138 Adamsville Road, Westport, Massachusetts 02790, United States
Nigerian Dwarf dairy goats
How We Got Started
We were bitten by the goat bug in fall of 2009 after reading Brad Kessler's lovely memoir "Goat Song," about buying an old farm in Vermont, starting a small dairy goat herd, and experimenting with cheese-making.
In January of 2010 we purchased 2 pregnant Nigerian Dwarf does who gave birth in the spring to 6 healthy kids. We grew our herd with foundation animals from 5 Acre Farm, Goldenbrook Farm, Rosasharn Farm, Old Mountain Farm, Sugar Moon Farm, Kyeema’s Ridge Farm, and Dragonfly Farm.
2021 marks our 12th kidding season. Our winter herd typically numbers around 30 animals, with up to 40 babies born each spring.
Interested In Goats?
Read on to see if you're ready for the commitment...
Nigerians are a dwarf dairy breed (2-5 lbs. at birth and 50-90 lbs. full-grown), gentle with a sweet disposition. Much like dogs, they have distinct personalities and unique voices. They have a pecking order, and families form a tight bond. We often catch grandmothers, daughters, and granddaughters napping together in the sun.
Animal husbandry is not for the lazy or faint of heart. It's a lot of work to keep Nigerians healthy and happy. Besides grassy hay, grain, lots of fresh water, and frequent stall cleanings, Nigerians also need complicated mineral supplementation, protection or treatment from parasites, regular hoof trimming, and dietary supplements and medicines. Contrary to popular belief, goats aren’t effortless to keep and they won’t eat anything. Our learning curve was steep, but we’re happy to share our knowledge with those who are interested in becoming goat keepers. One word of advice: don’t get into goats unless you have ample time, energy, physical strength, and money.
Kidding season is exhilarating but also nerve-wracking. Since Nigerians typically carry multiples, humans must often assist in getting the babies out of their birth sacs, dried off and warm, and suckling. On occasion the does can't cope with all the babies at once and without help, the babies can die. We run an array of barn cameras 24/7, 365 days/year. We intentionally attend every birth (no matter the hour) and assist if needed. During kidding season our camera livestream is essential for hearing when a doe is in active labor. We hand-breed our does so we know their due dates (goats have a 5-month gestation), but the birth window is 10 days, so the timing of the actual births is mother nature’s surprise.
We have kids available for sale each spring/summer and sometimes juvenile goats or milking does or Moms with babies. If you're interested, please see the FOR SALE details below. Goats are herd animals and we will only sell them in pairs (or more) unless they're going to a home that already has miniature goats.
