What is a Mini Nubian?
Mini Nubians are a cross between a standard Nubian doe and a Nigerian Dwarf buck, resulting in a mid-sized dairy goat.
Standard Nubians can be quite large, the does can stand between 30-32" at the shoulder and can weigh anywhere from 130-150lbs. They produce high quality milk, averaging a gallon or more a day, with a high percentage of butterfat. Which is great for making yogurt, cheese and ice cream!
Nigerian Dwarf does stand between 18-21" and can weigh anywhere between 60-75lbs, they also produce high quality milk with high butterfat but they do not produce near the quantity the standard Nubian does. The average amount for Nigerian's is around a quart a day and they can be more challenging to milk due to such small size.
So the combination of the two creates a mid-sized yet high producing dairy animal standing between 23-31" and usually weighing less than or around 100lbs. The amount a specific doe will produce depends greatly on genetics but as a breed average the Mini Nubian produces 2-3 quarts a day, on half the feed of what it would take to feed a standard Nubian. They work great for the homesteader or small farm because smaller size means they need less space and feed!
Starting with the correct foundation animals is essential to breeding Mini Nubians, the main focus when starting a herd or even when adding more goats in an already established herd should be the quality of the animal. Good conformation & proven milk genetics are top priority, then we look for generation. The reason generation is the last thing we factor in here at GLA is because you can have a higher generation goat that has terrible conformation or bad milk production, so generation is not everything. Be sure the generation of the goat is not what you are basing your purchase on or you will end up disappointed. Now with that being said higher generation is not a bad thing, it is a good thing as well but just make sure you look at the more important things first!
Our Mini Nubian herd consist of animals from well known breeders & have linage of many excellent proven herds such as,
Mini Nubian herd reference: Green Gables, Echo's Hills, Little Garden of Eat'N (HHF LGE) & Lachenbock Farm.
PB Nubian herd reference: Lil Mill Creek, Lakeshore Farms, Woodview Farm, Goldthwaite & Jacob's Pride.
Nigerian Dwarf herd reference: Gypsy Moon & Rosasharn.
We maintain a disease free herd and test annually for CAE, Brucellosis & Johnee's Disease.
Attached below is a few different articles to help further understand how to breed Mini Nubians & also how to understand what the Percentages and Generations are on the Mini Nubians pedigree. Also links to the Miniature Dairy Goat Association & The Miniature Goat Registry webpages.
NOTE- I am not the author or editor of any of these articles posted below & do not take credit for the information and knowledge given.
Standard Nubians can be quite large, the does can stand between 30-32" at the shoulder and can weigh anywhere from 130-150lbs. They produce high quality milk, averaging a gallon or more a day, with a high percentage of butterfat. Which is great for making yogurt, cheese and ice cream!
Nigerian Dwarf does stand between 18-21" and can weigh anywhere between 60-75lbs, they also produce high quality milk with high butterfat but they do not produce near the quantity the standard Nubian does. The average amount for Nigerian's is around a quart a day and they can be more challenging to milk due to such small size.
So the combination of the two creates a mid-sized yet high producing dairy animal standing between 23-31" and usually weighing less than or around 100lbs. The amount a specific doe will produce depends greatly on genetics but as a breed average the Mini Nubian produces 2-3 quarts a day, on half the feed of what it would take to feed a standard Nubian. They work great for the homesteader or small farm because smaller size means they need less space and feed!
Starting with the correct foundation animals is essential to breeding Mini Nubians, the main focus when starting a herd or even when adding more goats in an already established herd should be the quality of the animal. Good conformation & proven milk genetics are top priority, then we look for generation. The reason generation is the last thing we factor in here at GLA is because you can have a higher generation goat that has terrible conformation or bad milk production, so generation is not everything. Be sure the generation of the goat is not what you are basing your purchase on or you will end up disappointed. Now with that being said higher generation is not a bad thing, it is a good thing as well but just make sure you look at the more important things first!
Our Mini Nubian herd consist of animals from well known breeders & have linage of many excellent proven herds such as,
Mini Nubian herd reference: Green Gables, Echo's Hills, Little Garden of Eat'N (HHF LGE) & Lachenbock Farm.
PB Nubian herd reference: Lil Mill Creek, Lakeshore Farms, Woodview Farm, Goldthwaite & Jacob's Pride.
Nigerian Dwarf herd reference: Gypsy Moon & Rosasharn.
We maintain a disease free herd and test annually for CAE, Brucellosis & Johnee's Disease.
Attached below is a few different articles to help further understand how to breed Mini Nubians & also how to understand what the Percentages and Generations are on the Mini Nubians pedigree. Also links to the Miniature Dairy Goat Association & The Miniature Goat Registry webpages.
NOTE- I am not the author or editor of any of these articles posted below & do not take credit for the information and knowledge given.
This Flowchart is a guideline on how to choose a buck/buckling to be your herdsire & also a good example of what male kids born within a herd should be in order to be kept intact to sell to others as a possible herdsire. The buck is considered to be one of the most important animals in a herd, he will be passing his genetics on to every doe & his genetics as well as conformation needs to be something worth passing on. This flowchart makes excellent points on what to focus on to better your herd & the breed in general, not all bucklings should be kept intact to be bred and its nice to have this chart to refer to when trying to make such an important decision.
*Author of this chart is Rebekah Clarke.*