The Size of Adult Mini Goats

Many people imagine goats the size of small dogs when they hear the phrase "miniature goat," and they often wonder how anything so small can be useful. In fact, most mature miniature goats are 19 to 29 inches tall at the shoulder and weigh in between 50 and 150 pounds. They are useful as producers of milk and fiber. They pull carts and carry packs and grow plump on a variety of weeds before being processed for meat.

  1. What Is a Miniature?

    • Some miniature goats are goats that are smaller than a corresponding long-established, standard-sized breed. There are also true miniatures. These small goats were not the result of purposeful crosses; their breeds have responded to environmental pressures and evolved to be smaller than most of the other animals of their kind.

    Naturally Miniature

    • Pygmy and Nigerian dwarf goats share a common ancestor; as a result, they have similar heights. In general, these true miniatures range in size from about 19 inches to 23 inches. Although their common ancestor, the West African dwarf, was selectively bred by goat enthusiasts at zoos, these derivative breeds are roughly the same size as the original stock. Fanciers often breed for Pygmies toward the bottom of the height range and Nigerians toward the top, though the entire height range is allowed in both breed descriptions.

    Miniaturized Standard Goats

    • There are shades of grey in this area, but most miniature versions of larger goats (for example, mini Nubians or mini LaManchas) range in size from 23 inches to about 29 inches when measured at the shoulder. They frequently have been created by crossing a full-sized doe with a Nigerian dwarf or Pygmy buck, depending on the breed. Meat breeds tend to choose the Pygmy for its stocky build while dairy breeds favor the Nigerian. Miniature fiber goats are crosses between fiber goats and either Pygmies or Nigerians.

    Why Minis?

    • When there are perfectly good goats in the world that were considered to be a fine size for generations, it may seem strange that miniatures are suddenly gaining in popularity. Today's smaller farms and smaller families often don't require as much meat or milk as the larger goats (who can be two or three times the size of their miniature counterparts) provide. On top of that, the Nigerian dwarf gives milk with a very high butterfat content, which makes them, and the miniature breeds they have been used to create, more efficient milk producers for cheese and soap makers.