| Nubian Goats By Hannah Miller I thought I would talk about different breeds of goats now and then. This month I will talk about the Nubian, mostly because that is what I have the most of, and also because I really like Nubians and I especially like mine :). The Nubian goats began by crossing British goats with bucks of African or Indian origin. The Nubian name comes from Nubia in northeastern Africa. The goats from Africa and India were long-legged, hardy goats that were desired by goat breeders in England. English crossed these with their common short-haired goats prior to 1895 and this developed the Anglo-Nubian goat. Here in the US we know the breed as just Nubian. The Nubian is a large, proud goat. Tall, alert, stubborn, all of these terms describe the Nubian. The Nubian is one of the larger breed of goats, the males being 35 inches tall and weighing about 175 pounds and the females being 30 inches tall and weighing 135 pounds. The Nubian has long floppy eras that hang close to the head, which is long and wide. They are always short-haired and they can be practically any color. Black, red and tan are the most common. A lot of the goats are a mixture of white and some other color. The Nubian is not a heavy milk producer but I get a little more than a gallon a day with my Nubian doe. Their milk tends to be higher in protein and butter fat than other breeds. I’ve heard that because of the way that the udder and teats are, they are pretty easy to milk. I have to say that I agree. My goats can be extremely stubborn at times and also very sweet. I have grown to really love the goat that I am milking right now as well as my yearlings. I am excited about more Nubian kids on our farm next year. |
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