A Nubian goat is a dairy goat recognized for its enormous size, long, silky ears, and superior milk quality. Even those new to the goat-keeping industry can recognize them owing to their long, floppy ears. Another name for this breed of goat is the Anglo-Nubian goat.
Farmers who want to raise goats for their milk and make rich cheese are highly interested in this goat breed. Furthermore, this goat’s propensity for being noisier than most other goat breeds is another factor that makes it easily noticeable.
However, how long do Nubian goats live? When raised as pets, they become a nuisance and are more vulnerable to predators. So, raising them in a safe environment and keeping them healthy to ensure their long lifespan is essential.
What is the Life Expectancy of Nubian Goats?
The National Nubian Goat Association states that a Nubian goat lives 12 to 15 years on average. It’s not unusual for a Nubian to live for 20 years or longer.
This goat breed tends to live the longest when compared to other breeds. Said these breeds are more challenging than others.
A Nubian goat’s longevity and health depend on its diet and proper veterinarian treatment. However, how do you keep the Nubian goat healthy?
How To Keep Nubian Goats Healthy
The Nubian goat is peculiar for having a long lifespan. These goats can live for 15 or even 18 years in the right circumstances. This is especially true if they have access to various wholesome foods and lots of open space to forage, roam, and exercise. Some other considerations to ensure a healthy Nubian goat lifestyle includes:
Water and Food
There should be more than enough excellent grass, clover hay, or alfalfa available for the goats. To add variation, ensure enough roughage, branches, shrubs, and weeds. Hay is the finest source of this roughage.
Nubian goats will also eat leftover vegetables, blackberry, salal bushes, and rose and garden trimmings. You can sample a range of snacks that Nubians enjoy eating, like fruits, vegetables, and leafy greens are excellent on occasion.
Furthermore, these goats love garden leftovers and weeds as supplements. On the kinds of leaves that they eat, there are specific guidelines that must be in place. Some plants, like azaleas, tansy ragwort, oleander, and gum, may be poisonous and toxic, and consuming chamomile and daisies can give their milk a sour flavour.
Breeding
The female Nubian goat can reproduce as early as seven weeks old and are a prolific breeder. However, it’s a wrong move to breeding this goat at a very early age as the ideal time to breed this female goat is when they are about eight months old.
They reach full maturity around two, and females usually develop their total milking capacity. This way, goats can live much longer and have kids to their fullest capacity.
Characteristics of Nubian Goats That Contribute to Their Lifespan
The Nubian goat exhibits specific characteristics that contribute to its long lifespan. Some of these characteristics include the following:
Strength and Capacity
Nubian goats are peculiar for being robust, causing them to particularly age well. Despite being older than twelve, the females continue to reproduce and provide good milk.
Growth Rate
One of the reasons why Nubian goats are excellent meat goats is because they have rapid growth rates. This goat breed’s members have fat bodies, which once contributed to their ranking as the best meat goat breed.
Versatility and Fertility
Farmers consider Nubian goats a versatile breed as they can also pass as dairy goats. Furthermore, they are particularly peculiar for being fertile as well.
They are more likely to birth twins, triplets, and even quadruplets if managed well. This fertility contributes to their lifespan and the continued existence of this breed.
Personality
Nubian goats are intelligent and curious animals. These adorable lop-eared creatures have an amiable and submissive appearance.
Nubian goats are popular farm pets for milk producers because of their friendly disposition. Most Nubians are friendly, easygoing, and gregarious creatures who enjoy socializing.
Expression of Feelings
These goats have a habit of vocalizing, whether joyful, sad, stimulated, or terrified. Although, they are bad dogs in neighbourhoods with near neighbours as their noise can build up over time. However, their clear expression of feeling can help identify when they are in danger or need to get away from harm.
Ways to Care For Nubian Goats
Properly caring for your Nubian goat ensures they live a long and profitable life. Some of the ways to contribute to the proper care of your goat are;
Grooming
Trimming the hooves may be necessary, depending on the type of region you live in. The frequency of hoof clipping can be more if you live in a hilly area with a lot of rough terrain and goats that can climb rocks. However, continuous checking and grooming are necessary.
Before clipping the goat’s feet, it’s best to tie them to prevent injury. Four weeks after birth is the ideal time to begin clipping the baby’s hooves to avoid additional problems in the future. To maintain the goat healthy and prevent foot rot, repeat this procedure every three months.
Housing/Shelter
Giving Nubian goats a decent and adequate place to dwell is one of the most critical components of caring for them. They need a fenced yard to keep predators out and ensure they are safe inside.
At least 4 feet must separate any fencing from the ground when building a shelter for Nubian goats. In actuality, these goats generally need more space than other types of goats. Each goat needs at least 200 square feet of area, and since they are from the Middle Eastern, they can adapt to hot and cold climates.
Medical Care
Nubian goats are healthier than any other goats or animals, and goats, in general, are robust creatures. They need regular exams and immunizations. Therefore, you must carry out some routine actions to maintain their health.
You should make sure the goat receives the correct vaccinations. Every year, it’s essential to administer enterotoxemia and tetanus vaccines to them.
Furthermore, they need to get regular deworming. So, keep a close eye out for worms, parasites, and lice on your goat. To design a health regimen for your goat, speak with a veterinarian.
Most times, the Nubian goats live for quite a several years. However, you should ensure that these goats are kept in the right conditions, as proper maintenance dramatically contributes to the lifespan of the Nubian goat.
