Miniature Goat Breeds

Sharing is caring!

If you are a young family and are looking to add goats to your homestead, then miniature goat breeds might just be the fit you have been looking for. These adorable sized goats give you all the benefits of a large goat without needing to dedicate a full farm to raise them. 

The cutest of the goat breeds because of their size they are gaining in popularity with many families.

For this reason, many backyard homesteaders are turning to these pint-sized goats and because of that, their popularity is on the rise. But don’t think miniature goats are only for homesteads, because of their size and gentle temperament they make great pets too.

Baby goats. Miniature goat breed for the small family

As the name says, these goats are miniature and that means small. Adorably so. Small enough so you can encourage your children, even the youngest ones, to help out with farm chores. A great way to teach responsibility at a young age. 

Their size also means less space and less feed is needed to raise them. Which really helps with the initial cost of getting started with goats.

Less fencing, less hay, less barn.

Although I have never had miniature goats, I do know many that raise them and they just love the pros of their small size. And with their popularity rising it is getting much easier to find a wide range of miniature goat breeds in just about any area. 

Before we dive in, just a few words of caution.

There is a reason why I do not have miniature goats. Their small size is a con for me and one I needed to really take into consideration when we first started out with goats.

Small goats mean smaller teets, with some being very small, and if you plan on milking on your homestead you will want to keep this in mind. Hand issues, such as Carpal Tunnel or Arthritis, can make milking small teets very difficult. 

The reason is, when the teets are small you will need to milk with just your thumb and fingertips rather than your entire hand.

Milking a dairy goat. Miniature goat breeds

Cramping was a big issue for me and with the smaller teets, I found it painful to do day in and day out. Larger teets allow you to use your full hand and that was big for me. Now I can milk with no issues at all. 

Another option for milking is to purchase a hand pump milker. I have the Henry Milker and I just love how simple it is to use. When my hands are acting up I can use this milker to give myself a break.

I also rely on this milker when Hubs and I travel. Our farm gal is able to step in and milk whenever we need her to with this hand milker. That is a game changer for any homesteader. Being able to leave and travel is the very best of both worlds!

What is needed on your homestead before you add goats? 

Shelter – Make sure you have someplace for your goats to go where they can get out of the elements. Rain, wind, snow all require shelter. A barn shed, or lean too will all work well for small breed goats. And if you choose a miniature breed of goat you can even get away with a dog house or plastic igloo like this one.

These igloos will hold a surprisingly large amount of goat kids as they love to climb inside and cuddle up on chilly evenings. It is a comical sight to see all these baby goats come out in the mornings at feed time. Like clowns piled into a car, it makes me laugh every time I see it!

This is another plus to these small goats and one of the biggest draws to them.

Feed – Mainly a good alfalfa hay is all that is needed along with grain for kids and breeding goats.

Browse – Having a place for your goats to graze is ideal and if you choose one of these small breeds you will not need nearly as much as any of the full sized goats.

Water – Always, ALWAYS, have plenty of fresh clean water. This will not change for any breed of goat or any animal for that matter. Make sure you have more than one water source as well. I have these fence buckets all over our farm and our animals will use them all throughout the day.

Water is the key to healthy and thriving animals and something you need to pay very close attention to.

Click here to subscribe

 

Miniature Goat Breeds for your Homestead

Nigerian Dwarf Goats

These might just be the best of the small dairy goat breeds since they have the largest teets making milking a bit easier on the hands.

They can produce about a ½ gallon of milk a day and their milk has a nice butterfat content.

A gentle well-natured goat they are pleasant and fun to have on the farm and seem to do very well with kids.

The average weight is 65-70 pounds and they stand at an average of 20 inches tall.

nigerian dwarf doe and kid. A small dairy goat breed

READ: 8 SUPER SIMPLE STEPS TO DELICIOUS TASTING GOAT MILK

Kinder Goats

Kinder goats are a cross between a Pigmy and Nubian goat. They are a heavier breed so they tend to run around 100 pounds making them an ideal meat breed. The plus of cross-breeding with the Nubian goat is getting access to that higher buttermilk fat content. 

Another gentle goat, they are a favorite for pets as well as a homesteading addition. Goat meat is gaining in its popularity so the Kinder goat might just be the perfect fit if you are looking for a meat and milk cross. 

The average weight is 100-110 pounds and they stand at an average of  20 inches tall. 

Kinder goat in a pasture. Another miniature dairy goat breed for yoru farm

The Pigmy

These adorable small goats are another heavier breed making them a great option for a small homestead. They are more on the stocky side and for that reason are raised for meat rather than milk.

A calm and submissive breed making this gentle goat a wonderful addition to the family homestead. The kids just love to climb and play so having obstacles will not only give them hours of enjoyment but you as well! 

The average weight is 60-75 pounds and they stand at an average of 18 inches tall. 

baby pygmy goat a miniature goat breed for small farms

READ: BUILDING A FREE DIY PLAYGROUND FOR YOUR GOATS

Mini Nubian Goats

Also known as the Nubian Dwarf, they are just like with the full sized Nubian goats just in an adorable pint size! These small goats have a really nice butterfat content to their milk making it taste heavenly. If your family is new to goat milk this sweet version might just help to win them over. 

They have a wonderful temperament although they are a bit on the loud side, so keep this in mind if you have neighbors close by. I am not saying they yell all day non-stop, but they will squeal with excitement if they see you heading their way. These goats tend to think about food all the time and if you are the one feeding them, they will do just about anything to be near you at all times. 🙂 

They are known for their long pendulous ears (which I am a total sucker for!) and playfulness. Some mini breeds lose that trait a bit, but others still have those wonderful ears. 

The average weight is less than 100 pounds and they stand at an average of 24 inches tall. 

small goat breed example, a mini nubian dwarf goat

Pygora Goats and Nigora Goats

If you are looking for a dual purpose goat, then these next options just might be what you are looking for.

Pygora:

Pygora goats are a cross between a Pygmy and Angora goat. This cross combines a milking and fiber goat all in one and with its small manageable size its a perfect fit for the young family. Even though they are a milk goat cross, their production is not high, so this goat is more for the coat than the milk. 

The Pygora will either produce a Cashmere type fleece or Mohair type fleece or a combination of both. Fibers are removed with an electric shearer and once collected are woven into a beautiful thread that can be used or sold to artisans.

The average weight is 75 pounds and they stand at an average of 19-20 inches tall. 

Nigora: 

Similar to the Pygora goat, Nigora goats are a cross between a Nigerian Dwarf and an Angora. Again the draw here is getting both milk and the wonderful angora fur. The fur is again the same as the Pygora goat and can be removed and sold in the same fashion and with the same tools. 

Nigoras run a bit smaller than the Pygoras.

By cross breeding with the Nigerian or the Pygmy, this will add milk production to this beautifully fibered goat.

The average weight is 70 pounds and they stand at an average of 18 inches tall. 

baby angora goats. Pygora and Nigoa cross goats. A wonderful small goat breed for your farm!

Have you always wanted to add goats to your homestead but were just a bit nervous by the size? Then I would definitely check out any of these miniature goat breeds. Now you can have fresh milk with goats that are the size of a large dog. How’s that for a win-win?

MORE GOAT CARE RESOURCES:

Do you have a young family or are you living on a small plot of land? Have you wanted to add goats but just thought you couldn't because your kids are too young or your land is too small? Guess again! Miniature goat breeds give you all the perks of raising goats without all the room requirements and now they are easier to find than ever! #goats #dairygoats #miniaturegoats #dwarfgoats #urbanfarm #farm #homesteading

4 Comments

  1. This information is top notch!!! We had a few goats growing up and I had two does and a buck lamancha goats a few years back but I live in town and our fence wasn’t quite the right height for them and they got out a few times and so had to let them go! We had bottle raised all three and loved them and it was just after one of the girls had kidded that they began their jailbreaks…lol! It was really sad when the one doe had given birth we had a really really cold spell snow then freezing rain then snow again within two to three days and her first baby was still born and the second was just as beautiful as could be but she would stay in the shelter are and tore through what I had put up to keep her and him in there because the other two goats couldn’t fit in there with her and so the other baby froze! Anyhoo we are looking at land in Arizona and going to have the land and such to have some more, but I want to go smaller! I had also thought maybe alpaca for their fiber, but I didn’t know about the Pygora and the Nigora!!!! So which do you think would give more milk, the Pygora or Nigora and do you happen to know the fat content of each? And do you happen to know the best way for me to find a breeder? As in is there an association that would have listings or should I just google it? i like your youtube channel and will be subbing! I am Duckling Homestead and Gardens! I started about 3 years ago on the channel and then had a mess of things happen and I have just now been able to get a proper camera to start videoing again and so hopefully I will start having more videos! I have muscovy ducks and chickens right now!! And I live in a small town in Oklahoma! Sorry for the length and so many guestions!! Lol! I love animals and love visiting about them!!

    1. Hi, Suzanne!
      The Pygora goat will give you better fiber and not as much milk whereas the Nigora more milk and but not the very best fiber. So you will need to decide what is more important. I do think the fiber is close and the milk production as well on each breed. It all depends on the genetics of each.
      A Nigora will probably have better milk and a higher butterfat content as well, in my opinion.
      To find a breeder, I would do a search online or contact the American Dairy Association for ideas. I have never raised either so I am basing my advice on research myself. 🙂
      Good luck!
      Tracy Lynn

    1. I have never trained goats for indoors but I imagine with repetition and positive reinforcement you could absolutely house train them. I have a friend that had a young kid indoors for a few weeks and she put diapers on the goat and that worked quite well.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.