I need some information on raising Nigerian Dwarf Goats!

[T-R-O-U-B-L-E]

I may be getting some NDs but I need to learn about them first. If anyone can give me any information that would be great and I have a few specific questions.
1. Is $150 too much for 1 intact buckling?

2. Do I need 2 goats or can I keep just 1?
3 Do they need hay all year, or just in winter?

4. What all do I feed them?

5. How much space does 1 goat need?

6. What kind of structure is suitable?

7. How much dies castration cost?

8. Is it better to castrate them?

9. Are ND bucks (or wethers) typically aggresive?

10. Should I just wait for a doe?

Quote Reply

 

[T-R-O-U-B-L-E]

@1cock2hens @Faeshka

 

[My Bagurks]

I can’t answer all. So I’ll cover what I know.

1) 150 sounds fair.

2) Yes, you need at least 2. Goats are very social and need companions. But sex matters. A male and female will be fine until they reach maturity, then you may need to separate them. Two females can be happy with each other.

3) it depends on how productive your land is and your climate. I would always err on the side of caution. Have feed available to them and you can watch how much and how often they are eating it. But they need a reliable source of food all the time.

And 6) Again, this will depend on your climate. I know several people in Alabama that have a three sided roofed shelter made from pallets and the goats love it. But there are also those that made a 5 star goat hotel and the goats sleep under the trees in the woods.

 

[Regina Larsen]

I may be getting some NDs but I need to learn about them first. If anyone can give me any information that would be great and I have a few specific questions.
1. Is $150 too much for 1 intact buckling?

2. Do I need 2 goats or can I keep just 1?
3 Do they need hay all year, or just in winter?

4. What all do I feed them?

5. How much space does 1 goat need?

6. What kind of structure is suitable?

7. How much dies castration cost?

8. Is it better to castrate them?

9. Are ND bucks (or wethers) typically aggresive?

10. Should I just wait for a doe?

Quote Reply

We have a herd of 5, 3 does and 2 wethers.
A buck is a helluva commitment. They need ultra strong fencing, never turn your back on them bc they WILL take you out. Unless you are immediately planning on breeding there is no reason to have a buck.
Castration by can be done in several ways. Not sure of cost, my breeder banded my boys when born.
You always need a companion. One goat is stressed and unhappy. They are herd critters.
Hay should be 90% of the diet year round. Some ppl never grain goats; we give a handful as a bedtime treat. Does in milk get goodies , but bucks/wethers can be harmed by too much grain - kidney stones. Natural fodder like maple leaves, crabapple leaves, bamboo... lots of safe stuff, you can look it up.
I would wait until you can get 2. I would wholeheartedly tell you NOT to keep a buck.
Housing - out of wind and rain they HATE being wet. Million options. We have a 3 stall barn so they have a 10x12 stall for all 5. We use pine shavings.
They are awesome critters.

 

[MeanCheek]

I may be getting some NDs but I need to learn about them first. If anyone can give me any information that would be great and I have a few specific questions.
1. Is $150 too much for 1 intact buckling?

2. Do I need 2 goats or can I keep just 1?
3 Do they need hay all year, or just in winter?

4. What all do I feed them?

5. How much space does 1 goat need?

6. What kind of structure is suitable?

7. How much dies castration cost?

8. Is it better to castrate them?

9. Are ND bucks (or wethers) typically aggresive?

10. Should I just wait for a doe?

Quote Reply

I know someone with NDs!

1. Registered nigerians go for hundreds! I think $150 is good
3. The goats I know eat only hay

Those are the only questions I can answer, sorry that's all I know.

 

[Fuchsia]

Okay 1. Is $150 too much for 1 intact buckling?

It depends on quality of the buck. But $150 is a pretty good price.

2. Do I need 2 goats or can I keep just 1?

It’s definitely best to have two so they can hang out together

3 Do they need hay all year, or just in winter?

If they have good enough grass they will be fine over the summer.

4. What all do I feed them?

They’ll be fine with hay in the winter and grass in the summer. If they are milking does you should feed them a little bit of grain.

5. How much space does 1 goat need?

ND’s are small so they don’t need as much space as a normal goat. Ours are in a pretty big field so I don’t really know how much they need

6. What kind of structure is suitable?

I would just have a little shed or something that has a door so you can shut them in at night depending on the predator around you.

7. How much dies castration cost?

We do ours ourselves, it’s not that hard. You could definitely google/YouTube banding them.

8. Is it better to castrate them?

Bucks smell very strong they can also be aggressive sometimes. So unless you really want to breed them I recommend a wether.

9. Are ND bucks (or wethers) typically aggresive?

Wethers are not at all. They are more like does. Bucks can be but it kinda depends on the buck.

10. Should I just wait for a doe?

It really depends on what you want to do. If you want to maybe breed a doe than I would wait but if you just want a few friendly goats than a wether would be great!

We have a herd of 7 ND’s right now. One buck, two wethers, three does that are due next week and a little doe that was born last year.

I hope this helps a little!

 

[Regina Larsen]

It depends on quality of the buck. But $150 is a pretty good price.

It’s definitely best to have two so they can hang out together

If they have good enough grass they will be fine over the summer.

They’ll be fine with hay in the winter and grass in the summer. If they are milking does you should feed them a little bit of grain.

ND’s are small so they don’t need as much space as a normal goat. Ours are in a pretty big field so I don’t really know how much they need

I would just have a little shed or something that has a door so you can shut them in at night depending on the predator around you.

We do ours ourselves, it’s not that hard. You could definitely google/YouTube banding them.

Bucks smell very strong they can also be aggressive sometimes. So unless you really want to breed them I recommend a wether.

Wethers are not at all. They are more like does. Bucks can be but it kinda depends on the buck.

It really depends on what you want to do. If you want to maybe breed a doe than I would wait but if you just want a few friendly goats than a wether would be great!

We have a herd of 7 ND’s right now. One buck, two wethers, three does that are due next week and a little doe that was born last year.

I hope this helps a little!

Three due next week - how exciting!!!!! We did not breed this year, covid took me down. Probably breeding 2 this feb.

 

[Fuchsia]

Three due next week - how exciting!!!!! We did not breed this year, covid took me down. Probably breeding 2 this feb.

I’m pretty excited
I’m sorry about your breeding this year! I hope your breeding next year goes better!

 

[EverythingDucks]

I am no expert, but I have done research on raising goats so hopefully I can answer some questions.
@Everose has NDs, and will likely be able to provide much more information.

1. Is $150 too much for 1 intact buckling?

I would say no, but it all depends on your area and quality of the goat. Some can be very expensive.

2. Do I need 2 goats or can I keep just 1?

Goats are herd animals, so you need at least two.

3 Do they need hay all year, or just in winter?

All year, unless you grow it yourself and they're able to graze on fresh grasses.

5. How much space does 1 goat need?

You can have about six goats per acre, but it depends a lot on the land. I recommend rotational grazing, so the goats get to be moved on to fresh grass regularly. It also helps to get them to eat everything in their area rather than just picking a few things to eat.

6. What kind of structure is suitable?

Usually a simple lean-to is all you need. If you ever plan on breeding, an area with a pen that will stay warm is important. A pen of some sort will be useful though. It really depends on your climate.
Goats are very playful and love to climb on things (including your vehicles!), so playground structures are good to have. There's lots of ideas on Pinterest, where people have used tires, pallets, and all sorts of things to make play structures for them.

7. How much dies castration cost?

It depends on your area. On average, it can cost around $100. It's cheaper to just buy a wether.

8. Is it better to castrate them?

Absolutely. Bucks are not fun to deal with, and no one new to goats should get a buckling. They're smelly, can be hard to handle, and are just not fun to be around for most people.
Just remember that they should be castrated at around 12 weeks.

9. Are ND bucks (or wethers) typically aggresive?

Bucks can be aggressive, and dangerous if they have horns. Of course it depends on the individual, but most are going to be a pain.

10. Should I just wait for a doe?

Depends on what you're wanting them for.
Wethers can make good pets, so long as the owner thoroughly researches beforehand.
I would personally wait to get does though.

Something to be aware of is fencing. Goats are escape artists, and are constantly testing their limits. A tall, stury fence that they can't jump over, crawl under, or squeeze through is very important, and can be costly. But is absolutely necessary to protect them from predators and keeping them from getting into trouble.
There are lots of fencing options, some good, some bad, and plenty that are overated.

I highly recommend getting the book "Storey's guide to raising dairy goats". And definitely look into some youtube channels so you can really see what the life of a goat owner is like.

 

[Allwelcome2coop]

We have two Nigerian dwarf goats. Sheldon and Leonard. They hop over every fence we have tried! Still working on that, if anyone has suggestions let me know. They for sure need to have others, and lots of toys, and climbing things. I also have a question for all regarding goats and debudding: after they have been debudded and some form of horn grows, what should I do with it??

They are amazing, curious, frustrating and loving. Also, the price for above seems reasonable.