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This page is for general information on miniature dairy
goats. Miniature dairy goats were originally created to fill the milk
bucket with more milk than a Nigerian normally produces without having
the output on grain and hay that a standard sized goat requires.
Miniature dairy goats average just a few inches taller than a Nigerian
Dwarf producing a little over half of what their standard counterpart
produces. In essence if your Lamancha produces 2 gallons of milk a day,
then the resulting Mini-Manchas would produce a little over a gallon a
day.
I have dabbled in miniature dairy goats a little
previously. We use to breed Mini-Oberhaslis. They were very productive, mild tempered animals and we thoroughly enjoyed them. At the time we
decided just raise Nigerians so we sold the Mini-Oberhaslis. They were
rare compared to Mini-Nubians and Mini-Manchas. They were more of a
specialty breed.
Last year we did own a few Lamanchas and were
completely taken with their winning personalities and beautiful faces.
We have decided this year to try Lamanchas again only with juniors
first. We are looking forward to seeing what the first generation
Mini-Manchas are like next spring. We are hoping to increase the milk
production and teat size in the minis and produce stunningly correct
animals ready for the show ring. Miniature dairy goat shows in our area
are pretty uncommon but we want to have animals ready for the ring as
soon as shows become available.
About Generations
You will often see "First Generation" or
"F1" listed on our site and other miniature dairy goat breeders' sites.
This is referring to the number of generations into the cross that the
resulting goat or offspring are. F stands for Foundation. For example, to produce your first
generation or F1 kids you must start with a purebred Lamancha (or other
dairy goat breed which will be one half of your foundation) and a purebred Nigerian Dwarf
(the other half of your foundation). You must use a Nigerian
Dwarf because Nigerians are dairy goats. Pygmies are technically
classified under meat goats and cannot be used in the miniature dairy
goat breeding practices.
Kids produced from two F1 or first generation parents
are second generation or F2. They are 2 generations from foundation. Crossing two F2 animals results in F3 and
so on. Anytime you breed back to a purebred dairy goat or Nigerian you
will return to F1. This also applies if you cross an F1 animal to an F2
animal, you will return to F2, always taking one generation higher than
the lowest parent goat's generation.
Examples
F1 X F1 = F2
F1 X F2 = F2
F1 X F3 = F2
F2 X F2 = F3
F2 X F3 = F3
F2 X F4 = F3
F3 X F3 = F4
Once you have reached the 3rd generation or greater, the
animal is a year or older and the animal conform to the breed standard
(this means elf or gopher eared for Mini-Manchas, roman nosed and long
pendulous ears for Mini-Nubians, deep red chamoisee with no white for
Mini-Oberhaslis etc) then the animal can be applied for American
Registration.
Once you have reached 6th generation or greater
AND the last 3 generations have been accepted into the American Herdbook
and have bred true in the breed standard (in other words all the
offspring produced in 3+ generations have been correct to the breed.
This means correct ears in Nubians and Lamanchas, colors in Saanens and
Oberhaslis) then they qualify and can apply for the Purebred Herdbook.
At this point in time I have not decided if we will participate in one
registry or both. I participate in all 3 registries for Nigerian Dwarfs
and my Lamanchas are dual registered AGS & ADGA so we may participate in
both.
To learn more about
miniature dairy goat registries just click these links below.
TMGR - The Miniature Goat
Registry
MINIATURE DAIRY GOAT
ASSOCIATION
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