We raise Nigerian Dwarf goats on our 12 acre hobby farm in Olympia, Washington between Tumwater and Rochester. It’s a bit over and hour from Seattle and just under 2 hours from Portland, Oregon.
The Nigerian Dwarf goat is a breed of miniature dairy goat. They’re sometimes mistaken for Pygmy goats, due to their similar size, but Nigerian Dwarfs have a more refined appearance and come in a wider variety of colors, including the possibility of blue eyes. Goats are measured at the highest point of the withers and Nigerian Dwarf does should be at least 17 inches tall and may be no taller than 22.5 inches. Bucks are also at least 17 inches tall and no taller than 23.5 inches.
We started out with Nigerian Dwarf Goats with the purchase of two does in 2012, with the plan to keep them as pets and weed eaters. Soon after adding goats to our family we realized what great pets they can be, but also that they produce delicious milk. We like Nigerian Dwarf goats for their smaller size, they’re easy for our kids to handle and they enjoy participating with our goats in 4-H and open shows. We participate in ADGA Linear Appraisal, DHIA milk testing, and occasionally attend ADGA shows.
Our very first doe was SG Elfin Acres Daisy, she came to our farm in the summer of 2012 when she was 2 years old, she passed in 2022 but her genetics live on in our herd. We’ve have since gone from the first two does, to a herd. We milk our goats and enjoy making cheese, soap, ice cream, yogurt, caramel and more. Our goal is to improve our lines with each breeding and we look for Nigerian Dwarfs with good temperaments, correct conformation, milking ability and health. We want them to be wonderful pets and milk goats, while meeting the breed standard of a proportionate and productive dairy goat in miniature. Coat color is fun and we do have a variety of colors but it is not something we breed for in our herd. We appreciate the solid gold and sleek black goats just as much as their more flashy herd mates.
All of our goats are registered with American Dairy Goat Association (ADGA). Once they are old enough, our goats are tested for CAE, CL disease and all been negative every year tested. We only buy goats from healthy herds, new goats are quarantined for a month before being introduced to the main herd, this allows time to ensure their good health and perform a biosecurity screen with a blood test. A veterinarian can help you determine what you should test for and when. You can learn more about disease testing at Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab (WADDL) this is our preferred lab for disease testing.
FOUR CEDARS 