We have two Nigerian Dwarf goat bucks For Sale and they both have fantastic milk, show, and breeding lines behind them Plus, they are from our CAE/CL/Johne’s/Brucellosis/TB negative herd - the entire herd again tested negative in November 2019 and has tested negative every year. They're ADGA registered and are closely related to goats currently winning at the ADGA National Show level. I would love to see them sell together. The first is Bramblestone SL ... continue reading...
Top Ten Most-Read Blog Posts of 2019
I wanted to take a look at the top ten most-read blog posts because it's the beginning of the year and I thought it would be worthwhile to go back and take a look at your favorite posts from my blog for last year. I wanted to get a better idea of what YOU, the reader, are interested in, and give me a better direction for the coming year. Last year, the most popular posts were an interesting mix of topics, so I thought I would share the top ten most-read blog posts with you, in case you missed ... continue reading...
Getting Dairy Goats – Dam or Bottle Raised?
If you have decided to purchase some young dairy goats, still another decision to make is whether to purchase kids that have been dam or bottle-raised. In the goat world, most kids are removed from their dams immediately after birth and bottle raised. Why Bottle Raised? The main reason for this is to prevent the transmission of deadly diseases (you can read more about them HERE) from the dams to the kids through the milk. However, these bottle-raised kids (aka bottle babies) still need to ... continue reading...
Getting Dairy Goats – Disbudded, Horned, or Polled?
Another important decision when starting with dairy goats is whether to choose disbudded, horned, or polled (see What Are Polled Goats) goats. Many people are surprised to learn that most goats are born naturally horned (both males and females), but that most dairy goat owners consider horns a detriment. They’re frequently removed when the goat kids are only a few days old using a process called disbudding. It’s not uncommon for owners of meat and fiber goats to let the horns remain; however, ... continue reading...
Bramblestone Goats Negative (2019) for Small Ruminant Diseases (Again)!
For the ninth year in a row, all the goats in the Bramblestone Farm herd have tested negative for small ruminant diseases! We test all goats to make sure they're negative for small ruminant diseases before they ever come to Bramblestone Farm (or test the babies parents if a goat kid is too young to be tested). And, we also test the entire adult herd yearly to make sure that everyone is still disease free. It makes us SO HAPPY when the herd again tests ... continue reading...
Understanding Dairy Goat Pedigrees
Before buying Nigerian Dwarf goats, it’s a good idea to learn how to read (while understanding) dairy goat pedigrees. That way, you can be confident that the goats you are buying will meet your goals for owning them (see this LINK for determining whether you want registered goats). However, be warned, understanding goat pedigrees can be difficult. That’s because there are multiple registries and each has unique methods of signifying superior milk production, conformation, and genetics on the ... continue reading...
Getting Nigerian Dwarf Goats? Identify Your Purpose
If you're thinking about getting Nigerian Dwarf goats, then it's a good idea to identify your purpose for getting goats first. New goat owners sometimes jump in and buy too many goats of the wrong type or breed when getting started. Then, they become overwhelmed or disappointed and end up selling their goats rather than enjoying them. A better approach is to carefully identify your main purpose for owning goats. Then, purchase a couple of high-quality goats that satisfy that purpose. This ... continue reading...
Nigerian Dwarf Goats – Registered or Unregistered?
Why Consider Registered Goats? Nigerian Dwarf (ND) goats can be purchased from either registered purebred or unregistered lines, so when getting started with goats, another decision concerns registration. If you are only interested in a couple of wethers as pets, then registration doesn’t make much difference, but if you intend to keep goats for milk, show, or breeding, then registration is important. Unregistered goats are much less expensive, but registered goats have more potential for ... continue reading...