Towards the end of last week, we got some exciting news. And, we almost broke our new schedule to bring you this update immediately. But, with some patience, we made it through. So, today we are happy to share some news about Nigerian Dwarf goats and their future on our homestead.
Starting with a Goat in Milk
As we mentioned last week, we were referred to someone who had a goat in milk with two doelings born on New Years Day. After talking with Melissa over at Goat House Farm, The Silly Couple has decided we’re very interested in these goats in question. The best part of this is that we will be able to start milking as soon as we get our goats.
Since these are Nigerian dwarf goats, we’ll be able to get started with the perfect little goats for our small homestead. Coordinating with our schedule, we are picking up the goats on February 12th, 2022. So, what do these goats look like?
Our New Goat Herd Queen – Delilah
While we haven’t had the chance to meet Delilah yet, we’re really looking forward to bringing her home. As you can see in the image, she has quite a bit of character. From that white chicken on her side to the undeveloped horns, we’re told she has quite the strong personality. And, as new goat owners, that sounds like just the right goat for us.
In terms of genetics, we’re not sure how great a milker she will be, but her story melted our hearts. Before she went to Goat House Farm, Delilah was an “inside” goat. Apparently she spent the first couple of years of her life in a small bathroom. From the sounds of it, she was not exactly getting the right food either, which might explain the malformed horn.
Regardless, she has gotten a few years out in the open with a nice herd of goats and had kids multiple times. This time, she had two doelings. And in case you can’t tell from the above image, let’s take a closer look at those baby Nigerian dwarf goats.
Her Two Doelings – Names TBD?
First things first, we’re not sure what we are going to name these two doelings. We had some names on a shortlist, but rather than spoil anything or confuse anyone, we’ll just refer to them as the lighter and darker doeling. If you’re a big nerd, maybe you can think of them as two sides of the Force -one a jedi, the other a sith. Or, just wait until we have names and we’ll let you know.
Either way, we recognize the big question on experienced goat owners’ minds. No, we do not know Delilah’s genetics that well. So, she may not be a productive milker. But, we do know the father of these two doelings, who came from Belle Meadow Farm. He comes from a well-established milking line, so we expect his genetics should help make these two doelings great producers when the time comes.
For now, we know these goats are on a farm where they get plenty of human interaction. In fact, they do their fair share of goat yoga there, so we expect these two to be quite sociable.
The Future of Nigerian Dwarf Goats on our Homestead
So, with a goat in milk coming with her two doelings, where do we go from here? For now, we’re looking forward to getting the hang of milking and seeing what we can milk with that milk. Sure, we’re be drinking plenty of goat milk ourselves, but you better bet cheese, yogurt, buttermilk, and more is on the menu going forward.
More important, we definitely want to move towards having more than just one goat milking at the time. While we’re not sure how great a milker Delilah will be (namely in terms of output), we know that her doelings come from a buck with proven milking genetics. With that in mind, we’ll either look to add a couple new bucks down the line with proven genetics to breed with our two doelings when the time comes.
Regardless, we’re excited to move forward with Nigerian dwarf goats. Join us next week to see how we’re progressing. Until then, we’ll see you around the homestead.