If you live in an arid climate, you must know the best dairy goats for an arid climate. Generally, the main dairy goats are Alpine, Jamunapari, Lamancha, Nubian, Nigerian Dwarf, Oberhasli, Toggenburg and Saanen.
Of these breeds, the Alpine, Saanens, Oberhaslis, and Toggenburg originated in the mountainous regions of Switzerland and thrive in cold climates. Jamunapari goats originate from India.
The other breeds of Lamancha, Nigerian Dwarfs and Nubian goats come from hot desert climates and are able to tolerate dry conditions much better than other dairy goat breeds. So, the best dairy goats for arid climates are the Nigerian Dwarf, Nubian, and La Manchan goats.
Best dairy goats for dry climates
If you live in an arid climate and want to raise dairy goats, consider one of the three goat breeds mentioned above. Determine which of these three breeds of goats are right for you based on their size, milk production, temperament, or any other characteristic that matters most to you.
lamancha goat
Lamancha goats are medium-sized animals. On average, a mature female La Mancha weighs about 130 pounds and stands at least 25 inches at the withers.
This breed of dairy goat originated in Oregon and evolved into the goat it is today. But Lamancha goats have roots in Spain. They are generally friendly and docile in nature with a distinctive physical feature (ears).
La Mancha goats have ear plugs and they are short and come in two varieties. They are elves and marmots. The gopher’s ears have no cartilage and are just patches of skin around the ear canals. On the other hand, the quills of elves contain a small amount of cartilage (but they are only 1-2 inches in size).
In a milk production cage, a female Lamancha produces about 3 liters of milk per day during her 10 month lactation period.
The milk from this goat contains about 3.9% milk fat and 3.1% protein (on average). You can use this dairy goat breed for milk production in arid climates.
Nigerian dwarf goats
Nigerian dwarf goats are small in stature but are considered the best breed of miniature dairy goat. They are the result of miniature breeding. On average, the height of an adult female Nigerian pygmy does not exceed 22.5 inches at the withers and 17 to 19 inches.
And adults usually weigh less than 75 pounds. Although this breed of goat is small in stature, they are good milkers. Despite their small size, Nigerian dwarf goats produce around 2 liters of milk per day. The milk of this goat is richer in fat and protein than the milk of other breeds of goats.
The milk from Nigerian dwarf goats contains 6-10% milk fat and about 4.4% protein. They are also very friendly in nature, very easy to deal with and playful. They need less living space. As such, they are ideal for family farms and small-scale dairy farming.
Although Nigerian dwarf goats have a negative factor, it is that “their small size can make milking difficult”. Most people consider this an important factor when choosing a breed.
nubian goats
Of these three dairy goat breeds for arid climates, Nubians are larger in size and have high dairy goat productivity. They have long, floppy ears. An adult Nubian fallow deer weighs around 135 pounds and stands at least 30 inches at the withers.
The Nubian dollar usually weighs more than its own. An adult deer can weigh over 200 pounds. Nubian goats are very vocal and tend to be more stubborn breeds.
On average, Nubian fallow deer produce around 2-3 liters of milk per day over a 10 month lactation period. Nubian goat milk contains on average about 4.6% milk fat and 3.7% protein.
Nubian goats are also very suitable for milk production in arid climates.
Minis
In line with the three main breeds mentioned above, the mini versions also receive recognition and purebred status. Mini versions are also suitable for growing in dry climates.
These are full size Nubians and Lamanchas mixed from Nigerian dwarf dollars to create mini versions of Lamanchas and Nubians. After six generations of breeding, they are considered to be purebred Mini Lamanches or Mini Nubians.
In the case of the milk production of these mini versions, the quantity of milk is average for the two main breeds.
Milking is also easier with these new mini versions due to their slightly larger size. However, you can choose any of the three breeds mentioned above for milk production. All are suitable and are considered the best dairy goats for dry climates.
