Welcome to ValleyShire Nigerian Goats

We are a small farm, and animal rescue, near Louisa, Va.
Our Nigerians are raised to be pets or show goats and are NEVER sold for meat or at a livestock sale. We place each one carefully.
Our goats are sold with all immunizations and are wormed and trimmed routinely. I do not disbud goats and will not provide that service.
Our Nigerians are unregistered and registered. Most of our babies are bottle fed and hand raised, many in the house. So each one is friendly, although quite spoiled.


Information about the Nigerian Breed

Nigerian Dwarf goats are small, but true refined dairy goats in a smaller package. They are easy to handle, alert, intelligent, hardy animals. The maximum height for does is 22 ½", bucks 23 ½". They produce a reasonable amount of milk for the average family, approximately one quart per milking. They can be all colors and patterns. Color is not our primary focus but we thoroughly enjoy the surprise and infinite range of colors and patterns we can get with the Nigerians! It is a nice bonus! Being natural browsers, they prefer eating fresh growing vegetation. Unlike cows or sheep, they rarely will eat close to the ground. They can be raised in all climates. They require less feed and do not need elaborate or large housing. Wethers make exceptional pets and companion animals, being very gentle. Goats are very social animals and are not happy alone. So, if just starting out, you need to start with two, not one.
There is no noticable difference between the flavor of properly handled goats’ milk and that of cows’ milk. Goats’ milk is a good source for calcium. It is whiter in color and easier to digest than cows’ milk due to the small fat globules and soft curds. Many people who are allergic to cows’ milk can tolerate goats’ milk. Nigerian Dwarf milk is higher in butterfat, making it more creamy and delicious. The neurological development of babies and children is dependent upon fat in their diet. Children on low-fat diets suffer from growth problems, failure to thrive & learning disabilities. (Food Chem News 10/3/94). Our does give us good milk high in butterfat which is not only healthful to drink, but makes delicious yogurt, kefir, cheese and whatever else we have time to make!