FIGURE 3-2: A LaMancha goat with gopher ears.
LaManchas descended from the Spanish Murciana and Spanish LaMancha goats brought to the United States from Mexico for meat and milk. They first got recognition as a separate breed in the early 1950s and are fast becoming a very popular breed. They come in a variety of colors and patterns and are very friendly. I have also found them quite curious, with an ability to get to food regardless of where you put it!
Nubian
Nubians (see Figure 3-3) are one of the most popular breeds. They have long, floppy ears and a rounded (Roman) nose, and they have been bred to be very large. Their milk has a high butterfat content, and they produce a lot of it — which makes them a good choice if you want to make cheese. Because of their large size, they make good meat goats, too.
Unfortunately, Nubians also are known for the loud, annoying cries that many of them make. The cries make them undesirable in some neighborhoods and on some farms.
FIGURE 3-3: A Nubian goat.
G-6-S GENE MUTATION: A PERSISTENT DEFECT IN NUBIANS
The G-6-S gene mutation was first discovered in 1987. Further investigation showed that about 25 percent of Nubians carry the gene, which results from a single mutation. It affects only Nubians and Nubian crosses. Carriers (N/G genotype) aren’t affected but can transmit the gene to 50 percent of their offspring. Carriers can make great pets, packers, and brush control goats.
Goats with the gene mutation lack the enzyme G-6-S, which causes a variety of symptoms that vary in severity. Failure to grow is the main sign. In some cases, a kid starts out smaller than normal and continues to grow slowly; in others a kid grows normally for three months or so and then stops growing. Other goats seem to grow to a normal size but are found to actually be small in comparison to other goats in that bloodline. Other signs include a lack of muscle mass, a “slab-sided” appearance or a “blocky” head. They seem to have compromised immune systems, experience reproductive problems and, in some cases, become deaf or blind. The longest a goat with G-6-S has been known to survive is less than four years. Death is usually caused by heart failure. Because goats with this defect can live long enough to breed, they continue to pass on the gene. Many Nubian breeders now test all breeding stock for the defect.
Oberhasli
Oberhaslis were originally known as Swiss Alpines, a variation on the Alpine. They were eventually recognized as a separate breed with distinct markings. They have erect ears, are medium-sized, and have a reddish-brown color (chamoisee) with black markings on their backs, belly, tail, and legs. Does can also be pure black.
Oberhaslis are my favorite of the large breeds because of their sweet temperament and beautiful markings. They have good dairy character, which means they seem to like being milked.
Saanen and Sable
Saanens are white or off-white in coloring and are the largest of the standard dairy goats. Sables are Saanens that aren’t white, due to a recessive gene. They have erect ears, like the Alpine, and are usually mellow and easy-going.
Sables and Saanens are known for their high milk production and are therefore often used in commercial dairies. A downside to Saanens is that their white coats show dirt and also make them more prone to sunburn.
Toggenburg
Toggenburgs, also referred to as Toggs, are beautifully marked and range in color from fawn to chocolate brown with white markings. They resemble a medium-sized Alpine in body shape, with erect ears. The Toggenburg is a Swiss dairy goat from Toggenburg Valley of Switzerland at Obertoggenburg. They are also credited as being the oldest known dairy goat breed.
Toggs produce a moderate amount of milk but are known for long lactations. More than one person has told me that they don’t like the taste of Toggenburgs’ milk, probably because it has a low butterfat content and doesn’t taste as rich as some of the other goats’ milk.
Miniature breeds
The standard dairy goat breeds are impressive, but maybe you don’t want to be drowning in milk. With the miniature breeds, you get some of the same characteristics but in a smaller package.
Miniature breeds are relatively new to the scene but are growing in popularity. Miniature dairy goats include Nigerian Dwarves, Pygmies, and the most recent development in dairy goats in the United States: miniature, crossbred versions of the standard breeds, called minis.
LITTLE GOAT, A LOT OF CHEESE
My first goats were Nigerians. Their milk was high in protein and extremely high in butterfat — normally 5 to 6 percent and as high as 10 percent at the end of their lactation (normally 10 months). This higher butterfat milk produces more cheese than milk with low butterfat.
I did a comparison between the milk of a Toggenburg and a Nigerian and found that I got twice as much cheese from the Nigerian milk!
At least one goat cheese dairy in the United States uses Nigerians exclusively because of the quantity of cheese they can produce. You have to milk more goats to get the same quantity of milk you would from standard dairy goats, but you can get a lot more cheese from each gallon of milk.
Nigerian Dwarf
Nigerian Dwarves are miniature goats that came to the United States from Africa. They’re considered dwarves because they’re a product of hereditary pituitary hypoplasia, which means they’re small but normally proportioned. They are colorful, friendly, easy to handle, and in some cases quite good milk producers. Figure 3-4 shows a Nigerian Dwarf goat.
FIGURE 3-4: Nigerian Dwarf goat.
Two height standards exist for Nigerian Dwarves. The Nigerian Dwarf Goat Association allows 17 to 21 inches for does and 19 to 23 inches for bucks, while the American Goat Society allows a maximum of 22.5 inches for does and 23.5 inches for bucks. Their average weight is around 75 pounds.
Their kids are the cutest things around, and Nigerian Dwarves have a lot of them. Quadruplets aren’t rare, and you even see quintuplets and sextuplets from time to time. The does tend to be easy kidders (I’m not kidding!) and natural mothers.
Nigerians are popular as milkers, 4-H projects, and pets. The wethers are easier to sell because they make good backyard pets and are easy for children to handle. They can be expensive, but if you find a breeder who will sell them unregistered you can get them for a reasonable price.
Some urban goat farmers shy away from the Nigerians, despite their petite size,