You may be thinking of getting a new pet that is quite different. In fact you want to get away from the cat and dog thing and find something different in terms of what to take care of, especially since you have the space. Someone may have suggested to you to try and get a Nigerian Dwarf goat and this has somehow piqued your interest. So before you do go out and buy from Nigerian dwarf goats Santa Cruz county breeders, then do read on in this article for more information that you may use.
Imported into the United States in the 1970s, this rare miniature breed of goat is well known for milk production. Its milk has more buttermilk than cow milk and is sometime more preferred due to this. Currently there are about 25,000 according to the American Minor Breeds Conservancy, but it is expected that the number may go up as the breed becomes more popular.
The goat is fast becoming a popular pet and is being kept apart from only producing buttermilk rich milk. They are very good with children as they have even tempers and playful personalities. They can also be easily trained and so are also becoming good as therapy pets used in nursing homes and hospitals.
Despite their small size, they do require quite a bit of space to frolic in. As such they also need some things that they can climb and jump on like small tree stumps and also large rocks. Should they live on a farm or other such place, they can easily live with other livestock.
As regards nutrition they are fairly easy to feed. They will munch on almost anything including bushes, trees and weeds before they will feed on grass. Owners sometimes also give them grains but this should not be overdone as they can easily be overfed and will lead to health complications.
If kept for breeding purposes there is a reliable general rule of thumb. You should start breeding them when they are about one year old and stop breeding, especially for the females, when they reach seven years old. Older goats will have a harder time to give birth so its safer to stop them when they get to about 7 years of age. Expect these goats to give birth at least two to three times per year.
It is always good to remember that you cannot just keep one goat. When keeping the Nigerian Dwarf you need at least two or three of them since they are in fact herd animals. If they do not live in a herd or be with others of their own kind they can become quite depressed and even sickly.
Thus this ends the article on these animals to give you a basic inkling of what you are in for if you decide to take this breed as a pet. Do remember that there are other considerations that you should think about before making the final decision and it will be wise to also research these also.
Imported into the United States in the 1970s, this rare miniature breed of goat is well known for milk production. Its milk has more buttermilk than cow milk and is sometime more preferred due to this. Currently there are about 25,000 according to the American Minor Breeds Conservancy, but it is expected that the number may go up as the breed becomes more popular.
The goat is fast becoming a popular pet and is being kept apart from only producing buttermilk rich milk. They are very good with children as they have even tempers and playful personalities. They can also be easily trained and so are also becoming good as therapy pets used in nursing homes and hospitals.
Despite their small size, they do require quite a bit of space to frolic in. As such they also need some things that they can climb and jump on like small tree stumps and also large rocks. Should they live on a farm or other such place, they can easily live with other livestock.
As regards nutrition they are fairly easy to feed. They will munch on almost anything including bushes, trees and weeds before they will feed on grass. Owners sometimes also give them grains but this should not be overdone as they can easily be overfed and will lead to health complications.
If kept for breeding purposes there is a reliable general rule of thumb. You should start breeding them when they are about one year old and stop breeding, especially for the females, when they reach seven years old. Older goats will have a harder time to give birth so its safer to stop them when they get to about 7 years of age. Expect these goats to give birth at least two to three times per year.
It is always good to remember that you cannot just keep one goat. When keeping the Nigerian Dwarf you need at least two or three of them since they are in fact herd animals. If they do not live in a herd or be with others of their own kind they can become quite depressed and even sickly.
Thus this ends the article on these animals to give you a basic inkling of what you are in for if you decide to take this breed as a pet. Do remember that there are other considerations that you should think about before making the final decision and it will be wise to also research these also.
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When you are hunting for the facts about dwarf goats Santa Cruz County residents can come to our web pages online today. More details are available at http://www.quailmeadowfarm.com/animals now.
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