NUBIAN GOAT

ORDER

Artiodactyla (even toed ungulates)

FAMILY

Bovidae (antelopes, cattle, gazelles, goats, sheep and relatives)

HABITAT AND RANGE

Nubian goats are the largest of desert breeds. Their ancestry is traceable back to Egyptian and Indian breeds, which were later crossed with Swiss goats. There are no wild populations as Nubian goats are domesticated.

IDENTIFICATION

Nubians can be readily distinguished by their high, rounded faces, variable coloration and patterns, short, slick coats, and long, floppy ears. Females are called nannies, or does, and males are referred to as bucks; the young are called kids.This goat may be horned or hornless (polled). Nubians are one of the heaviest and tallest breed of goat. The average doe weighs 130 pounds, and bucks weigh 175 pounds or more. A mature female Nubian is about 30 inches tall, while males are 35 inches tall.

DIET

Like cattle and sheep, goats are ruminants (they have four stomachs) and are better able to digest hard fibrous plant material than other animals such as horses. Although they do graze and pick at some grasses, goats really prefer to pick at food which is off the ground; such as shrubs, scrub, tree foliage, flowers and weeds.

REPRODUCTION AND LIFESPAN

Females are polyestrous (they come into heat all year). They come into heat every three weeks and remain so 1-3 days at a time. Gestation lasts 145-151 days. Kids are seldom weaned earlier than three months of age. Twins are common but triplets and quadruplets are possible.