# Mini Nubian Heat Cycles



## horsesandhoofprints (Dec 2, 2013)

Hi all,

I had a question for those of you who have Mini Nubians. I have a 1/2 Nubian & 1/2 Nigerian doeling. I was wondering; do they favor the Nigerians year round heat cycling or the full size Nubian semi-seasonal heat cycling? ( I've heard that they can come into heat almost year-round in some cases.) My doeling is 8 months old, but I think I've yet to see her come into heat. (She was born early last June.) I'm very good at seeing them come into heat as my buck is right next to the does. Now she is big enough to slip through my pasture gate and usually spends a lot of her time on my porch ; so she's usually not around my buck that much. Though I would expect she would find him if she was in heat. Anyway, I was just wondering since she's getting older and all my other goats were bred to kid at 13-14 months old. I really don't want a dry yearling. Thanks!!


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

Hm, you would think she would have had a heat sometime this winter. Maybe she has silent heats? There are some does that are very sneaky about it. Does she share a fenceline with a buck? It is possible for them to breed through the fence sometimes. What does her vulva and teats look like? Is the vulva normal, especially at the tip? Are her teats normal sized for her age?


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## swgoats (May 21, 2010)

Mine have seasonal heats. That said my June kid did cycle and flag this winter. I did not breed her. I do hold mine over unless they are so growthy I'm concerned they will be prone to obesity if they aren't bred. I like they way they turn out better when I hold them over, and it helps me keep my numbers down. I haven't found the dry yearlings to be a problem. I do find the MN to be very sneaky about heats. I rarely catch every one of them - that's why I still pen breed.


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## horsesandhoofprints (Dec 2, 2013)

Angie, 
If you have just a minute, would you mind telling me just a little bit about the Mini Nubians? I was wondering in what ways they favor the Nigerian breed and in what ways they favor the Nubian breed (milk amounts, body size, ect.). Or is it just a "every goat is different" type thing. This is my first time to have a Mini Nubian goat. I'd appreciate any info you can share.


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## swgoats (May 21, 2010)

I kind of depends how you breed them - what you select for. I tend to breed them to be more Nubian like than Nigerian. I'm not a huge Nigerian fan. I didn't like milking Nigerians. I don't like how with a lot of them the teats are close to the legs, and they don't have as strong a medial ligament dividing the udder. I also don't like really small goats, cause I'm 5'7", and it hurts my back to lead them. So I aim for around 27" at the withers - long wide animals with long legs and long necks. I aim for more Nubian like udders with big, plumb teats. I like does that give around 8lbs - some people don't want that and are happy with 4lbs. For me smaller minis give less milk, but I breed them to be proportioned to their legs - no big bodies on short legs.

But it does vary what you get. It takes time to get consistency. I have animals I consider my ideal, and animals that are ok but not exactly what I'm wanting. You will find there are a lot of different types out there. Mine are very dairy to the point I struggle more with them milking off weight than getting fat. Other herds have meaty type minis. Some herds show more Nigerian influence. Overall I do find Minis to be less "in your face" than Nubians - the bucks are very gentle. I've never had one challenge me, whereas I have had Nubian bucks rear up at me. But all my Nubians have been bottle raised, so that may be why they are in my face. My minis are dam raised. They are friendly, but don't invade my space so badly. But I'd don't know, I feel there is a neurotic quality to Nubians I don't see with minis.  The minis kid very easily and are very hardy. I think they are ideal for beginners for that reason....


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