Pygmy Goats vs. Nigerian Dwarf Goats (Lots of Pictures!)

When raising both pygmies and Nigerian dwarf goats, we are often asked what the difference between the two breeds are. To non-goat-people, they look very similar, but when you know what to look for, they are very easy to distinguish. Here are some characteristics of each breed:

General Appearance:

Pygmy goats are bred to be cobby or stout. Their face should have a dish. Their necks should appear muscular along with the rest of their body. They need to have a wide chest floor with legs squarely set.

 

Nigerian dwarfs' appearances should be very similar to that of a full-size dairy goat. Ears need to be upright and their faces should be either straight or have a slight dish. They may be disqualified from a show for being over-sized. Blue eyes have been introduced into many lines lately. They will not be disqualified for having them, but will not be placed any higher because of them. Some people just like the blue eyes.

 

Coloring

A pygmies color should be solid. Different solid colors they can be include gray agouti, light caramel, dark caramel, and black. There are other acceptable forms of these colors. Belly bands are also accepted. Any other markings are considered mismarks.

A Nigerian dwarf on the other hand can be any color. They may be a solid color like pygmies, a combination of three colors, and anything in-between.

Bred For...

Pygmy goats were once bred for meat. They are now mostly bred for show and pet. The breed originated from Africa.

Nigerian dwarf goats were bred for milk and still are. They are also bred for show and pet. The advantage to having a dwarf to other dairy goats are their size. They eat less and take up less space then a full-size goat and a good milking doe can produce almost as much as a full-size goat.

Now, after reading this, can you look at a pygmy and NDG and tell them apart? Well, test yourself on the following pictures. Which is a pygmy and which is a Nigerian?

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