Nubian Buck Characteristics

Nubian goats are among the tallest goats.

Goats are one of the earliest domesticated animals. Archaeological sites in western Asia have shown that their domestication happened somewhere between 6000 and 7000 B.C. Most are descended from the Bezoar goat from the mountains of Asia Minor and the Middle East. Anglo Nubian, called Nubian goats in America, share this lineage. They're originally from African and India.

The Anglo Nubian or Nubian

The Nubian is an all purpose goat used for meat, milk and hides. The goat was developed in England by crossing British goats with Nubian bucks. This improved the British species' ability to breed and thrive in hot weather. The Nubian is a large, graceful, dignified goat and is named for Nubia in northeastern Africa. The goats imported from Africa, Arabia and India to improve the breed of British goats were hardy and the Nubian is still crossed with native goats to raise either the milk or meat production or both. It's also a family-friendly goat.

Coat

The Nubian has floppy ears that are longer than its nose and hang close to the head. It's always short haired and can have any solid or part colored coat, though black, red or tan are the most common colors and can be combined with white. The bucks have a longer and harsher coat than the female and are very sturdy and strong animals.

Eyes, Nose, Ears

The eyes are medium sized, set wide and obliquely. They're almond shaped and, like horses and other goats, the pupils are horizontal. The teeth should meet the hard pad of the upper jaw, but if the animal's being shown an undershot jaw wouldn't be penalized as long as the teeth weren't visible. If the goat has horns they should be set wide apart and sweep backwards without an outward curve. The buck should have a Roman nose, and a convex or out curving profile, which is sometimes very pronounced in a buck. The pendulous ears should flare out a little at the tip, making a bell shape. The ears shouldn't be thick.

Body

A Nubian buck should stand at least 35 inches at the withers, or the highest part of the back at the base of the neck and above the shoulders, and weigh at least 175 lbs. He should have high fine shoulders that merge smoothly into the body and good heart room. The forelegs should be straight and held squarely below the animal. The body should be long with the croup, or hindquarters, a bit higher than the withers as long as the spine doesn't curve. The tail should not be twisted and the feet should be proportional to the buck's bone structure. Feet should be neat, even and level bearing.

References

• Anglo Nubian Breed Society for Goats; British Goat Society Affiliated
• Oklahoma State University Department of Animal Science: Anglo-Nubian Goats