Joyful Hearts Farm is located in Southern California in the Temecula Wine Country. We have a small herd of top quality
Registered Nigerian Dwarf Dairy goats. We have many diverse color patterns as well. Our foundation herd has been
carefully selected from some of the best bloodlines in the
country, primarily out of Rosasharn, Jobi, Twin Creeks and foundation lines such as Stonewall, Gay-Mor and Goodwood. We
are striving to breed the all around dairy goat
by placing equal emphasis on conformation, filling the milk pail, and milking temperment. We are committed to participating in
evaluations of our goats as offered by AGS & ADGA, via Classifications and Linear Appraisals, and participating in at least
one show a year, as well as milk testing our does. We practice natural herd health management, resulting in hardier stock
and healthier milk.
With our current economic situation many are considering ways of becoming a little more self-
sufficient. Many are purchasing a few Nigerian Dwarf dairy goats and chickens, along with planting small backyard gardens
to ease the burden of high food costs. Also, knowing where your food comes from is becoming more and more important to
us. The beauty of the Nigerian Dwarf is that they only require a small space to raise. They can provide your family with a
year round supply of fresh, raw goat milk. Two ND's only need about a 20' x 20' pen with a shelter. They are easy
keepers and a real delight to own. Some cities are even allowing 2-3 female goats (does), such as Seattle, WA and
Pasadena, CA. Making your own butter, cheese, kefir and desserts can become a reality with very little effort. Purchasing
from the best dairy lines, such as ours, will ensure that you will enjoy many years of production from your investment.
Our goal is to raise top quality dairy goats with correct conformation, dairy character, well supported udders, being easy to
milk (we hand milk), as well as having a sweet temperment on and off the milk stand! Our five Sr. Milking does all earned
their dairy stars in 2009. We are very proud of our girls and how they milk.
We feel that Linear Appraisal and Classification scores, along with milk stars, are far more important than being in the
show ring. We do however plan on showing at one or two shows when we can. This keeps our herd healthy since they do not
have the stress of being hauled around the country and being in contact with other herds on a regular basis. We have pets,
family milkers, show prospects, and breeding stock for sale almost all year round. Please check our For Sale page for availability and our current Breeding/Kidding Schedule to make reservations on future kids. Currently we are taking names for our
wait list on 2011 kids)
If you have a Joyful Heart Nigerian Dwarf that has been Linear Appraised or Classified, done well in
the show ring, or is on milk test, please let us know so we can make note of it here on the website!
Our Registered Nigerian Dwarf does & bucks are normally priced from $400.00 to $750.00. Pets are $300-350. Kid prices
are determined by pedigree, conformation, show records, milking stars as well as LA scores and DHI records, kidding history
and AGS classification scores ~ which include that of the dam, sire, and other close relatives. Wethers are $100-$150
depending on color and conformation & how many are purchased.
We are confident that you will fall in love with the Nigerians sweet, affectionate nature and be entertained constantly by
their silly antics! They can even dance! If you don't believe me, look to your left at Hershey!! *smiles* Please note that
goats are herd animals and depend on the companionship of other goats!! Be sure to have at least
two goats so that they will be happy. We do not sell single goats (unless you already own goats of course!). We
really recommend purchasing 3 goats to start your herd (and that doesn't necessarily mean purchasing them all from the
same breeder). Please learn about goats before you purchase them! We are here to offer support as we
can after your purchase through our Yahoo group (see below to join) and via email. Be sure to also read our Herd Management page as well and visit the Links page for additional self-
study.
Nigerian Dwarf doe's average one quart of milk per day as First Fresheners. Older does average 1/2 gallon of sweet, rich
milk each day. If you plan on milking your Nigerian Dwarf's (and they are dairy goats after all!), be sure to purchase from
a breeder who actually milks their goats! I was very surprised to learn that a lot of people don't milk. Something else to
keep in mind is that it's not the size of
the udder that matters, but the amount and quality of the milk that is being produced that counts. Nigerian Dwarf milk is
very high in butterfat ~ 4-6% is average! I have been told that if you take one gallon of a standard breed's milk (like the
Saanen which has about 3.4% butterfat) you would be able to make three 8 oz containers of fromage cheese compared to
the same amount of Nigerian Dwarf milk, and your yield will be about twice that much! That's why butterfat is more
important than quantity when it comes to cheesemaking or if you want lots of cream to make butter! Does can be milked for
10 months or longer. Unlike other breeds, the Nigerian Dwarf can be bred year round, so you can have a year round milk
supply if you so desire. I regularly make cottage cheese, chevre (like cream cheese), Feta, Ricotta cheese, butter,
mozzarella as well as ice cream, puddings, kefir, yogurt, and so much more! YUM!
Every kid at Joyful Hearts Farm is started on a weekly Herbal Cocci/Deworming prevention program starting at 2 weeks of
age. At 12 weeks of age, or at weaning age, they are given a Tetanus Toxoid vaccination, and their 2nd booster 4 weeks
later. They are also given BoSe at 1 month of age. We disbud at approximately 3 days to 10 days of age. We band
wethers at 5-8 weeks of age and will tattoo Bucks & Does before leaving our farm. We also copper bolus all kids at 3
months of age.
We dam raise all of our kids and make sure each baby is properly socialized from birth. We will have babies available at 4
-8 weeks old if you wish to continue bottle feeding after purchase. This must be arranged prior to birth so we can get the
kid used to a bottle at an early age. We try to get all bucks & wethers to take a bottle so their new owners can continue
them on a bottle for a few weeks longer.
Please visit our Kidding Schedule to reserve a baby from a future
breedings. Our kids go fast, many times before they even hit the sales page!
Currently, the Nigerian Dwarf Status according to the
American Livestock Breeds Conservancy Priority List is "Recovering", meaning they were once listed in another category,
but have now exceeded Watch category numbers. They are still in need of monitoring however so more quality breeders are
needed!
Nigerian's are small and easy for children to handle which is making them extremely popular with FFA & 4-H kids. They
come in a large variety of colors which everyone finds appealing! One of our favorite color patterns is called 'buckskin'.
Buckskins have a dark cape in the front, matching stripes on the face and legs, and the body color is usually lighter. We
also have chocolate colored, light gold, reddish gold (one of Fern's favorites!), and cream/fawn and lots of flash in between!
If you are thinking of starting out with these wonderful dwarf dairy goats, or are looking to add some new milking genetics to
your existing herd, please consider a Joyful Hearts goat!
Page created on Sept. 1, 2005
JOYFUL HEARTS FARM
NIGERIAN DWARF DAIRY GOATS
Know well the condition of your flocks,
{And} pay attention to your herds........
And {there will be} goats' milk
enough for your food,
For the food of your household,
And sustenance for your maidens.
Proverbs 27:23,27 (NASB)
Chino, CA June 2009
MCH/CH Jobi Lacie *D 'E' 92 winning Sr. GrCh and Sandy Hollow CS Cherry Blossom 8*D "E" winning Reserve Grand
Champion
SR DOES
JR DOES
HERD SIRES
KIDDING SCHEDULE
GOATS 4 SALE
As part of our whole herd management system here at Joyful Hearts Farm, we test ALL animals one year of age and older
for CAE using Washington State Lab (WADDL) which uses the most sensitive Elisa testing available. We do not random test,
as some do, but test each animal for CAE and CL that reaches his or her 1st birthday. August of 2009 we tested our adult
stock for CL, all Negative. You can be assured of our test results, as blood draws are done by a Licensed Vet and sent to
WADDL by our Vet. Our milking does have been tested Neg. for Brucellosis as well. California is a TB free state. Yes,
this is very expensive and time consuming, but we feel that our herd health is of the utmost importance. Our prices take into
consideration the amount of time and expense of offering ND's that are healthy, not only for our own peace of mind, but for
our buyers ~ *you*!! We drink our milk raw as well so testing is vitally important for our own health.
MILK
KIDS
Joyful Hearts Esther, flirting already at 3 days old; left, beautiful Logan
Sandy Hollow CS Blossom 8*D with her '09 Buckling ~ Joyful Hearts GD Mountain Ash *S
STATUS
4-H/FFA
Lacie 2009
SIGNS OF GOOD HEALTH
Rectal temperature = 102.5 - 104 F is the normal range
Pulse rate ~ 70 - 80 beats per minute (kids have faster pulse rate)
Respiration ~ 12 to 20 breaths per minute (kids have higher bpm than adults)
Rumen Movements ~ 1 - 1.5 movements per minute
Puberty ~ Bucks can reach puberty as early as 8 weeks old
Estrus Cycle ~ on an average every 17-21 days
Gestation ~ 145 to 155 days (5 months)
Life span ~ Nigerian Dwarfs average 12-18 years
SR DOES
JR DOES
HERD SIRES
KIDDING SCHEDULE
GOATS 4 SALE
OUR HERD MANAGEMENT
OUR SALES POLICY
PREGNANCY CARE
FARM PICTURES
LINKS
2010 KIDS
The Nigerian Dwarf Yahoogroup is a community that love and breed Nigerian Dwarf Dairy goats. The majority of our
members live on the West Coast (California, Oregon, Washington) and in the Southwest (Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada,
Utah, Idaho) but all are welcome to join us to learn more about the breed or just enjoy the company of other Nigie lovers!
To join us, add your email address below.
Goat pages last updated July 25th, 2010
(c) Joyful Hearts Farm's website is created and maintained by Mrs. Fern Guyer. All rights reserved.
