How to Breed MiniNubians
MiniNubians are a small breed of dairy goat. Friendly and well-tempered, you can use the MiniNubian in shows similar to dog shows. You can also keep it as a pet or use it to produce milk. For the new MiniNubian breeder, you need to learn the details of proper breeding of this animal to ensure your MiniNubians are healthy and happy.
- Difficulty:
- Moderate
Instructions
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The Basic Breeding Process
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1
Select Nubian does that are the most likely to produce offspring with ideal qualities in terms of temperament and conformation. For many breeders, the most important characteristic to look for is a doe with strong udders that produce good milk. Additionally, you should consider good shape and temperament when selecting does. The nubians should generally be at least one year old before breeding and you should make sure they are well fed, but not over weight, just before you begin the breeding process.
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2
Find a Nigerian Dwarf Buck with which to breed your does. You can either purchase a Nigerian Dwarf Buck, or you can work in conjunction with another breeder who already has a buck. This first breeding will produce what is referred to as 50/50, meaning that the offspring will be 50 percent Nubian and 50 percent Nigerian.
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3
Breed the offspring of the first breeding to either a Mini Nubian or a Nubian. This will create offspring that are 75 percent Nubian and 25 percent Nigerian. These offspring will not yet have the appropriate conformation of a Mini Nubian, and may be taller than the 23-26 inches in height of a MiniNubian, but one or more steps of breeding will achieve those results.
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4
Breed the 75 percent Nubian/25 percent Nigerian offspring to another MiniNubian in order to achieve conformation and milk production in line with that of the MiniNubian breed. When choosing which offspring to breed in each successive breeding, choose those whose personalities and appearance are most exemplary of the breed.
Getting Your Nubians to Breed
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1
Monitor your goats to see when they are in heat. In most cases, this happens during early fall, but goats can go through several cycles each year of being in heat. You can tell whether your female Nubian is in heat or not by observing her behavior. If she is being more vocal with bleating than normal, this is a good sign that she is ready to mate. Your goat may also be less interested in eating and more interested in paying attention to bucks.
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2
Run your female goat with the buck in order to get her to breed, which involves putting her in a pen with the male Nubian in order to allow them time to breed. This can take up to three weeks in some cases. You can generally tell when your female Nubian has successfully mated with the male Nubian because her tail and rear area will be messy.
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3
Have your vet perform a blood test or ultrasound to see if your female MiniNubian is pregnant. You can do this between 18 and 25 days after you put your male and female together and observed signs of breeding.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Once you have bred three generations of MiniNubians, you may file an application for registration status of your MiniNubians if their appearances comply with the standards of the breed. These standards include long ears and what is referred to as a roman nose.
MiniNubians can be many different colors.
When breeding, remember that the standards of the breed include a friendly personality as well as long ears that are in the shape of a bell, and a flat face (or "roman nose").
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References
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