Define Your Herd Goal
Decide whether your priority is household milk, show competition, breeding sales, maternal replacements, improved udders, production, temperament, or pasture function. A clear goal helps identify which tradeoffs are acceptable.
The Dos Lobos Breeding Goal for Nigerian Dwarf Goats
Our goals are markedly different than most herds. Many herds focus on show performance or dairy performance. We prefer a goat that can provide both milk and meat and perform well on forage in a homestead environment. Our bucks need to be friendly and well-mannered and our does need to be able to raise their kids on their own with limited or no intervention from us. We are a small household of 2, so milk requirements are small compared to larger families, but we still aim for our does to produce well and our best does produce 3/4 of a gallon per day or 6 pounds of milk per day. We also need a doe to stay in milk despite fewer milkings and we milk roughly every other day.
Evaluate Structure
Inspect feet, pasterns, legs, movement, topline, rump, body capacity, and reproductive anatomy. For does, evaluate the current udder when possible and study close female relatives when buying young stock. For bucks, evaluate his dam, grand dam, and great grand dam on either side of his pedigree. A buck that ruins an udder can set your program back quickly.
Review Health and Performance
Ask about kidding history, milk records when available, udder function, parasite resilience, hoof history, illness, treatments, growth, disposition, and known limitations. Match claims to documents or direct observation.
Use Pedigree and Testing Correctly
Pedigrees reveal ancestry and relationships; tests address specific traits or health questions. Neither guarantees structure, milkability, fertility, or temperament.
Complete Due Diligence
Read the purchase process, confirm transport, and review our breeding program before placing a deposit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I buy a kid or proven adult?
Kids offer long-term potential but more uncertainty. Proven adults provide more performance information but may cost more and require careful history review.
What should I look for in a dairy udder?
Evaluate attachment, capacity, balance, medial support, teat size and placement, ease of milking, and udder health in the context of the doe’s age and lactation.
Does a champion pedigree guarantee quality?
No. Pedigree provides context, while the individual still must meet structural, health, temperament, and performance goals.
Should beginners buy a buck?
Often a buck adds fencing, housing, odor, handling, and breeding-management complexity. New owners should evaluate alternatives before purchasing one, but generally speaking, we've found our Nigerian bucks to be very easy to handle and manage.