Why mini nubians?
The paragraphs below were actually written many years ago on another farm on another website….the farm formerly known as Slate Creek Farm I have incuded them here as a blog post because people often ask why I chose Mini Nubians over other breeds when I started my herd (Irm’s Girls) in 2006.
For lots of different reasons, but for me, it is all about the milk. Full size Nubians are beautiful, powerful animals that produce a good volume of milk. Nigerians make milk with a high butterfat content, but they can be difficult to milk. With Minis, you get the best of both breeds: higher butterfat than Nubians & higher volume and easier to milk than Nigerians.
Mini Nubians are the Goldilocks goats. Not too big, not too small, but just right. With the added benefit of extra creaminess.
But there are other reasons, too. Full size Nubians can weigh over 200 pounds. The average Mini is just about 100 pounds or less. This makes them much easier to handle when feeding, medicating, trimming hooves, milking, clipping or showing. Lots of kids in this area are choosing Minis for their 4H dairy goats. They are a great size for this, and as cute as can be!
Also very important to consider, a mini Nubian buck is very easy to handle. A full size Nubian buck in rut....not so much.
Minis are much easier on fences, feeders, milk stands, etc. and they just plain do not require as much barn space.
When you are ready to bring them home, Mini Nubians are not only easy to handle, they are also easy to transport. Even our adult Minis can fit in a large dog crate in the back of our Subaru wagon. No trucks or trailers involved. Try doing that with a full size Nubian :)
Because they are so much smaller, they only consume about half the amount of feed.
With mini Nubians, given the same dollar/food/space budget, you can have more of them. For the same amount you would need for 2 Nubian does you can have a whole herd of minis!!!! More personalities, more fun, more kisses, more goat therapy, more whatever it is you love about your goats.....
When ya look at the whole picture, they are a terrific choice for anyone who wants to know where their food comes from by having a “back yard herd” or hobby farm.
But about the milk. I have read many times that "on average Minis give about 2/3 the volume of milk that a full size nubian does", but that has not been my experience so far.
So how much milk do they produce?? First time milkers of any breed will always give less than experienced does. I have found my first fresheners give about 3-5 lbs of milk a day. Senior does average around 5-7 lbs of milk per day; and a few really good ones make it into the "Gallon Club" giving over 8 pounds of milk a day !! Not bad when you compare that to what ADGA says is average for Nubians; Despite the outrageous claims some “for sale” ads will make, the average Nubian in 2009 was 5.8 lbs. My experience has shown that my minis make almost as much milk as the "average" Nubian!! at about half the cost of feed. I love a good bargain :)