|
five eighths Farm
Nigerian Dwarfs |
|
Welcome to Five Eighths Farm, west of Fort Worth, Texas. Our goal is to raise exceptional Nigerian Dwarf Dairy goats, regularly improve our herd , make connections with like-minded goat enthusiasts, and provide quality animals for sale each year at reasonable prices, not necessarily in that order. We enjoy showing and attend several local shows each year, but we do not chase ribbons. We consider herd improvement: parasite resistance, ease of kidding, substantial body capacity, strong and strait pasterns and feet, udder form and function, and temperament. We breed to the ADGA scorecard and Linnear Appraisal guide, not to current show ring fads.
The best things about the Nigerian breed are their hardiness and ease of care. We understand that Nigerian Dwarfs are dairy goats and should produce a good amount of milk for an extended lactation curve. "Good" in my mind is feed input to milk output with consideration to body condition. Nigerians are currently exceptional at converting feed to milk without losing body condition. They have lower instances of mastitis, ketosis, milk fever, and weight management issues than that of standard goats, and we plan to KEEP IT THAT WAY. More milk in a Nigerian invites all the problems listed above, and is therefor NOT an improvement. We don't need big goat problems.
We do milk our Nigerians and require them to produce a reasonable amount of milk to stay, but we do NOT believe that extreme milk is an improvement for the breed, therefor milk test and top 10 records are not going to be part of our breeding program- although we will do a one day milk test each year for any does in milk to prove they are producing a minimum required amount. 2-4 lbs of milk a day is great! 7- 8+ pounds a day detracts from breed hardiness and ease of care, and you will not find those animals here, although we happily cheer on anyone with those goals.
We annually test all our adult animals for CAE and spot test for CL. Our annual testing is published on our Facebook page- Five Eighths Farm. We are a LA Host herd and welcome new herds to contact us to join LA.
We strive for hardy goats that are easy to keep and enjoy. If this type of animal sounds good to you, please enjoy our page. If you have any questions don't hesitate to reach out.
The best things about the Nigerian breed are their hardiness and ease of care. We understand that Nigerian Dwarfs are dairy goats and should produce a good amount of milk for an extended lactation curve. "Good" in my mind is feed input to milk output with consideration to body condition. Nigerians are currently exceptional at converting feed to milk without losing body condition. They have lower instances of mastitis, ketosis, milk fever, and weight management issues than that of standard goats, and we plan to KEEP IT THAT WAY. More milk in a Nigerian invites all the problems listed above, and is therefor NOT an improvement. We don't need big goat problems.
We do milk our Nigerians and require them to produce a reasonable amount of milk to stay, but we do NOT believe that extreme milk is an improvement for the breed, therefor milk test and top 10 records are not going to be part of our breeding program- although we will do a one day milk test each year for any does in milk to prove they are producing a minimum required amount. 2-4 lbs of milk a day is great! 7- 8+ pounds a day detracts from breed hardiness and ease of care, and you will not find those animals here, although we happily cheer on anyone with those goals.
We annually test all our adult animals for CAE and spot test for CL. Our annual testing is published on our Facebook page- Five Eighths Farm. We are a LA Host herd and welcome new herds to contact us to join LA.
We strive for hardy goats that are easy to keep and enjoy. If this type of animal sounds good to you, please enjoy our page. If you have any questions don't hesitate to reach out.