Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, May 22, 1994                   TAG: 9405180022
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Karen Davis
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

PLAYFUL MINIATURE GOATS OFFER OWNERS FRESH MILK, BRUSH CONTROL

Brush control is just one advantage of keeping goats as pets. The other is goat's milk.

Ed Kinser of Bent Mountain raises Nigerian Dwarf goats. Although people acquire them mainly as pets, they are touted as miniature dairy goats. They yield just enough milk for a small family - about a quart a day, Kinser said.

The Nigerian Dwarfs from West Africa are still fairly new in the United States with less than 2,000 registered in the country and only about five herds in Virginia, Kinser said. Kinser has about 38 goats in his herd.

The maximum height for Nigerian Dwarf females, properly called "does" (not nanny goats), is 21 inches; for males, called "bucks" (not billy goats), it's 23 inches. Average weight at maturity is about 50 pounds or less.

The more commonly known miniature goat, the Pygmy, is about the same height. But the "dwarfs are finer-boned, more refined looking, more deer-like," Kinser said; whereas, "Pygmies are short and stocky with broad shoulders and hips and wide heads."

A member of the Blue Ridge Pygmy Goat Club, Kinser also has raised Pygmy goats but prefers the Nigerian Dwarfs because he said they tend to have fewer problems giving birth.

Goat youngsters are called "kids." Generally, kids are taken away from their mothers and bottle-fed, if the mothers are going to be used for milking.

Although goat's milk is not totally hypoallergenic, Kinser said, it is more digestible than cow's milk. Goat's milk contains smaller fat globules that remain naturally dispersed throughout, instead of rising to the top.

Pasteurized goat's milk from licensed dairies is available in some supermarkets. State law prohibits the sale of unpasteurized goat's milk, Kinser said. Many people who keep dairy goats do so simply to supply their own milk needs. They also use the milk to make homemade cheeses and soaps. For personal use, the milk can be pasteurized at home, heating it to a specified temperature on the stove or in a microwave oven.

Being naturally hardy creatures, goats are easy to keep, but "they despise getting wet," Kinser said. Appropriate shelter is a must. A large dog house makes a suitable shelter for two dwarf goats, he said.

A well-fenced lot should be at least 20 feet by 20 feet, and the larger the better.

"Miniature goats aren't too prone to climbing over fences," Kinser said. "The more important consideration there is to fence out dogs."

To avoid problems, goats and dogs either have to be raised together or carefully introduced to each other and supervised, he said.

Goats prefer eating broadleaf plants, called "browse," to grass.

If enough browse is not available, supplement with hay and a high-quality commercial grain mix for goats.

Goats need an annual tetanus shot and routine deworming. There is no approved rabies vaccine for goats, Kinser said, but some people give their goats a sheep rabies vaccine.

Goats' cloven hooves need to be trimmed with heavy scissors every month or so, depending on natural growth and wear patterns.

Dehorning is recommended for pet goats - particularly those exposed to children - and for goats housed in restricted lots with other animals.

Horns are permanently removed with a cauterizing tool when a kid is 1 to 3 weeks old. At this early age, when the nerves in the horn buds aren't well-developed, the short procedure is believed to cause minimal pain.

Unless you're going to raise dwarf goats, Kinser recommends neutering the males to eliminate the musky odor they give off during breeding season.

Nigerian Dwarf goats are fully mature at about one year and can begin breeding then. Gestation lasts 145 days. Twins are the norm, and triplets are not uncommon, Kinser said.

"Dwarf goats can breed any time of the year, which is not true for the large breeds," Kinser said.

As pets, "goats have wonderful personalities and are very friendly if handled from birth," Kinser said. "They are curious creatures, and they love to play and climb" on large stumps, logs, boulders and boardwalks provided for them.