Nigerian Dwarf Breed Standard

STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE - NIGERIAN DWARF GOAT

Purebred- Females not exceeding 57cm and Males not exceeding 60cm at 3 years of age. Height Measurement is to be taken at the highest point of the wither to the ground with the animal standing squarely on all four feet with all legs in a vertical line to the ground, with the head held in an upright relaxed position.

BEHAVIOUR/TEMPERAMENT

Gregarious, friendly with a calm and playful nature. Easily trainable.

GENERAL APPEARANCE, STYLE AND QUALITY (15 points)

The Nigerian Dwarf goat is a genetically small goat and should exhibit balanced proportions to give it the appearance of a scaled-down version of the larger breeds of dairy goats. Shorter height is the primary breed characteristic of the Dwarf.
FITTING & HANDLING

Top presentation of the animal & handler.
COAT & COLOUR

Short, soft coat. Any colour, marking or pattern is acceptable.
HEIGHT

HEAD & BREED CHARACTER (10 points)

Head medium to long, straight or slightly dished. Ears erect and alert. Jaw broad, strong, well-muscled, symmetrically aligned. Even bite, broad lips and large open nostrils. Bright eyes set well apart. Any eye colour is accepted. Neatly disbudded, dehorned and polled accepted

NECK & FOREQUARTERS (10 points)

The neck is longer than that of the Pygmy and should be in proportion to the size of the animal blending smoothly into the shoulder, feminine in does and masculine in bucks, showing appropriate muscling. Withers, wedge shaped, set prominently above tightly assembled shoulders. Points of shoulder and elbow should be tight and blend smoothly with body allowing the forelegs to move smoothly against the ribs. Refined bone with sturdy, clean moulded joints. The crop should be full and the brisket moderately prominent & low. Chest floor deep and wide.

BODY (15 POINTS)

Long, deep, wide, with level topline and slightly sloping, long rump, well sprung, open ribs with increasing width angling towards rear of barrel, and flat, flinty ribbing, sharpness at the withers above tightly assembled shoulders.

HINDQUARTERS (15 points)

Slightly sloping long, wide level rump with good width between thurl to thurl and pin to pin, and a slight angle from the hips to pins (back to the tail) to facilitate easier kidding. Thighs from side curving moderately inwards from pin to stifle. Thighs from rear, clean and wide apart, highly arched, curving outward into the escutcheon to accommodate udder and attachment.

REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM (25 points)

DOES
Udder should be wide, deep, capacious, relative to the size of the doe, balanced and tightly attached, soft and pliable, blending smoothly as viewed from the side and the rear. Medial suspensory ligament strong, clearly defining udder halves, holding udder snugly against body and well above hocks. Udder pliable and elastic, well collapsed after milking, balanced and free of scar tissue. Teats proportionally shaped and evenly sized, ideally plumb when viewed from side or rear.
BUCKS

Must have two evenly placed rudimentary teats and a full, well attached, relatively even, appropriately sized scrotum and two evenly sized testicles. Sheath clean.

FEET & LEGS (10 points)

Correct from all angles set wide apart, straight, strong and squarely underneath. Long forearms clean knees, and short cannon bones in front and medium length, well-angled pasterns front and rear. Cleanly moulded hocks, nearly perpendicular from hock to pastern, well defined tendons. Feet short, neatly trimmed, compact, sloping hooves pointing directly ahead, heel as deep as toe.

GENERAL FAULTS (TO BE JUDGED ON THEIR SEVERITY)

Teeth protruding less than ½cm (5mm) not visible, neck too long or thin, loose shoulders, shallow or narrow chest floor, roach or sway back, slab sided, shallow body, short rump, narrow or steep sloping rump, fleshy pendulous udder, unduly divided udder, pockets in udder, teats too small, too thin, bulbous, double teats, supernumery teats, double orifices, that do not interfere with kids nursing. Bucks with divided scrotum, less than 2½cm. Cow or sickle hock, knock knees, posty leg, dropped pastern, feet pointing in or out, splayed feet, uneven gait, scurs/residual horn (post removal procedure).

SERIOUS FAULTS

Folded ears (length wise), teeth protruding more than ½cm (5mm) but not visible, double teats or supernumery teats that interfere with kids nursing, ill-defined unbalanced udder. Bucks with divided scrotum, more than 2½cm, scrotum small for age of animal.

DISQUALIFYING FAULTS (MGBA Breed Shows)

Overshot/undershot jaw (>10mm); obviously twisted jaw; Hermaphrodism (both male & female), Monorchid/cryptorchid (retained testicle/s), serious emaciation, blindness, horns. Scrotum split over 5cm, urethra opening in wrong place.