Why are ND's and Boers more popular?

I'm glad i read this i get my lamancha in feb and she will be in milk and my milk stand is built for nigerians...oh i see a huge problem here:hair:

 

Devin, too funny, I have the opposite eating pattern, my Nubian doe is a pig disguised as a goat... nom nom nom all day long. My ND's are dainty little munches and would rather get into mischief than eat.

After reading each response I wonder how much is region based? Here in the PNW we have a pretty good mix of all kinds of goats.

 

A lot of the selection does have to do with the region you're in, that's a known fact. In Texas, you wouldn't want a goat that can't handle heat waves, and in Wisconsin, I wouldn't want a goat that can't handle the cold!

As for crossing:
Dairy x Dairy
Enter any given breed on either side. For example breeding a Saanen and Alpine. Several reasons. To raise the butterfat, add some interesting color, and add a little sass. Most crosses are done because of milk components (fat, protein, merit, poundage, etc)

Meat x Dairy
Again enter any breed of each. For example Boer covering a Saanen. This pairing would make a great dual purpose goat. You'd have the ability to use the bucklings as a great lean muscle goat with high gain, and use the doelings for milk or meat, whatever. This particular pairing usually stays tall, but it stretches (visualize please) the Boer breed out to appear longer, leaner, wider.

 

I started with fiber goats, actually. Cashmere. Beautiful goat, but a little wild. We got the Nigerians, because DH heard about them. I went along because they are cute. Mine milk pretty well. I have a friend with a Nubian doe, and while she milks very easy, she milks about 5lbs/day, on average. I have Nigerians that milk that much, for half the feed cost.

 

I started with just the standard size cause we had a mini goat in the past that caused us a lot of problems & money
We got Toggs mainly, with a couple alpines and Nubians (I'd prefer just the alpines myself )
But since my entire family is close to 6' tall it's a pain for us to have to bend way down when moving our kids - wouldn't want to do that to move the full grown does and bucks too...

Though I do want a pygora... :s

 

I chose Nigerians as a primary breed because from a farm business standpoint, I have limited carrying capacity (18 acres) and want to be able to maximize farm revenues while supporting the goats on my land. Simply put, I can have more Nigerians in the same place grazing and eating my hay as full size goats, and thereby sell more youngstock. I have Lamanchas, but boy do they eat a lot more! Then again, for serious milk, we turn to the Lamanchas. I love both breeds for their sweet temperaments.

 

I know it was hard to find a good registered Alpine buck in NE OH. I ended up driving 300+ miles to get a buckling that I won't be able to use until
next yr. I do have a good buck, but he is related to alot of the Alpines as his breeder is a very popular Alpine person. Alpine and ND's are
big in my area, Nubians and Saanens are next to impossible to find. (I picked up 2 great Saanen does in Southern OH when I got the Alpine buckling).

I will have Alpine x Saanen kids, I don't want another buck just to use on the Saanens, 2 bucks is way more than enough!

 

Most of our crossbreds were exactly because we only brought in one buck to breed everything -- breeding mainly to get the does in milk.

Breeding your dairy doe to a meat breed will put the doe in milk and let you use the kids for meat.

This year we are doing lots of angora crosses. One girl (club herd) really wants fiber goats but had very bad luck with them. Talking to other local angora breeders they recommend she try the pygoras because they tend to be hardier (at least in our area, where the grade angoras are getting inbred unless you can afford to import stock from out of state) -- and because we can disbud the crossbreds to more easily run with our mixed flock (their fur isn't as dense, so they don't have the overheating problems - and for our 4H fair crossbred fiber goats can show dehorned while angoras only with horns). She managed to get her hands on a gorgeous registered light chocolate angora buck, so we (whole club herd) bred everything to him.

 

Ugh I see where your coming from. All I can find around here is either Boers, Nigerian Dwarfs, or Mini Nigerian standard crosses. The most popular standards are the Nubians. If I do find a purebred of another breed they are normally of poor quality. Though there are a few very good goat breeders here its rare you can get a goat from them since they are so back ordered.

 

I don't think new breeders realize all the care and keeping that is needed to put into a goat. That is why I think a lot of places look unsanitary and gross. That is why we are here, to help people and their goats live a healthier life.

 

To answer the original question: I have no idea. I got some Lamanchas about 5 years ago and have no desire to own any other type of goat EVER again

 

Because LaMancha's are an amazing breed that will win your heart. They've got mine.