|
| |
Have questions about the MiniNubian breed? Look below for answers to
some of the most commonly asked questions...
|
Why
MiniNubians? |
 |
Everyone loves the floppy ears of
the Nubian but standard Nubians get SOOOOO big! (many get well
over 200 lbs while most MiniNubians are close to 100# or less) |
 |
The MiniNubians are smaller than
the Nubian but larger than the Nigerian Dwarf. Our does average
around 24-26 inches at the withers (shoulder). Their smaller size makes them
a lot easier to handle than their larger relatives, so hoof trimming,
clipping, showing and milking become much easier. They are just
the right size for young, elderly or disabled persons. The
MiniNubian is bred to look like the Nubian with those adorable
floppy ears and roman noses, but to stay small. |
 |
Another advantage of the MiniNubian
(especially for those with limited acreage) is that the Mini Nubian can
produce 2/3rds the amount of milk as a Nubian on about half the feed.
Talk about efficient! The MiniNubian makes the perfect home milker
as they give lots of rich milk that is excellent for cheese-making,
yogurt, butter etc as well as using in every way other milk is used.
|
 |
The MiniNubian also has a wonderful
personality. They are very friendly, love attention and are very
good with children. They also come in just about every imaginable
color and color combination which makes them extra fun! |
| What
is a MiniNubian? |
|
|
The MiniNubian is
a mid-sized dairy goat that is a blend of Nigerian Dwarf and standard size Nubian
dairy goat bloodlines. The goal
in breeding MiniNubians is to produce a mid-size dairy goat with good
conformation, high milk production, and the pendulous ears and roman
nose of the Nubian. Check
out my 'How
to Breed MiniNubians' page on eHow.com for more details. |
|
|
How Big
are MiniNubians? |
|
I like my does to be around
24-26 inches and my bucks around 25-27. Most of my does
weigh around 90-100 pounds at maturity - much easier to handle than
a 200+ lb standard size Nubian! Mini Nubians vary in height from almost
as small as a Nigerian to nearly as large as a Nubian. The
ideal range is somewhere between that. Each breeder will
have their own preferred height. I find that I can more
consistently get correct breed character without getting too
tall with does that stay around 25-26 inches. This is a
great height for milking - their udders are high enough off the
ground to comfortably get a milk bucket and my hands under them.
They are also easy to handle at this size. |
|
How Much
Milk Does a MiniNubian produce? |
|
 |
This also depends a lot on the doe. A taller MiniNubian
will likely give more than a smaller doe. My does average around 5-6 lbs of milk per day
(1 pound = 1 pint, or half a quart) First time milkers
will give less than experienced does. My first fresheners
usually milk 3-5 lbs a day. My best milkers give about 7-8
lbs (1 gallon) each day. The most milk I have had one doe
give me in a single day was nearly 11 lbs!!! |
|
