Kikos, or Nigerian Dwarf?

LOL, very different, rights? But I have the opportunity to adopt 2-3 Nigerian Dwarf does that are being retired (8 year old). AND another neighbor who breeds Kikos has 2-3 older does that will be sold for dog food or to me for cheap. Any advice or info you could share would really be appreciated.

Things that could help make a decision:

- We're goat newbies mostly interested in pet-like goats who clear brush.
- We have an acre of 5-foot cattle panel with top hot wire that is divided into two "pastures" of woody scrub, trees, mixed grasses plus a sacrifice area around the future goat housing.
- We have 200 acres with numerous areas that could be daytime forage for goats, though realistically they'll primarily be in one of two pastures, rotated.
- The "goat shed" is 12x12 with dirt floors, and they'll have to be in at night, as our LGDs are in at night (too much barky bark for the neighbors).
- Our LGDs (1.5 and 2.5 yo) who have never been with goats, just chickens, and the younger dog is still not chicken safe. All of the goats we're considering have been with LGDs.

For fun, I'm including a photo of the dogs pretending they have something besides seven chickens to guard.

I have Nigerian Dwarfs.  I used to have a variety of full sized goats.  If the primary wish is for pets and brush … I would go with Nigerians.   If I was after milk and/ or meat I would go with just about anything but Nigerians.

That's helpful and reassuring,  thank you.  I was leaning toward Nigerians, but love the weightiness of the Kikos. Almost like ponies! However, at 59 years old, maybe nows not the time to add 200+lb animals.

If you have 200 acres why not get both?  Not like you'll be at risk of running out of forage.  If one type just isn't working for you they always be sold on to someone else, or eaten.  The one acre that's fenced right now won't be enough for either breed, so you'll have to fence additional areas regardless.  If they're trained (or if you can train them) to respect polywire hot fence it'll be relatively easy to move them around the property.

Andrew Mayflower wrote:  The one acre that's fenced right now won't be enough for either breed, so you'll have to fence additional areas regardless.  

The Kikos are definitely trained to polywire, the Nigerians free range, according to their owner. We were hoping, though, that if we only had 2-3, and rotated them between the two pastures, plus had hay available,  that would be enough space at least thru next spring. Maybe more feasible with the smaller Nigerians?

Depends entirely on the pasture.  Most ruminants will eat 3-4% of body weight per day from pasture (2% roughly in dry mass).  If the acre will produce enough to feed them and/or you’re willing to bring in enough hay to fill the gaps then you’ll be ok.

Keep in mind that the longer you keep them on any given paddock the worse their parasite load becomes.  And you need to give at least 60 days without grazing animals to avoid recontamination of the animals, and 90 days is much better.

Running chickens behind the grazers can help reduce parasites as well as the chickens will break up the manure and they’ll consume parasites eggs and larvae.