to browse and graze, and a bad bite is a serious fault in show goats and breeding stock. Be especially vigilant about checking the mouths of Roman-nosed animals, because that head configuration is the one most likely to result in “monkey mouth” or underbite.
Check an adult doe’s udder very carefully (the udder is her complete mammary system; she has two teats, not two udders). Feel it. A dairy doe’s udder feels soft and velvety; udders of other breeds might not be quite as silky but they should be pliable, not hard (hard spots indicate previous bouts with mastitis, and the mastitis is likely to reoccur). The udder should be well attached, not pendulous and dangling near the ground. Newborn kids can’t latch on to a sagging udder, and it’s hard to fit a milk pail under one. A dairy doe’s udder should be held up close to her body and it should be capacious — a word goat owners use to mean that it should have space to hold a lot of milk. For hand milking, you want teats that are big enough to comfortably milk (comfortable for you and the doe). In miniature breeds, that means a teat that can fit your thumb and three fingers. Each teat should have a single orifice (the hole through which milk flows), and the orifice should be large enough to generate a decent stream of milk. It takes forever to milk a doe with tiny orifices, so if you’ll be hand milking, ask to milk a doe before you buy her.
And when purchasing breeding stock, by all means check teats on both sexes. A buck with poor teat structure is likely to pass the trait along to his offspring, and he will be heavily penalized in the show ring. (A buck’s rudimentary teats are located in front of his scrotum.) Goats are prone to a host of teat anomalies that make it difficult to milk them and sometimes even for their kids to nurse. These anomalies also disqualify goats for show competition, so even in non-dairy breeds, check those teats!
The big three health threats to ask about when buying goats are caseous lymphadenitis (CL), hoof rot (we discussed both of these in chapter 8), and caprine arthritic encephalitis (CAE).
CAE is a goat-specific disease related to ovine progressive pneumonia (OPP) in sheep. First identified in 1974 and initially called viral leukoencephalomyelitis of goats (VLG), it’s a progressively crippling disease caused by a retrovirus (a type of RNA virus such as HIV in humans that reproduces by transcribing itself into DNA; resultant DNA inserts itself into a cell’s DNA and is reproduced by the cell). Unfortunately, there is no vaccine against CAE, and there is no cure. There are tests, however, to identify infected animals, so it’s best to buy from annually tested, CAE-free herds or to have goats you plan to purchase tested at your own expense.
The virus that causes CAE is responsible for two separate syndromes in goats: a neurological disease of the spinal cord and brain in young kids and a joint affliction of older goats.
Kids affected with CAE first show signs of the disease between one and four months of age. The virus causes progressive weakness of the hind legs leading to eventual paralysis in a few days up to several weeks. Kids remain in good spirits and continue to eat and drink.
The arthritic form of CAE usually surfaces between one and two years of age. Some affected goats are badly crippled within a few months of the onset; in others, the disease progresses slowly over a span of years.
The virus that causes CAE is transmitted from dam to kid through colostrum and milk. To prevent transmission of the virus, offspring of CAE-positive dams must be taken away at birth, before they suckle. They need to be bottle raised on either properly heat-treated colostrum and milk from a CAE-free doe, ewe, or cow or on IgG supplement followed by CAE-free milk or milk replacer. To heat-treat colostrum, heat the colostrum to 135°F (57°C) in a double boiler or water bath and maintain temperature for one hour.
Carefully review chapter 6 before buying goats and keep this in mind: If there is a weakness in your fences, goats will find it and exploit it.
Some people find that multiple strands of electric wire are effective fences for goats, but if you go this route, opt for a first-class fence charger and make certain it’s working at all times. Unless plank fences are lined with woven wire, forget about using them. We think the best all-around goat fences are built of sturdy, woven-wire field fencing reinforced with a strand of electric wire that has been placed inside at shoulder height to keep inhabitants from leaning sideways into the fence and scratching their sides and backs.
For smaller enclosures and where money is no object, we recommend welded-wire cattle panels. They’re easier to work with than woven wire, more durable, and less likely to be bowed by itchy goats.
Keep in mind that horned bucks, even miniature bucks, can blitz the toughest fencing in record time. I once knew a Savanna buck whose claim to fame was his ability to completely obliterate a cattle panel buck pen overnight. He weighed 200 pounds (90 kg). Your Pygmy buck may weigh 50 pounds (23 kg), but if he has horns, he can eventually take down a pen, too!
Miniature goats are incredibly easy to house. A dry, draft-free place to hang out is often enough. Four or five Pygmies can find happiness in a single Port-A-Hut if they have an exercise yard or pasture beside it. I know two Nigerian Dwarfs who live in a super-sized Dogloo. The key words are dry and draft-free. Above that, improvise.
Clean, high-quality grass hay should be the backbone of every goat’s diet. Wethers, open does, and bucks outside of breeding season need nothing else. Youngsters, late gestation and lactating does, and hardworking bucks in rut, however, also need concentrates. Feed a properly formulated commercial mix or work with your county extension agent and your local feed mill to formulate one based on locally available ingredients and your needs.
All goats need access to minerals in loose form (preferred) or as a lick formulated for goats. Goats think tub licks are lip-licking good because they usually contain a lot of molasses; however, beware of tub licks in the sizzling summertime. A Texas-based Boer breeder friend and her husband had to work hard to free a doeling who climbed into a hot-lick tub full of sun-softened lick mix late one summer day, where she fell asleep. As evening approached and the day cooled down, the lick mix hardened and fastened her firmly on her side in the tub!
The trick to staying ahead of goats is knowing how they think. Goats are intelligent and curious. Things must be investigated, climbed upon. If you know what they’ll likely do before they do it, you can prevent the common problems associated with keeping goats.
A well-defined pecking order exists within every herd, be it 2 or 102 goats. Where a goat stands in this hierarchy depends on its age, sex, personality, aggressiveness toward other goats, and the size of (or lack of) its horns. Unweaned kids assume their dam’s place in the order and often rank immediately below her after weaning.
Newcomers fight to establish a place in the herd. Fighting for social position is conducted one-on-one; established herd members don’t gang up on a new one.
When fighting, males shove one another, butt, and side-rake opponents with their horns; does usually butt, jostle, and push. To butt one another, goats position themselves a few feet apart, facing each other. They rear on their hind legs and swoop forward, down, and to the side to smash their horns against those of their opponent. Bucks do not back up and charge in the manner of rams.
Other forms of aggression include staring, making threats with horns (chin down, horns jutting forward), pressing horns or forehead against another goat, rearing without actually butting, and ramming an opponent’s rear end or side. However, there is very little infighting once each herd member knows and accepts its place.
The herd is led by its herd queen, usually an old doe that has head-butted, shoved, and threatened her way to the top of the ladder. She’s rarely (if ever) challenged, and she remains herd queen until she’s removed from the herd or she becomes too feeble to lead. When that happens, the position is often assumed by one of the old queen’s daughters.
Most of the year, any bucks in the group, including the herd king (the alpha male), defer to the herd queen. During rut, however, the herd king assumes leadership of the group. The herd king breeds all of the does — underling bucks don’t breed. Bold bucks, however, constantly challenge the herd king, so herd queens generally outlast many kings.
Since the herd queen leads the herd to food, if you lead your herd with a pail of feed (instead of trying to drive them), your goats will treat you like the ultimate herd queen. However, if you insist on driving goats from the rear (bringing up the rear to protect the group is the herd king’s job), they will perceive you as a two-legged herd king — not a good position to be in when there are four-legged contenders in the herd.
Bucks, seasonal and aseasonal breeds alike, enter rut as autumn approaches and stay in rut through the first months of winter. The volume and motility of a buck’s semen is greatest at this time, even among aseasonal breeders.
Bucks that would live peaceably with other bucks the rest of the year become testy toward one another during rut. Each considers himself herd king, so if bucks from different herds get together, watch out.
During rut, scent glands located near a buck’s horns (or where his horns used to be) secrete strong-scented musk. When bucks rub their foreheads on a person or object, they’re spreading their scent. Bucks also twist themselves and grasp their penises in their mouths. They sometimes masturbate on their bellies and front legs and then sniff themselves and flehmen.
Bucks “display” when courting does in heat. They enurinate (spray urine on themselves — their bellies, front legs and chest, and into their mouths and beards), paw the earth, and emit an amazing series of vocalizations called “blubbering.” If the object of his affection doesn’t flee, a courting buck assumes a slight crouch and sashays closer to the doe with his head slightly extended and his tail curled up across his back. He gobbles (just like a turkey!), flicks his tongue, and if his ladylove allows it, he’ll sniff and nuzzle her sides and vulva. If she urinates, he’ll catch urine in his mouth and flehmen. He obviously thinks he’s quite the lady’s man.
If the doe allows him to breed, he’ll make a number of false starts before ejaculating. When he ejaculates, he thrusts his hips forward and leaps off the ground while twisting his head back and to one side. Small, young, or otherwise inexperienced bucks sometimes fall off the doe and onto the ground. When he’s finished with his first try, he’ll lick his penis and flehmen, rest a short while, and start again.
Because highly socialized bucks view humans as herd members, women and children working around bucks in rut should be aware of and discourage courtship behavior. A buck that perches his forefeet on his caretaker’s chest and gobbles in her face means no harm, but being bowled over by an amorous, smelly buck is just not fun. Likewise, when in rut, some otherwise easygoing bucks perceive human male caretakers as competition and react accordingly. No matter how small the buck or the size, age, or level of experience of his human handlers, people who work around him should never take a buck for granted.
From early autumn through midwinter, seasonal breeders (such as dairy breed does) cycle, or come in heat, every 18 to 21 days; aseasonal breeders (such as Pygmy and Nigerian Dwarfs) cycle year-round. Ovulation occurs 12 to 36 hours after the onset of standing heat.
Interest in nearby bucks
Increased activity level (especially fence walking)
Loud and strident vocalizing
Tail wagging (also referred to as flagging)
Frequent urination
Mounting other does and being mounted by them
Decreased appetite
Lower milk production
Does are stimulated by the appearance and scent of a buck. They rub their necks and bodies against him. A fully receptive doe stands with her head slightly lowered, her legs braced, and her tail to one side. She may urinate when he sniffs her.
Once impregnated, a doe enters anestrous and most does stop coming into heat. A pregnant doe gives birth to one to five offspring 144 to 157 days after the onset of her last standing heat.
A day or so before kidding, the average doe becomes fretful and anxious. A few hours before giving birth, she’ll usually leave the herd and seek a secluded birthing place. She may take along an “auntie” (usually a doe’s grown daughter or her own dam) to keep her company and cheer her on.
As hard labor begins, the doe rolls onto her side to push. She may struggle to her feet, turn, and reposition herself; this helps put her kids into correct birthing positions.
After each birth, she rises and licks her newest arrival clean. Does recognize their newborns by scent, so cleaning is an important element in the bonding process.
In a best-case scenario, the doe’s afterbirth passes a short time after her final kid is delivered. Does frequently want to eat the afterbirth so as not to attract predators, but because they may choke on the membranes, most owners remove it as soon as it’s delivered.
Neonatal kids are wired to seek darkness (in places such as armpits or groin) and warm, bare skin. Most kids struggle to their shaky legs 10 to 30 minutes after birth and begin actively seeking a teat. Encourage this; kids should ingest colostrum within the first hour or two after their birth. Help weak or disoriented kids by holding them near their dam’s udder, although most resist a teat placed directly into their mouths.
Kids kneel to nurse, and they bunt their dam’s udder to facilitate milk letdown. A rapidly wagging tail means a kid is suckling milk. After feeding, contented kids take naps. A kid that cries, seems to be doing a lot of noisy suckling, or constantly probing at his dam’s udder isn’t finding enough to eat. Without intervention, this kid could die.
Goats are a lying-out species like cattle and deer. Some does leave their very young kids in what they deem safe spots while they go off to feed, returning four to six times a day to suckle them. When kids begin nibbling at pasture and browsing, they start following their dam; this can occur anywhere from one to seven days after birth. When scientists conducted sheep and goat cross-fostering studies, lambs raised by does grew faster than kids raised by ewes or even kids raised by their own dams because the lambs trailed their surrogate mothers all day and thereby suckled more often. Conversely, ewes were constantly upset by their foster offspring when the kids refused to shadow their woolly moms.
SIGNS OF IMPENDING KIDDING
A filled udder. It may be stretched so tightly that it’s shiny-looking and teats may jut out to the sides (called “strutted udder”).
Mucus. A glob of mucus may cling to the doe’s vulva or hang in strings. With some does, a string of mucus appears a few days prior to kidding.
Restlessness. An hour or so before kidding, most does begin circling and pawing the ground or bedding to hollow out a soft spot on which to give birth (called “nesting”). They lie down, get up to reposition themselves, flop down, rise — repeating this process many times.
Introspection. Once nesting begins, many does’ attention turns inward. They murmur softly to their unborn kids in a “mama voice” (low and sweet) used only prior to kidding and during the first few days of the new kids’ lives.
Strutted (filled) udder
When neonatal kids, and even older weaned ones, are handled for what they perceive as unpleasant procedures, such as getting shots or being treated for coccidiosis, they shriek, a high-pitched distress call that’s sure to bring the nearby neighbors out in droves. You won’t miss this the first time you hear it.
Miniature goats fall into one of four classifications: pets, dairy goats, fiber goats, and heritage breeds, though some categories overlap. Miniature dairy and fiber goats, for instance, make perfect pets. One predominately dairy breed (Kinder goats) and two pet breeds (Pygmy goats and Myotonic goats [also known as fainting goats or fainters]) are sometimes classified as meat goats, too. In fact, Pygmy does give a surprising amount of yummy, high-butterfat milk, making the Pygmy a bona fide triple-purpose miniature goat breed.
Miniature goat enthusiasts have a fine lineup of breeds to choose from. And as experimental breeders use Pygmy and Nigerian Dwarf genetics to downsize larger breeds, new ones are being developed all the time. Miniature and naturally small breeds range in size from tiny Pygmy goats and Nigerian Dwarfs to San Clemente Island goats of next-to-“normal” size. Whatever size you want, it’s out there!
And if you’re looking to help conserve a rare breed, there are several miniature goats to choose from. The small- to medium-size endangered San Clemente Island goat is listed as Critical on the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy’s 2009 Conservation Priority List, which means there are fewer than 200 annual registrations in the United States (see pages 16 and 17). Also listed are Myotonic goats (classified as Watch) and Nigerian Dwarfs (classified as Recovering).
Measure height at the withers using a measuring standard, not a flexible tape. The goat should be standing on a firm, flat surface and holding his head in a typical position, not pulled up, down, or out — any of which may significantly alter height measurement. Imagine a line dropping straight down through the goat’s shoulders to the floor. The goat’s front legs should be set evenly under his shoulders, not forward or backward. His rear legs should set squarely under him, neither drawn too far back nor too far forward.
The Pygmy Goat Registry requires that the goats’ cannon bones be measured. This type of measurement is taken at the outer edge of sharply bent knee and pastern joints using calipers.
Measure goats from their withers to the floor.
Learn more about the following breeds by contacting their breed associations; you’ll find them listed at the back of this book in the Resources section.
Registered by: Miniature Goat Breeders Association of Australia (MGBA), Australian Miniature Goat Association (AMGA)
Use: Pet, dairy, and fiber
Origin: Australia
Size: Miniature Goat Breeders Association of Australia: adults up to 21 inches (53 cm). Australian Miniature Goat Association (at three years of age): Grade D, 25 inches maximum height (53 cm); Grade C, 23 inches maximum (58 cm); Grade B, 22 inches maximum (56 cm); Grade A, 21 inches maximum (53 cm); Purebred, 20 inches maximum (51 cm)
Color: Any combination of colors is acceptable
Ears: Vary by type
Facial profile: Varies by type
Coat: Varies by type
Horns: Usually horned
While they are not yet available in North America, no discussion of miniature goats would be complete without mentioning these interesting small goats from Down Under.
The Australian Miniature Goat Association calls the Australian Miniature “a genetically small animal. Its conformation is similar to the larger breeds, with all parts of the body in balanced proportion relative to its size. They are hardy, alert animals with impeccable temperaments that come in all colours and colour combinations.” Each registry records goats of several different types and handles classification in a slightly different manner.
The Australian Miniature Goat Association recognizes three breed types based on coat and ear length: Minikin (short, shedding cashmere coats and any ear type that is shorter than muzzle length), Sheltie (long, nonshedding coats and any ear type), and Nuwby (short, shedding cashmere coats and longer than muzzle-length ears).
The Miniature Goat Breeders Association of Australia recognizes four types based on ear style determined at three years of age: Elf (short ears), Pixie (upright ears), Munchkin (folded ears), and Nuwby (pendulous ears).
Australian Miniature Goats come in a number of interesting types and coat varieties.
Registered by: Kinder Goat Breeders Association (KGBA)
Use: Dairy, meat, pet
Origin: Snohomish, Washington, USA
Size: Adult does, 20 to 26 inches (51–66 cm); a maximum of 28 inches (71 cm) for adult bucks
Color: Any combination of colors is acceptable
Ears: Long and wide, resting below horizontal and extending to the end of the muzzle or beyond when held flat against the jaw line
Facial profile: Straight or dished
Kinder
Horns: Horned, but to show at sanctioned shows they must be disbudded or dehorned
Kinder goats are a combination of full-size Nubian and Pygmy genetics. A registered Pygmy buck bred to a registered Nubian doe produces first-generation Kinder offspring; after that Kinders must be bred to other Kinders, though back-crossing to either parent breed is permissible.
Kinders are dual-purpose meat and dairy goats. Some Kinder does give an impressive amount of milk, such as Zederkamm Daffodil, who gave (on official milk test) 2,290 pounds of 5.5 percent butterfat milk in a single lactation. Butterfat content for the breed ranges from 5.5 to 7.5 percent.
Registered by: Myotonic Goat Registry (MGR), International Fainting Goat Association (IFGA)
Use: Pet, meat
Origin: Tennessee, USA
Size: Does three years of age or older can be no more than 22 inches (56 cm) tall for registration in the International Fainting Goat Association’s Mini-Myotonic herd book; bucks up to 23 inches (58 cm) tall may be registered. The Myotonic Goat Registry doesn’t maintain a separate mini registry; minis are registered in the main herd book. Some stand as little as 17 inches (43 cm) tall and weigh no more than 50 pounds (15 kg).
Color: All colors, combinations, patterns, and marking are acceptable; pied black and white is the most common color
Ears: Usually medium in width and length, most often held horizontally from the side of the head and facing slightly forward. Some Myotonics have a characteristic and noticeable ripple halfway down the ear.
Facial profile: Usually straight with a slight stop below the eyes separating the forehead from the lower face.
Coat: Most are short-haired but some have longer, thicker coats; the coat should be straight, not wavy
Horns: Most are horned, though polled genetics exist
Miniature Myotonic
Myotonic goats, also known as Tennessee Fainting Goats, Nervous Goats, Stiff-leg Goats, Scare Goats, and a dozen or so additional colorful names, descend from four “fainting” goats brought to Tennessee in the 1880s by an itinerant farmworker named John Tinsley.
Myotonic goats are stocky, muscular, and wide in proportion to their height. They come in a vast array of sizes, colors, coat styles, and horn shapes but all share a common characteristic: they “faint” (see Do Fainting Goats Really Faint? page 316). Other breed characteristics include prominent bony eye orbits that make them appear somewhat pop-eyed, a distinctive ripple partway down the ear, and massively muscled hindquarters caused by the contraction and release of these muscles during fainting episodes.
Because their condition precludes a lot of climbing, Myotonic goats stay put in fences better than many other breeds. They’re unusually good mothers, most breed year-round, and twins or triplets are the norm.
Myotonics are an American heritage breed still being monitored by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy; additional breeders are needed.
Registered by: Miniature Silky Fainting Goat Association (MSFGA), American Silky Fainting Goat Association (ASFGA)
Use: Pet
Origin: Virginia, USA
Size: Adult does, 23H inches (60 cm) maximum height; adult bucks, 25 inches (64 cm) maximum height
Color: Any combination of colors is acceptable
Ears: Ideally erect; horizontal placement permitted
Facial profile: Dished
Coat: Long, straight, and flowing, reaching nearly to the ground; lustrous, smooth, and silky to the touch. An abundance of chest, neck, and facial hair including long bangs and cheek muffs. The ideal coat resembles and feels like that of a Silky Terrier dog.
Horns: Yes
Miniature Silky Fainting Goat
Arguably the most unique miniature goat of all is the cute, perky Miniature Silky Fainting Goat developed by Renee Orr in Lignum, Virginia. The foundation sires for Orr’s herd were two long-coated Myotonic bucks named Bayshore’s Rogues Pierre and Bayshore’s Napoleon, which she bred to long-coated Nigerian Dwarf does with Myotonic goats in their background. This background notwithstanding, not all Miniature Silky Fainting Goats faint, though many do.
Registered by: Miniature Dairy Goat Association (MDGA)
Use: Dairy, pet
Origin: Full-size Alpines were developed in the French Alps but are considered a Swiss breed
Size: Minimum 23 inches and maximum 29 inches for mature does (58–74 cm); minimum 24 inches and maximum 31 inches for mature bucks (61–79 cm)
Color: See Alpine Colors page 319
Ears: Erect
Facial profile: Straight or slightly dished
Coat: Short to medium
Horns: Yes (and unless disbudded, they grow impressive horns!)
Mini-Alpine
Alpine goats, both full-size and miniature, come in an array of attractive colors with interesting French names:
Cou blanc (coo blanc), or “white neck.” White front quarters and black hindquarters with black or gray markings on the head.
Cou clair (coo clair), or “clear neck.” Front quarters are tan, yellow, off-white, or shading to gray; hindquarters are black.
Cou noir (coo nwah), or “black neck.” Black front quarters and white hindquarters.
Sundgau (sundgow). Black with white markings such as on under-body and facial stripes.
Pied. Spotted or mottled.
Chamoisee (shamwahzay). Brown or bay; characteristic markings are black face, dorsal stripe, feet, and legs; some have a martingale running over the withers and down to the chest. Spelling for male is chamoise.
Two-tone chamoisee. Light front quarters with brown or gray hindquarters. Differs from cou blanc or cou clair by not having black hindquarters.
Broken chamoisee (sundgau, cou blanc, etc.). A solid chamoisee (sundgau, cou blanc, for example) broken with another color by being banded or splashed with white.
The Miniature Dairy Goat Association describes the Miniature Alpine as “an alert, gracefully hardy animal that adapts and thrives in any climate while maintaining health and excellent production.” Inquisitive, intelligent Alpines are one of my favorite breeds in both full and miniature sizes.
Registered by: Miniature Dairy Goat Association (MDGA)
Use: Dairy, pet
Origin: California, USA
Size: Minimum 23 inches, maximum 27 inches for mature does (58–69 cm); minimum 24 inches, maximum 29 inches for mature bucks (61–74 cm)
Color: Any combination of colors is acceptable
Ears: Two types: gopher and elf. Gopher ears lack cartilage but have a ring of skin around the ear opening. Elf ears are triangular external ear flaps up to 1 inch long. Does may have either type, but only gopher-eared bucks can be registered.
Facial profile: Straight
Coat: Short and glossy
Horns: Yes
LaManchas are the only major dairy goat breed developed in North America. They likely descend from short-eared Spanish goats that accompanied Spanish padres to California. The name, it is said, may have been given to LaManchas when a crate of these unusual goats arrived at the Paris World’s Fair for exhibition in 1904; the crate bore the inscription, “LaMancha, Cordoba, Spain.”
LaManchas are noted for their peerless personalities, docile natures, and a steady production of milk moderately high in fat. Everyone who has LaManchas loves them.
Mini-LaMancha
Registered by: Miniature Dairy Goat Association (MDGA); promoted by the National MiniNubian Breeders Club (NMBC)
Use: Dairy, pet
Origin: Full-size Nubians were developed in England, where the breed is called the Anglo-Nubian
Size: Minimum 23 inches and maximum 29 inches for mature does (58–74 cm); minimum 24 inches and maximum 31 inches for mature bucks (61–79 cm)
Color: Any combination of colors is acceptable
Ears: Long and pendulous
Facial profile: Straight to strongly Roman-nosed (the latter is preferable)
Coat: Short, fine, and silky
Horns: Yes
The English developed Anglo-Nubian goats by crossing native does with Jumna Pura, Zaraibi, and Chitral bucks from Africa and India. A British breed registry formed in 1919. Goats imported by Mr. J. R. Gregg of California in 1909 and 1913 formed the nucleus of the breed in North America, where it’s now called simply the Nubian.
Mini-Nubian
Nubian goats, full-size or mini, are elegant and graceful. They are unusually intelligent and inquisitive, with endearing, quirky personalities. Their one drawback, some say, is their voice, which is loud and somewhat strident. Some, however, like talkative Nubians (I do). This is hands-down my favorite dairy breed!
Registered by: Miniature Dairy Goat Association (MDGA)
Use: Dairy, pet
Origin: Full-size Oberhaslis were developed in Switzerland
Size: Minimum 23 inches and maximum 27 inches for mature does (58–69 cm); minimum 24 inches and maximum 29 inches for mature bucks (61–74 cm)
Color: Chamois (bay-colored, sometimes described as being colored “like the wood on the back of a violin”) with a black dorsal stripe, udder, belly, and lower legs; the head is nearly black with two white stripes on its sides. Black does, but not black bucks, can be registered.
Ears: Erect
Facial profile: Straight or dished
Coat: Short and silky
Horns: Yes
Full-size Oberhaslis are listed as Watch on the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy List. Once known as Swiss Alpines, they are more alert than some other breeds. They are noted for their sweet, tasty milk, their intelligence, and their great dispositions.
Mini-Oberhasli
Registered by: Miniature Dairy Goat Association (MDGA)
Use: Dairy, pet
Origin: Full-size Saanens were developed in Switzerland
Size: Minimum 23 inches and maximum 29 inches for mature does (58–74 cm); minimum 24 inches and maximum 31 inches for mature bucks (61–79 cm)
Color: Saanens are white or cream with pink or olive-colored skin, sometimes lightly speckled with black; all other colors are Sables
Ears: Upright, alertly carried
Facial profile: Straight or slightly dished
Coat: Short
Horns: Yes
Full-size Saanen goats originated in the Saanen Valley of the canton of Bern in Switzerland, where they were selected for milking ability, hardiness, and color. In 1893 several thousand head of Saanens were taken from the valley and dispersed throughout Europe; they came to the United States in 1904 and became the first breed registered in North America.
Saanens (and Sables) are heavy milkers and, large or small, they are strong, vigorous goats with rugged bones and friendly dispositions. Similar to the other Swiss breeds, however, they don’t fare well in hot, humid parts of the world, and their light-colored skin predisposes Saanens to skin cancer. In southern climates, Sables are a better choice.
Mini-Saanen and sable-colored Mini-Saanen
Registered by: Miniature Dairy Goat Association (MDGA)
Use: Dairy, pet
Origin: Full-size Toggenburgs were developed in Switzerland
Size: Minimum 23 inches and maximum 25 inches for mature does (58–64 cm); minimum 24 inches and maximum 27 inches for mature bucks (61–69 cm)
Color: Toggenburg base colors range from light fawn to darkest chocolate, but all have the same markings: white ears with a dark spot in the middle of each ear; two white stripes down their faces from above each eye to their muzzles; white hind legs from hocks to hooves; white forelegs from knees downward (a dark band below each knee is acceptable); a white triangle on both sides of their tails; and a white spot at the root of their wattles or in that area if no wattles are present. Varying degrees of cream markings instead of pure white are acceptable.
Ears: Erect
Facial profile: Straight or dished
Coat: Short to medium length
Horns: Yes
Mini-Toggenburg
The Swiss developed Toggenburg goats about 300 years ago in the Toggenburg Valley of the canton of St. Gallen in northeast Switzerland. Its supporters call the Toggenburg the oldest and purest of Swiss goat breeds.
They are marvelous dairy goats; a full-size Toggenburg, GCH Western-Acres Zephyr Rosemary, currently holds the Guinness Book of World Records title for most milk ever given by a dairy goat in a single lactation. She gave 9,110 pounds (4,132 kg) of milk amounting to nearly 1,140 gallons in 365 days. Many Toggenburg does “milk through” without rebreeding each year, and lactations of 18 to 20 months are common.
Toggenburgs do best in cooler climates; they’re easy kidders and good mothers, fine foragers, alert, and affectionate.
Registered by: Nigerian Dwarf Goat Association (NDGA), American Dairy Goat Association (ADGA), International Dairy Goat Registry (IDGR), American Goat Society (AGS)
Use: Dairy, pet
Origin: Nigeria, Africa
Size: Ideal size of mature does is 17 to 19 inches (43–48 cm); acceptable includes does up to 21 inches (53 cm) tall. Ideal size of mature bucks is 19 to 21 inches (48–53 cm); acceptable includes bucks up to 23 inches (58 cm) tall. Ideal weight for does and bucks is around 75 pounds (34 kg).
Color: Any combination of colors is acceptable, although Pygmy-specific markings are penalized
Ears: Erect
Facial profile: Straight
Coat: Soft, with short- to medium-length hair
Horns: Yes
Nigerian Dwarfs are perfectly scaled-down miniature dairy goats: their body parts are in balanced proportion. Does give up to 2 quarts of 6 to 10 percent butterfat milk per day.
Nigerian Dwarf kids weigh about 2 pounds (0.9 kg) at birth, but they grow quickly. They are precocious breeders and can be fertile at seven weeks of age. Most does can be bred at seven to eight months of age, although it’s better to wait until they’re at least one year old. Bucks can be used for service as young as three to six months of age. Nigerian Dwarfs breed out of season, and litters of three and four kids are common.
Nigerian Dwarf
Registered by: American Nigora Goat Breeders Association (ANBA)
Use: Fiber, pet
Origin: USA
Size: Undefined, but as a cross between Nigerian Dwarfs and full-size Angora goats, most are mini-size
Color: Any combination of colors is acceptable
Ears: Erect like a Nigerian’s, droopy like an Angora’s, or somewhere between
Facial profile: Straight to slightly dished
Coat: Individual Nigoras produce one of three types of fiber: Angora, cashmere, or a combination of the two
Horns: Yes
Nigora
First-generation Nigora goats are created by breeding registered Nigerian Dwarf bucks to registered, full-size Angora does (the reverse breeding is acceptable but, due to potential problems at kidding time, rarely advised). Thereafter, offspring (from any matings) that are no more than 75 percent of one breed or 25 percent of the other are acceptable. Nigora goats that are predominantly Angora in breeding are called “heavy Nigoras” (for their larger size and heavier fleece), Nigoras from predominantly Nigerian breeding are called “light Nigoras” (for their smaller size and lighter fleece production), and goats that are roughly half-Angora and half-Nigerian are known as “standard Nigoras.”
Nigora goats are easygoing, friendly, and intelligent. Many are kept by hand-spinners for their fiber and by others as pets.
Registered by: National Pygmy Goat Association (NPGA)
Use: Pet
Origin: West Africa
Size: Does one year old and older: minimum 16 inches (41 cm) tall with 2⅞-inch (7.5 cm) cannon bones; maximum 22I inches (58 cm) tall with 4H-inch (11.4 cm) cannons. Bucks one year old and older: minimum 16 inches (41 cm) tall and 3-inch (7.6 cm) cannons; maximum 23L inches (61 cm) tall with 4L-inch (12.5 cm) cannons.
Color: Carmel, agouti, black, or spotted
Ears: Medium-size, firm, erect
Facial profile: Somewhat dished
Coat: A full coat of straight, medium-long hair. Does may or may not be bearded. On bucks, abundant hair growth is desirable; the beard should be long and flowing and the copious mane draping capelike across the shoulders.
Horns: Yes
Pygmy
The Pygmy goat is genetically small, cobby, and compact; its limbs and head are short relative to its body length. It is full-barreled and muscular; its body circumference in relation to height and weight is proportionally greater than that of dairy breeds. It is also hardy, agile, alert, and animated, good-natured, and gregarious.
The Pygmy is indeed the quintessential pet goat, though it was raised for meat in its African homeland. Does give from 1 to 2 quarts of milk (which is from 5 to more than 11 percent butterfat) that the NPGA says is higher in calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and iron than milk from full-size dairy breeds, and it’s lower in sodium, too.
Pygmy goats are in fact achondroplastic dwarfs. Achondroplasia is also found in dachshunds, corgis, bassett hounds, and munchkin cats. Pygmies, like these other animals, are designed to be this way and unless they’re obese (don’t overfeed pregnant does!) or bred to bucks of larger breeds, Pygmy does experience no more kidding dystocias than goats of other breeds.
Registered by: Pygora Breeders Association (PBA)
Use: Fiber, pet
Origin: Oregon, USA
Size: Does average 22 inches tall (56 cm); minimum size is 18 inches (46 cm) at two years of age. Bucks average 27 inches (69 cm); minimum size is 23 inches (58 cm) at two-and-one-half years of age. There is no maximum size limit.
Pygora
Color: All Pygmy colors and their dilutions are acceptable, plus white
Ears: Medium-long and drooping
Facial profile: Straight or (preferably) dished
Coat: Individual Pygoras produce one of three types of fiber: Angora, cashmere, or a combination of the two
Horns: Yes
The Pygora breed was developed in the early 1970s when handspinner Katherine Jorgensen began breeding Pygmies with Angoras to recreate the fiber she saw growing on Navajo goats living on an Arizona reservation. The Pygora Breeders Association was formed in 1987 to register the offspring of registered Pygmy goat bucks and full-size, registered Angora does.
Pygoras, according to breed literature, “have the docility of the Angora and the spunk and playfulness of the Pygmy.” They are alert, curious, friendly, cooperative, and easy to handle.
Registered by: San Clemente Island Goat Association
Use: Heritage
Origin: San Clemente Island off the coast of southern California, USA
Size: 26 inches (66 cm) or more for does and 27 inches (69 cm) or more for bucks
Color: Light brown to dark red or amber with markings as follows: black head with two brown stripes down the face from above or around the eyes to the muzzle; a black patch on the cheek or jaw and a small black spot on the chin; a black cape over the shoulders, up the top of the neck, and down the front legs. The underside of the neck is brown. Ears are black outside and brown inside. A black dorsal stripe runs down the back, and there is some black on the back legs and flanks.
Ears: Narrow with a distinctive crimp in the middle; carried horizontally
Facial profile: Dished
Coat: Variable
Horns: Yes
Slightly larger than most of the other breeds we’ve discussed, though still significantly smaller than most full-size breeds, slender, deerlike San Clemente Island goats are the only Critically Endangered small goats on the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy’s Conservation Priority List (see pages 16 and 17).
San Clemente Island goat
A good deal of colorful folklore surrounds these goats’ origin; however, it appears they came to San Clemente Island in 1875, carried there by Salvador Ramirez, who claimed to have transferred them from nearby Santa Catalina Island. They thrived on San Clemente Island as feral goats until the mid-1980s, when the U.S. Navy, which took possession of the island in 1934 and now maintains a naval base there, ordered their extermination or removal. The Fund for Animals saved the breed from extinction by removing more than 6,000 goats, but it soon lost track of most of them.
Now, the breed is watched and protected. The new and very active San Clemente Island Goat Association registered 375 goats (254 does, 77 bucks, and 44 nonbreeders) by fall of 2008, and the estimated global population stands at 425 goats. Thanks to the efforts of a few dedicated individuals who sought out remaining purebred animals on the mainland, there is still seedstock to work with. To keep the breed alive, more conservation breeders need to raise the San Clemente. If you want to save a piece of history, there is no better candidate than the San Clemente Island goat.