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West African Dwarf goat
| Place of Origin | West and Central Africa |
| Origin | The West African Dwarf goat breed from coastal West and Central Africa is the progenitor of the African Pygmy and Nigerian Dwarf breeds in the United States, and the Dutch Dwarf and Pygmy goat breeds in Great Britain. Also Known By: African Dwarf, Djallonke, Dwarf West African, Forest goat, Fouta Djallon, Grassland Dwarf, Chevre naine de Savanes, Guinean, Guinean Dwarf, Pygmy, Tibetana, Cameroon Dwarf, Chevre de Casamance, Diougry, Chevre naine de l'est, Kosi, Nigerian Dwarf. Dwarf goats are distributed over a very large area of equatorial Africa from the south of the Senegal through Central Africa to Southern Sudan. Two types of dwarfism occur in goats in Africa. These are 'achondroplasia' which results in a goat with disproportionally short legs, plump body and short head, and 'pituitary hypoplasia' giving a small but normally proportioned goat. The first of these types is typical of the west African dwarf goat found in the Guinean zone of West Africa. The slender, normally proportioned goat of the second type is found in the Southern Sudan region. These two types represent the extremes, with many intermediate types in existence. West African Dwarf goats are important in the rural village economy of West Africa. Nigerian West African Dwarf goats are trypanotolerant (they resist to infections by Trypanosoma) and haemonchotolerant (they resist infections with the gastrointestinal parasite nematode Haemonchus contortus more effectively than other breeds of domestic goat). |
| Purpose | Meat, Reproduction |
| Characteristics | It is clear that the Pygmy Goat owes more to the West African dwarf than it does to the dwarf goat of Southern Sudan. It seems likely that the Pygmy Goat is not the extreme form of 'achondroplasic' origin but a transitional type of more pleasing appearance. The ears are upright. The coat is soft with short to medium hair. The Dwarf goats come in many colours. Main colour families are black, chocolate and gold. Random white markings are common, as are spots and other colour combinations such as red, white, gold and black. Size and weight: Goat: 40 - 45 cm (16 - 18 in) 20 - 25 kg (44 - 55 lb) Ram: 50 cm (20 in) 30 kg (66 lb) |
| Other Considerations | Performance In Africa dwarf goats are mainly used for meat production, milk production is low. It is a fast growing breed with high proportion of muscle meat. Dwarf goats breed year round, its fertility is high. Physiological data Body temperature: goat/ram 39° to 40° C Heart rate: goat/ram 70 to 95 bpm lamb 90-120 bpm Respiration rate: goat/ram 12 bis 24 breaths per minute lambs 35 breaths per minute Reproduction females onset of heat 3 to 4 month sexually mature 5 to 12 month heat cycle 18 to 21 days oestrus 3 days gestation period ca. 150 days number of lambs 1 to 3 lambings per year 2 Average life span:10 to 15 years |
