“Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.”
We’ve made no attempt to pretend we’re anything other than a little farm in between two growing communities in Central Iowa. Our 2.5 acre slice of heaven is just enough to have some fun and small enough where we have to be intentional. 5 years ago we started with Nigerian Dwarf Goats, the smallest of dairy breeds. Small, but mighty. Rich and creamy milk, ranging between 7-10% butterfat.
While we don’t intend to completely abandon this particular breed, we’ve realized that there are more efficient options that exist. And as we build our cabins at our new farm, we also want to make use of this new space.
WHAT IS A MINI NUBIAN?
Mini Nubians are a dairy breed that have the best of both worlds. They are a cross between a Nigerian Dwarf and a Nubian. Mini Nubians have a smaller stature than a full size Nubian (due to the Nigerian Dwarf genetics), but also get more of the milking capabilities of a full size Nubian. Smaller, but more milk. While early generations of this hybrid, classified as F1, F2, F3, etc. tend to take on more of one breed (Nigerian or Nubian), later generations such as F6, F7, F8 tend to be considered purebred and have equal, predictable genetics in size and milk productions. The Miniature Dairy Goat Association or MDGA is a registry that clarifies what constitutes the breed “standard” for Mini Nubians.
WHY MINI NUBIANS?
With likely twice the milk production of Nigerian Dwarf goats, fewer mini Nubians will give us more milk. Sure, they are slightly larger than a Nigerian Dwarf, generally weighing closer to 100 lbs vs. 70lbs, but with our small space, we want to be efficient with how we use it. After all, a little goes a long way.
Let our adventure into this floppy eared, dairy goat begin!
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