We have been learning a great deal about Nigerian Dwarf Dairy goats since starting up our farm. We decided we wanted fresh milk, but wanted to keep the size of the animals on our property small. We researched the different breeds and found that we could have the best of both worlds with Nigerians! We can have small animals with superior quality milk that doesn't have a heavy "goat" flavor. And goat milk is so much better than cows milk for digestion. And we also found out just how so very sweet and friendly these goats can be! We are so happy to be offering these little rays of sunshine to other people to enhance their lives too.

We started with a wether, a buck, and a mother-daughter pair last year and have been impatiently waiting for our own milk...and kids! Our patience paid off March 3rd when the daughter of the pair gave birth to 2 bouncing (jumping) baby boys, and developed an udderfull of milk! The milk is better than I thought it would be, and my husband who isn't a milk drinker anyway, loves the milk too. We have bought cheese books and have made our first cheeses, a soft neufchatel with pineapple in it, and a farmhouse cheddar that isn't ready yet, and look forward to  making more.

For anyone thinking of getting started with your own herd, I highly recommend NDG's. They are very easy to manage, being small, and for their size produce a good amount of high quality milk. You can spend a lot of money if you are interested in show quality animals, or a bit less for your own personal consumption. We started somewhere in the middle. I am wethering all my boys for a while until I attend a few shows to watch and learn. I know my girls have good roots, and my boys are adequate,  so they are at least more than adequate for personal use and possibly more.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made...And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.  John 1:1 - 14

Ahh, Soays. I love the smell of my sheep...and I love their wool for hand spinning, though I am still learning how. They are sheep, so they don't have the desire to be with their humans, like the goats do. But they are used to my presence for the most part, and are relatively easy to round up for treatments and care.
They are also small, and since they shed their wool, are easy to manage.