Breeding Mini Nubians

Mini Nubians are a somewhat new breed of dairy goats that are a cross between standard Nubian goats and Nigerian Dwarfs. The ultimate goal in breeding them is to produce a mid-sized dairy goat that looks like a standard Nubian as far as breed character (ears, nose, etc) but is a good bit smaller, thus making it easier to handle, house and transport and more economical to feed. Nigerian Dwarf goats have the highest butterfat content of all dairy goats and Nubian have the second highest, so Mini Nubians have butterfat that's somewhere in between, making it sweet and creamy and great for cheesemaking. Production wise they produce almost as much as a standard sized Nubian (some produce as much as standards) but on less food, making them the perfect homestead goat! (We've found that our Mini Nubains produce 1/2-1 gallon a day, which is as much as many standard Nubians.)

So that's what Mini Nubians are but how do you get them, you ask? The answer is "it's complicated" and if you visit our farm you'll see what I mean because we have a lot of Mini Nubians and they don't all look the same. Some do, indeed, look like small Nubians while others look like large Nigerians with kind of funny ears. But they are all registered Mini Nubians, just different "generations" (The F1-F6 and so on) with different percentages of Nubian and Nigerian blood. If you are interested in breeding Mini Nubians keep reading to learn more.

First you want to start with registered stock, if possible. Yes, you can breed grade Mini Nubians but they aren't as readily accepted or as valuable and frankly, it costs the same to feed a registered goat as an unregistered one so why bother? You can either start with ADGA/AGS Nubians and Nigerians (more below) or with already established Mini Nubians, which will be registered with MDGA and/or TMGR.

Second, and maybe this should really be first and I can't stress it enough, you want to start with quality stock with sound conformation, nice udders and good production. The saying "pretty is as pretty does" is very true of goats. I love spots, long ears and blue eyes as much as anyone but if you put those traits on a structurally unsound goat with a poor udder and low production you're not going to be happy in the long run. Buying from established lines known for good conformation and production helps but it's still no guarantee of quality. And there are some small, less known farms breeding excellent goats, as well. The best thing is to do a lot of studying and learn what to look for and then buy goats from someone who has what you like in their herd. I always tell people, regardless of the species, to look at the ADULT animals (the parents), not the babies, when making buying choices. All baby animals are cute but you want to know what your babies will look like when they're grown. The best way to do this is by looking at the parents.

I prefer to buy from people who have a very thorough and up to date website, rather than someone who sells goat only via social media. I want to see photos of both parents, udder photos of the dam and photos of other relatives, if possible. I also want to see pedigrees, DHIA records, if available as well as info on show wins and Linear Appraisal sores if they are ADGA foundation stock. Hopefully the breeder has all of this on their website but if not you can ask them to send you all the pertinent info.

So the most basic way to begin is with a Nigerian Dwarf buck and a standard Nubian doe. NEVER, EVER do it the other way around! do NOT