Nubian

The Nubian, also known locally as the Anglo-Nubian, is a large dairy goat developed in England during the late 1800s. It is one of the most widely kept dairy breeds around the world and is prized for milk with a higher butterfat percentage than most other dairy goats produce. You will recognise the breed at once by its long, floppy ears that hang well past the jawline and its convex face, often called a Roman nose.

Nubians are sociable, people-oriented animals. They like to stick close to their handlers, follow you around the camp, and respond well to attention. The breed also has a reputation for being noisy, and individual goats will call out loudly when they are hungry, cut off from the herd, or simply after some company. This makes them entertaining company on a smallholding, but it is worth weighing up if your neighbours live close by.

As a dual-purpose dairy breed, the Nubian gives a moderate volume of milk that carries plenty of butterfat, which suits cheesemaking and soap production as well as drinking. Does reach a decent height, and bucks grow noticeably larger still. The breed copes well with hot conditions, a trait often put down to its part-tropical ancestry, which makes it a sound option across South Africa's varied climate, from the cooler Highveld to the hotter Lowveld and coastal belts.

Who the Nubian suits

The Nubian suits owners after a productive dairy goat with a friendly nature, provided they do not mind a chatty animal. The high-butterfat milk appeals to home cheese and soap makers. The breed handles heat well, which makes it a sensible choice on farms and smallholdings across most of the country. Owners in suburban areas should weigh up the breed's tendency to call loudly before taking one on.

The breed was put together in England during the 1800s. British goat keepers crossed their local does with bucks brought in through the ports as part of trade links with North Africa, the Middle East, and India. These imported animals carried the drooping ears and curved nose that the breed still shows today.

The name reflects this mixed background. Nubian refers to the region of northeastern Africa, though the breed as we know it today was put together and standardised in Britain rather than in any one source country. To set the British composite apart from the original imported stock, the breed carries the formal name Anglo-Nubian.

A recognised breed type was fixed in England by the early 1900s, with breeders settling on the long-eared, Roman-nosed look and dairy purpose that still define the standard. From Britain the breed spread further afield, where farmers valued both the quality of its milk and its tolerance for heat.

The breed found firm footing in Southern Africa too, where its heat hardiness suits conditions from the Lowveld through to the drier interior. It remains one of the more popular dairy goats kept on smallholdings and commercial dairies alike, registered through the relevant goat breed societies, thanks to its combination of high-butterfat milk, solid frame, and adaptable constitution.

The Nubian carries a large, upright frame with a long body and fine bone for its size. Two features set it apart: the ears and the face. The ears are long and wide, lying flat against the head and hanging below the level of the muzzle. The facial profile curves outward strongly, giving the breed its distinctive Roman nose. Both does and bucks may carry horns or be naturally polled, and most farm-raised kids are disbudded while young.

Coat and colours

The coat lies short and close to the body, which suits the breed's tolerance for warm weather. Colour is not restricted by the standard, so Nubians turn up in a good range of shades and markings. Solid black, red, and tan crop up often, along with spotted and roan patterns and combinations such as black-and-tan. The skin and short coat need very little grooming, though the long ears should be checked regularly for cleanliness and parasites, especially ticks in tick-belt regions.

Nubians are sociable and form close bonds with the people who look after them. They are curious by nature, investigate anything new, and often push for attention from whoever is nearby. Within a herd they stay calm and get along with other goats, and they generally settle in fine alongside other livestock such as sheep or poultry when raised together.

Around family members the breed is gentle and patient, which makes it a popular choice for smallholdings and supervised children's projects. With strangers, Nubians tend to be curious rather than nervous, though they do better after a settling-in period. As herd animals they need at least one companion goat, and a Nubian kept alone can become stressed and noisy.

The trait most owners mention first is the voice. Nubians call loudly and often. They vocalise when hungry, in season, cut off from the herd, or simply looking for company. Anyone considering one for a residential property, or a smallholding with neighbours close by, should factor this in before buying.

The short coat keeps grooming needs low, but the breed still needs regular health-related care, particularly hoof trimming and ear checks. Like all goats, Nubians are social animals and need companionship, room to move, and protection from the weather and from predators such as jackal in rural areas.

Grooming

• Brush now and then to remove loose hair and check the skin for parasites
• Trim hooves every 6 to 8 weeks to stop overgrowth and lameness
• Check the long ears regularly for dirt, mites, and injury
• Keep the coat dry; the short hair does not shed water well through long wet spells

Exercise

• Give daily access to a camp or browsing area for movement and foraging
• Provide climbing objects such as stumps, rocks, or platforms
• Allow at least a few hours of outdoor time each day in good weather

Environment

Nubians need secure fencing, since goats test boundaries and will find a way through a weak camp. A dry, draft-free shelter keeps them safe from rain, wind, and cold snaps, while shade and airflow matter through summer heat. The breed tolerates heat better than many dairy goats but still needs clean water on tap at all times. Keep goats housed in groups rather than alone.

Forage forms the backbone of a Nubian's diet. Good-quality hay or lucerne, pasture, and browse should make up most of what the goat eats. Goats are natural browsers and go for shrubs, leaves, and weeds ahead of grass. Milking does and growing kids need more energy and protein and are usually given concentrate feed alongside forage. Sudden diet changes should be avoided, since goats have sensitive digestive systems.

Treats and supplements

Provide free-choice loose minerals formulated for goats, since goats have specific copper needs that sheep minerals do not cover. A clean, constant water supply is essential, especially for milking does. Treats such as small amounts of fruit and vegetables can be offered now and then, but they should never take the place of forage.

Nubians are tough goats and, with decent management, commonly live 12 to 18 years. Most health issues in the breed match those seen in dairy goats generally: internal parasites, hoof disease, and a handful of chronic infectious diseases that responsible breeders test for. Heat tolerance works in the breed's favour, but it still needs parasite control, vaccination, and routine foot care to stay in good condition.

Preventive care

• Schedule regular faecal egg counts and deworm based on the results, not a fixed calendar
• Trim hooves every 6 to 8 weeks
• Vaccinate against clostridial diseases and tetanus (CDT) on veterinary advice
• Buy from herds tested for CAE, CL, and Johne's disease
• Provide goat-specific minerals to meet copper needs

Nubian does usually reach breeding age between seven and ten months, though many keepers wait until a doe weighs around 30 to 35 kg and is well grown before her first mating. Unlike some dairy breeds, Nubians can cycle over a long season and in some climates breed almost year-round, which allows flexible timing of kidding and milk production.

Gestation runs to about 150 days, or roughly five months. Twins are the most common outcome, with single kids and triplets also turning up. Does are generally attentive mothers and kid without help in most cases, though first-time mothers should be watched.

Kids can be left to nurse on the dam or removed and bottle-raised on heat-treated colostrum and milk, a practice some dairies use to keep diseases such as CAE under control. Kids are usually disbudded within the first two weeks if horn-free animals are wanted. Weaning typically happens around 8 to 12 weeks. Bucks are kept apart from does outside of planned matings because of their strong smell during the breeding season.