{"id":102018,"date":"2024-07-09T03:00:43","date_gmt":"2024-07-09T07:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hobbyfarms.com\/?p=102018"},"modified":"2025-03-13T07:37:35","modified_gmt":"2025-03-13T11:37:35","slug":"miniature-dairy-goats-perfect-for-small-farms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hobbyfarms.com\/miniature-dairy-goats-perfect-for-small-farms\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Miniature Goat Breeds for Small Farm Dairy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Miniature goat breeds are perfect for small hobby farms since these breeds produce about 2<\/span>\u20443<\/span> as much milk as a full-size dairy doe but on half the feed. You can house three or four minis in the space you\u2019d need for one full-size goat. Because of their size, a mini goat is easier to handle than its larger counterparts<\/a>, making them ideal for children and adults with limited agility or strength.<\/p>\n

Does come in a variety of sizes from 17-inch Pygmies to 29-inch Mini Alpines, Mini Saanens and Mini Nubians<\/a>. Many city ordinances allow people to keep miniature goats where full-size goats aren\u2019t allowed. They\u2019re easy to transport in the back seat of a car or van or in a roomy dog crate in the bed of a truck.<\/p>\n

Minis typically give birth to two to four kids, although five is fairly common. There is a strong market for miniature dairy goats, as well as for pets. It\u2019s usually easy to find those kids great homes.<\/p>\n

Some, such as Nigerian Dwarfs<\/a> and Pygmies, are seasonal breeders, meaning they can be bred any time of the year. If you have more than one doe, you can stagger breedings and have milk on the table year round.<\/p>\n

Out of Africa<\/b><\/h2>\n

Virtually all of the mini-milker breeds are at least in part descended from West African Dwarf (WAD) goats, known to the scientific community as WAD goats. Though their origin is uncertain, these small, hardy goats have thrived in sub-Saharan Africa for hundreds of years. They\u2019re still valuable sources of milk and meat in parts of rural <\/span>Africa.<\/p>\n

\"miniature
Jennifer White Maxwell\/Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To this day, they\u2019re the most popular type of goat in 18 western and central African countries, due in part to <\/span>their resistance to a disease called African Trypanosomiasis <\/span>that, transmitted by tsetse flies, kills most livestock not native to sub-Saharan Africa. According to United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization figures, an estimated 11 million WAD goats are in Nigeria alone.<\/p>\n

There are two types of WAD goats:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n