Many animals produce milk, but the only ones who do it around here are Rachel the Goat and her sister Phoebe, and our other set of sisters: Grits and Gravy.
We’ve had our original dwarf Nigerian dairy goats since 2020, when it made sense to start thinking about access to fresh, good quality milk that the lactose intolerant in our house can drink (goat’s milk is easier on the tums and most who can’t process lactose won’t have as many issues with it). For a number of reasons not limited to how notorious they are for having personality, I wanted dwarf Nigerians for our microdairy; a tiny operation warrants tiny goats after all.
We obviously value these gals for their ability to turn weeds (primarily poison oak) into a protein source, but they’re also our pets. I love them and their antics deeply, and while they can be obnoxious, they’re just big goofballs who bring me a ton of joy. They each have their own personalities and interests, and living with them and learning about their quirks for the last 4 years has been one of the best parts of learning to farm. Learn more about each of our dairy goats, below!
Rachel the Goat
We have Rachel, who is our most reliable dairy goat. It was incredibly easy to train her to get on the milking stand; she basically chose to do it herself and required no other effort to start milking. She loves her scritches and finding anything to jump on to keep her feet off the ground. These girls don’t really believe in hierarchies, but if there were a boss of the dwarf Nigerians, it would be Rachel.
Phoebe
Next we have Rachel’s sister, Phoebe. Both Rachel and Phoebe came from a dairy, so they are very reliable milkers. Phoebe, however, only lives for snacks. She has stolen both potato chips and an apple out of my mouth, and will find any weakness in a human dwelling in order to break in and steal tortillas.
Grits
Gritsy is our special girl, a little on the slow side and always with a persistent look of confusion. She has a weird obsession with White Claw too. Even with her silly underbite, she makes beautiful babies and is an excellent milker for being from a backyard breeder.
Gravy
Finally, we have Gravy. If you see a goat with their head stuck in something around here (above, a chicken feeder), it’s probably Gravy. She’s our most nondescript Nigerian dwarf, generally hanging around in the background. I have not yet successfully milked her, either. But she is an excellent mother, always choosing a time when I leave the farm to birth perfect babies with absolutely no issues or need of support.
In Memoriam: Toast
Grits and Gravy were triplets, their third sister being Toast (get the breakfast theme!?!). We lost this special girl over the summer of 2023, likely to rumenitis although the vet wasn’t certain exactly what happened. Toast was the second of my dwarf Nigerians who passed away that year, the first being a precious bottle baby, Taco, who we lost to predators when we were gone in the middle of the day, which later led us to get two livestock guardian dogs.
Toast was a special goat. She wasn’t particularly friendly, like, she wanted attention on her terms, but she was often the first to come see me to say hi. Although she was one of our less charismatic goats, she also birthed incredibly beautiful babies, two of which are now living with a friend in Sonoma County. Losing any animal is incredibly traumatic, but as she was the first of our original goats who passed away, I bawled for days and still tear up when thinking about her. I hope she found her way into whatever garbage cans exist in goat heaven.
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