First generation Kinders are the result of breeding a 100% Purebred Nubian dairy goat and a registered Pygmy goat. Female Minder goats usually stand 26 inches (66 cm) tall. Daily Life of our Pet Goats ! A bored goat can become a destructive or aggressive goat, as a rule. It was not until the following year that the first male Kinder goat was born. See more ideas about goats, kinder goats, dairy goats. Members of this goat breed are excellent browsers, and will spend all the time allowed wandering around their pasture or free ranging around your homestead in search of leaves, twigs, weeds, and grass to dine upon – which can offer quite a savings on. This came about then the Zederkamm farms Nubian buck died and they bred Nubian does with their Pygmy buck. The Kinder goat is a cross between a pygmy goat and a Nubian goat, and was developed at Zederkamm Farm in Snohomish, Washington, United States. We were excited to add them to our little farm. To keep Kinder goats (and all other breeds, too) stimulated both mentally and physically, create a “playground” inside of the pen. There is an official report of a goat that lived 24 years. There are many different factors that affect the life expectancy of goats. Kinders are dual-purpose goats by classification – dairy and meat goats. The average lifespan of a kinder goat is 15 years. According to official statistics, their lifespan is between 15 and 18 years. Older wethers have an even higher dressing percentage with some 14-month-old wethers having a live weight of 80 pounds and a carcass weight of 50 pounds - a dressing percentage of nearly 63 percent. Contrary to popular belief belief goats do not eat everything. And the first three Kinder goats were born on 30 June and 4 July 1986, all were females/does. Pygmy Goats. At that time we thought it would be a good thing to attempt due to a milk allergy in our son. Some kinder goats have pygmy ears while others have long Nubian ears depending on the cross percentage. Always make sure the playthings are stationary and positioned in the middle of the pen so they do not become a tool to stage a jumping escape. Tara lives on a 56 acres farm in the Appalachian Mountains, where she faces homesteading and farming challenges every single day. Eventually, we purchased two of the cutest, sweetest kid goats-- two sisters we named Martha and Penny. When building, think about how easy it will be to muck out old bedding. Their milk tends to be sweeter and higher in butter fat than most other breeds, this makes it ideal for making cheese and soaping as well as drinking. Goats are a challenging animal to keep! These ideas may be right or wrong. Kinders have the playfulness of their Pygmy heritage, and also possess the docile nature of their Nubian ancestors. Their old Nubian buck had died and left their two Nubian does without a mate. A herd-book was started in 1988; by 2006 about three thousand head had been registered. Their lifespan is between 25 to 35 years, occasionally more and mature height is 36 inches or under weighing between 225 and 350 pounds. The average lifespan of a Kinder goat is 12 to 15 years, but some members of this hardy miniature goat breed live up to 20 years old. Mini-Nubians and other mini dairy breeds are bred exclusively for milk production, and originated by breeding Nigerian Dwarfs to the dairy breed of choice, whereas Kinder goats originated by breeding Pygmy goats (a meat breed) to Nubians (a dual purpose breed) in order to achieve a mid-sized goat that would excel in both milk and meat production. MaDolly , Perri Drew,Boondocks, Moona Ruth & past babies ! We soon found there was sooo much joy and gratification working and playing with the goats. Goats need to have 10 to 15 square feet of housing if they also have an outdoor area. The Kinder is an American breed of domestic goat. Physical Characteristics of Kiko Goat. Find area sources of high quality feed, hay (ideally alfalfa), goat-specific loose minerals such as Manna Pro Goat Minerals or Sweetlix Meatmaker Goat Minerals, and Chaffhaye. This idea was aimed to get a high milk capacity goat with a small size. Ask area goat owners whom they recommend. They may have been introduced as early as the late 1830s by the first European settlers, who established a shore whaling station on the island. Our very first goats were Spanky and Fritz. The Arapawa goats are among the few survivors of the Old English milch (milk) goat which is now extinct to their native England. The Kinder goat, as it has evolved, is a joy to milk and an ideal small homestead milk producer. She swears that since she has been raising goats for 10 years and her goats don't live longer than that, this MUST be correct. Once you have looked at your budget, available goats in your area (or factored in the cost of driving to a breeder’s farm or having the Kinder goats shipped) you can move along with the herd development plan. She, along with fellow local female goatkeepers, Kathy Gilmore and Daralyn Hollenbeck, created the organization in an effort to promote and start a herd registration book for this new quality dual purpose goat breed. Male goats are capable of breeding when they are just 4 months old and female goats are capable of breeding when they are just 7 months old but they should usually be kept from breeding until they reach the age of 1 year. It is easily possible for a Kinder doe weighing about 115 pounds to produce five kids who in 14 months can weigh 80 pounds each and dress out at 50 pounds thereby producing 250 pounds of meat each year. Usually born weighing 4 or 5 pounds, they grow rapidly at a rate of about 7 pounds per month. A separate and secure nursing stall(s) for use by nannies when they are kidding and during the first few days to weeks of the new kids’ lives is also highly recommended. Read more information about this goat breed below. Though smaller, Kinder goats are required to meet the same standards of production to be eligible for star milker awards as their larger counterparts registered by the American Dairy Goat Association. And next year, the first Kinder buck was born. We've always been hobby farm enthusiasts, so we were excited about venturing into goat care. The first kiddings of Kinder goats took place on June 30 and the Fourth of July in 1986. When stuck in fences, goats will become frantic and can perish after hanging themselves or breaking their necks. Though smaller, Kinder goats are required to meet the same standards of production to be eligible for star milker awards as their larger counterparts registered by the American Dairy Goat Association. This makes them a great choice for meat production. The average lifespan of a kinder goat is 15 years. For instance, in case there are issues during the process of kidding, a doe (female goat) usually lives for 10 or 11 years. With cows, every gallon of milk garnered created one to 1.5 pounds of cheese. When building a pen to house this dual purpose breed, be mindful that their smaller size could make them even more susceptible to predators. You may have a preconceived idea about goats. I also keep a quarantine stall and a small pen area away from the main goat barn to separate new arrivals and sick or injured goats from the rest of the herds. Unlike the miniature quality milking breed, the Nigerian Dwarf, Kinder goats have typical hand-sized teats, making them easier to milk – especially for newbie keepers. I have owned Kinder Goats my whole life, and my parents have owned and bred Kinder Goats for over 25 years at Rustic Acres Farm. Liberty turned into a delightful goat with a charming personality, delightfully rich, sweet milk and the ability to produce three to six kids every year. Kinder goats reach 70% of their mature bodyweight during their first year of life. You should assume any link is an affiliate link. © 2021 New Life On A Homestead | Homesteading Blog, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-m1SgnDNHM, BABIES!!! Livestock > Sheep & Goats > Goats Cherryville, Pennsylvania. Kinders are breeds that resulted from the crossing of pygmy goats and Nubians. She gives us a beautiful doeling! We are a small family farm located in Southeastern Wisconsin, consistently striving to make life better for our animals, our planet and ourselves. The resulting stock was selectively bred to create a compact but well-muscled goat, suitable both for milk and for meat production. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Dardanelle, Arkansas My landlady keeps telling people that the average lifespan of a Nigerian goat and Nigerian Dwarf goat is 5 to 6 years. There are basically two ways to create your very own herd of Kinder goats. Logs, tires, wood swings, empty barrels that are nailed to stumps to make them stationary, and large rocks are just some economical ways to make a goat playground to satisfy their natural climbing and romping urges. Goats have a lifespan of up to 12 years with 8 being the average lifespan. 2 Male Goats. And there were about 3000 Kinder goats registered with the Kinder Goat Breeders Association (as of 7 April 2009). The Showalters took advantage of some sloping land on the Zederkamm Farm and used some logs to establish a spot with the proper height and angles for breeding to take place. Both the bucks and the does live an average of 12 years old. Most keepers do not disbud Kinder goats as kids to allow them at least some measure of protection against both domestic and wild predators. Growing first generation Kinder goats is an important part of the Kinder breeding program and necessary for the advancement of this lovely breed. Our Kinder Goat Doe Vega we got from Capricorn Acres has finally kidded! Hubby said he heard 6 months, but I would like the best meat possible..so what is a good age, or weight I guess to butcher? Goats were recorded at the station in … The Kiko goats … This number is expected to grow due to Kinder goats’ high frequency of multiple births and long lifespan, which can reach more than 15 years. They are known to be the smartest of all donkeys despite their size. Since the breed is being developed as a dual purpose breed, it is also important to note that the wethers (does as well) make extremely desirable meat animals. Harvest Hills Dairy Goat Farm, LLC. Teresa Hill, one of the recipients of the first Kinder goat kids from the nearby Zederkamm Farm, became so enamored with the efficiency and quality of the milk these goats produced that she helped found the Kinder Goat Breeders Association. Along with two other local Snohomish ladies, Daralyn Hollenbeck and Kathy Gilmore, Teresa launched an organization to register and promote this new, dual-purpose breed of goats. Finally! So they bred the Nubians to the little fellow and in the spring of 1986 three little doe kids were born, the first Kinders. Buying either a pair of registered or unregistered Kinder goats from a reputable breeder can cost between $150 to $250, on average. But first, you must decide if creating Kinder kids with a pedigree is important to you. This makes the dressing percentage a very favorable 60 percent. These two guys weren't the nicest, and so we traded up for some calmer, kinder goats. The Showalters did not want to take the mature female milk goats off the farm to be bred by a buck they did not own. The original, Zederkamm Liberty, has a 305-day record starting at 3 years and 6 months of age of 1,730 pounds of milk and 115 pounds of butterfat. Put together a goat care kit to handle common medical issues and general care. True, they had other goats including several Pygmies and the Pygmy buck was eager to be of help. If your goats are not going to live in the main livestock barn with other animals, you can save money and space by combining a goat shelter with playground items. I got my start in Kinder Goats at the age of 12. It is best to add some electrical fencing on the inside of the pen to deter the herd from even venturing too close to the fence. This is a relatively new breed, developed in 1985. Nigerian Dwarf Goats (not registered) Born 8/8/2020 brother and sister 1 male white $100 1 female brown $200 located in Wyoming... $80.00. Project initiated April, 1994 - Initial web site opened February 22, 1995. In 1986 the first three Kinder does were born in Washington. Inspect the Nubian doe or nanny goat being used carefully before breeding. You can get more cheese from milk with a Kinder goat than with a dairy cow. This dairy goat breed was created in Snohomish, Washington in 1985, but has largely gained only regional fame in the decades since… but that is changing. They decided to give the Pygmy Billy goat a shot, and see if such a breed could be successful and see what the kids stemming from the couplings would develop into. Kinder goats are used for their milk and meat. They have a base production of 1,500 pounds of milk in 305 days or less. They are more resistant to parasites and goat pneumonia that other breeds, on average. I was wondering at what age you all butcher your goats. --> She should be stocky (to help foster the dual breed characteristics of a Kinder goat), have a healthy udder and teats, and boast a solid milking history. $150.00. This site may earn commissions when you click on certain links. All of our goats are registered Kinder through the Kinder Goat Breeders Association.