My husband and I are looking to get a small goat, but are unsure which breed....?

Question

What makes a better pet, an African Pygmy, or a Nigerian Dwarf? We have plenty of land, and are looking for a friendly, personable breed, preferrably a wether as well. Also, where could we look to see what colors are available, and what a general pricing range is? We're located in Montana and would certainly not be opposed to recommended breeders in our area, either! If your answer isn't an educated, helpful answer, please refrain from posting. Thank you!

Answer 1

I raise both Pygmies & Nigerian Dwarfs.  They are approximately the same height, but Nigerians are slighter in build and lighter weight.  Nigerians are a dairy breed & Pygmies are a meat breed.  Both make excellent, friendly pets.  I personally prefer the Nigerians simply because of the range of color (they come in all colors & patterns) and their sweet personalities.  

http://www.ndga.org/about/aboutnd.htm

Pygmies have very specific color requirements for the breed:

http://www.npga-pygmy.com/resources/conf...

Wethers are an excellent choice for pets.  They are less moody than does & they have none of the nasty bucky habits.  They also will usually be a lot less expensive than bucks or does.  However, a lonely goat is a miserable goat.  Goats are herd animals & should always be kept in at least pairs.  A goat that lives a lone will be noisy, destructive, and the stress can even make them sick.  You will be much happier if you buy a pair that are close in age.  Most breeders will give a discount for buying more than one.  I won't even sell a single goat to anyone unless they already own goats or sheep.

Price range for wethers would usually be in the $50 - $100 range for either breed.  Unregistered would be at the lower end, registered at the higher end.  Does would be double to triple those prices.

Answer 2

well the pygmy i know is nice m friend had one, and i don't know anything else about your other questions...sorry

Answer 3

Are you definitely set on a smaller goat? My favorites are Nubians - from my experience they've always been more personable than Nigerians. Since I'm assuming the goat won't be a house pet, you might as well spring for something a little larger! I might be biased, but I've never had a good experience with Nigerian goats. They're not unfriendly, but definitely not as social as the Nubians.