Nubian goats resting

Do you want to know how big Nubian goats can get if properly fed? Then you are in the right place.

Nubians are vocal stubborn dairy goats that weigh between 100 and 250 pounds. Specifically, the Nubian bucks stand 32 inches tall at the withers and weigh a minimum of 160 pounds, and the Nubian does stand at least 30 inches and weigh a minimum of 135 pounds.

Most adult Nubians weigh as much as 200 pounds. You can easily identify a Nubian goat due to its floppy bell-shaped ears, which makes it stand unique amongst other species of goats.  

History of Nubian Goats

Nubian goats are one of the oldest known goat species in the world. The Anglo-Nubian goats were crossbred with lop-eared goats from North Africa, India, and the Middle East during the nineteenth century. In 1883, the first set of Nubian goats was imported from Paris, France, to England.

The Nubian goats became a favorite choice of goat for English settlers when traveling to America, where the settlers used them as their main source of meat and milk on the ship as they journeyed on the ocean.  

When the settlers arrived in America, they began breeding the goats, and it was not until 1913 that the Nubian goats became an officially recognized breed. The Nubian was derived from the desert region of Nubian in Northern Sudan, where it originated from.

The present Nubian goat you know today came as a result of crossbreeding. Some scholars argue that the name doesn’t go well with the present-day Nubian goat, but it is.

Personality

Nubians are smart, vocal, curious, and stubborn goats with incredibly friendly and docile personalities. They are primarily bred for milk, but some farmers and homes keep them as farm pets due to their amicable personalities.  

The Nubians are also remarkable for their strength and sturdy buildup. You can use a Nubian goat to pull cats and saddle-pack animals. This is to tell you that they are multi-functional. One of the wired things about these goats is that they love to stroke and be stroked on both sides of their heads and necks.

Also, due to their sturdy buildup, there have excellent disease resistance and can live anywhere you place in the world, whether in tropical or warmer regions. The annoying part of the Nubian goats is that they can be very loud – really loud. They bleat both often, and it is always noisy.

If a Nubian goat is hungry or thirsty, it bleats hard enough to catch everybody’s attention. If it is boring, it bleats very hard. If it is cold, it bleats, and if it wants the attention of its humans, it bleats.  

So before you purchase a Nubian goat, you have to consider the nature of your neighborhood. If your neighborhood is quiet, you will have to think twice before getting a Nubian goat so that you don’t disturb other neighbors, which may warrant the attention of the police.

However, if you’re living in the countryside, and there are no restrictions on the number of farm animals you can keep, you can decide to get as many Nubian goats as you desire. Nubian goats primarily hail from Africa and the Middle East. They can be extremely hardy in hot climates and survive in warmer climates.

Due to their origin, they possess a longer breeding season, which greatly benefits the farmers. This is coupled with their ability to produce milk all year round. Also, their rapid growth rate is another advantage.  

Physical Description

The Nubian is a large dairy goat characterized by long, bell-shaped ears that drop down an inch below the face. It possesses short and glossy fur with a small upturned tail. It comes in various colors ranging from black and tan to red.

Their long floppy ears are not without their unique functions, as it helps keep the goats cool in tropical areas. Similar to other goats, Nubians have horizontal pupils in their eyes, giving them a wider range of peripheral vision.

Diet

Nubian goats primarily feed on hay and commercial livestock grain. You can still add vegetables and fruits to their diets. Like other goats, you shouldn’t feed your Nubian goats citrus fruits as it can upset their stomach, leftover meat scraps it can be toxic to them, and food like onion, garlic, chocolate, or any source of caffeine.

You should also avoid poisonous plants such as Eastern Baccharis, Black Cherry, Virginia Creeper, Nightshade, Honeysuckle, Dog Fennel, China Berries, Pokeweed, Redroot Pigweed, and Crotalaria.

Tips when purchasing a Nubian goat

You need to purchase a healthy Nubian goat that benefits you, and if you are not aware of certain tips, you may be tricked into buying a sick one. Below are the tips you must remember when purchasing a Nubian goat.

  1. If you purchase a Nubian doe or lactating goat, ask to taste the milk. If the milk doesn’t taste sweet or soar, it is a pointer that the goat might be ill or have mastitis. 
  2. Look around the environment where the goats are kept. Check out the hygienic condition of the place. If the sites don’t seem clean or overcrowded, you should be careful to purchase the Nubian goat there as it may possess some growth problems.
  3. Ask to see the goat’s CL and CAE test results and ensure they are free. These are common illnesses among Nubian goats that can make them sick presently or later in the future.  
  4. If you only want a purebred Nubian, carefully examine the breeding mate and his physical characteristics. Nubian – Nigerian goats (crossbreed of Nubian and Nigeria Dwarf goats) are becoming increasingly popular.
  5. The average price of a Nubian goat, regardless of the sex, is from $150 to $300 each. Cost varies greatly by age, sex, purebred state, and region.

Conclusion

Nubian goats need the same basic requirements as other breeds to survive and live long, such as nutrition, shelter, water, attention, and care. Despite their sturdy body buildup, they don’t escape like other strong breeds of goats.

Nubian goats hate boredom. As such, providing climbing and tunnel playthings to keep them busy is a necessity. If you are breeding them on a farmstead, you can allow them to gaze under watchful eyes regularly and freely.

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