So, they are comparably pretty light compared to other goats, and my truck should be able to handle their weight.
That said, they’re not necessarily the kind of micro-goat you might expect, being about the size and weight of an average-sized dog.
Let’s look further into this.
How much does a full-grown Nigerian dwarf goat weigh?
The ceiling for the upper weight of a Nigerian dwarf goat is around 80 pounds.
Any examples of Nigerian dwarfs heavier than this will be outliers in the data pool, and it is really quite rare that they get above this weight.
The ideal weight, according to many breeding organizations, is around 75 pounds.
Females will weigh a little less than males, but not by much.
As I said, the range for weight is around 60-80 pounds, and the does will generally fall into the lower end of that category.
Anything less than 60 pounds for a grown adult, male or female, could indicate some kind of health problem.
So, though they are smaller than other goats, they’re still not necessarily tiny animals.
Many of us would probably still struggle to lift them up, which we shouldn’t really do with goats anyway.
It’s always a good idea to regularly weigh your goats to check for any dramatic changes, as goats can of course get too fat as well if you overfeed them.
Whether too heavy or too light, weighing them regularly will help you keep an eye on these problems.
At what age is a Nigerian dwarf goat fully grown?
It depends a bit on the sex of the animal, and on what exactly you mean by full-grown.
In terms of size, they generally are at their full size by around 2 years.
This is pretty much true of both sexes, although males will grow a lot faster.
They will put on a lot more weight in the second year of their life.
In terms of sexual maturity, though, males and females are a bit different.
Females are generally of sexual age around 8 months old, and can eventually bread all year round.
Males, on the other hand, achieve maturity quite a lot earlier.
They are mature by only about 4 months, and ready to start mating already.
Given that these goats can live as long as 20 years, you can see that they do most of their maturing and growing within the earliest stages of their lives.
Though they are small, are Nigerian dwarf goats actually the smallest breed?
What is the smallest goat?
The answer is certainly not the Nigerian dwarf!
They are certainly among the smallest, but the pygmy goat is actually a good deal smaller than even them.
These goats have thus become incredibly popular as pets and companions, and it’s easy to see why—they are adorable!
Males generally weigh about 40 to 60 pounds, and females even less than that.
So, they can sometimes weigh as little as half as much as the biggest Nigerian dwarf.
Females weigh around 35-50 pounds, and so are truly the tiniest goats in the world.
They also stand around 15-18 inches tall, which again is shorter than the average Nigerian dwarf goat.
They’re still no good as house pets, but if you are looking for something more manageable than a Nigerian dwarf, a pygmy is your best bet.
So, how tall do Nigerian dwarfs get?
How tall do Nigerian dwarf goats get?
They’re not that much taller than pygmies—though they are much stockier and thus weigh a good deal more.
But the average Nigerian dwarf buck stands around 19 to 20 inches tall, and so again is about the height of an average dog.
This is its height at its shoulders.
Females are usually a bit shorter, although not by much.
They stand around 17-19 inches tall at the shoulders, so can sometimes be as tall as the males.
There isn’t a lot in it.
So the real difference between Nigerian dwarfs and pygmies is their weight—though the heights are different.
So, Nigerian dwarfs are certainly on the smaller side.
If you’re looking for something smaller and more manageable, but still a sizeable animal, then a Nigerian dwarf could be perfect for you.
They have great temperaments on top of their size, and they’re really great fun to play with and be around.
They’re also great with kids.
Pygmies are smaller, though, so if you’re looking for a true teacup goat, then the pygmy is the better choice.