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It so happens that the name “Cameroon goat” often hides two native African breeds at once. To the layman, the two breeds are very similar and often cannot really be differentiated. Also, amateur goat breeders unknowingly cross these two breeds and now it is really difficult to figure out who exactly is running around the yard: a Nigerian goat or a Pygmy goat. Or perhaps a cross between these two breeds.
In the West, these two breeds are collectively called "dwarf". Fans of breeds certainly distinguish who is who and raise their animals cleanly. The main difference between these breeds is their productive directions. Cameroon dwarf goats are dairy animals, and Pygmy goats are meat animals.
Adding additional confusion to the names is the fact that in different countries these breeds are called differently:
- USA: Nigerian dwarf, African pygmy;
- Great Britain: pygmy, Dutch gnome;
In other countries:
- Guinea gnome;
- Guinean;
- Grassland Gnome;
- Lesnaya;
- Dwarf West Africa;
- African dwarf;
- Pygmy;
- Nigerian dwarf;
- Cameroon gnome.
If you search, you can find other names. The Russian compilation of the Nigerian dwarf and the Cameroon gnome stands out: Cameroon dwarf.
History of appearance
Naturally, illiterate African tribes could not tell Europeans the history of the origin of mini-goats. Therefore, these breeds got their names from the regions where they were first found by white people.
The ancestor of both breeds was most likely the West African Dwarf goat. This breed is still widespread in Africa today. The Pygmy goat was found in West Africa, the Nigerian (Cameroon) goat breed was originally found in the Cameroon Valley, although it is distributed throughout West and Central Africa. And today it’s all over the world.
The Cameroon breed has a double name due to the fact that the Cameroon fault runs right along the border of these two countries, and sailors simply bought goats on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea. Some are in Nigeria and some are in Cameroon.
These artiodactyls sailed to Europe as food for predatory animals at a time when Great Britain collected living wonders from overseas colonies into its zoos. The dwarfs were also appreciated by the sailors, who began to take them with them on ships for the sake of fresh milk and meat. Mini-goats took up little space, less food was also required, and milk could be obtained from them almost like from large breeds.
Later, Cameroonian mini-goats were also appreciated by milk producers. But Pygmy animals began to be bred not so much for meat, but as pets. They have a more attractive appearance. If you compare the photo of the Cameroon (Nigerian) goat and the Pygmy goat, this becomes obvious.
Some cannot understand how one can eat such charming animals, others wonder since when did goats become untouchable.Moreover, not everyone who deals with dwarf breeds, or even with goats in general, agrees about the charming animals.
Description
The varied colors of Cameroonian goats and their similarity with Pygmy goats, as well as the presence of numerous crosses of dwarf breeds and dwarf goats with large ones, have led to the fact that descriptions of the Cameroonian goat in different sources differ significantly. Add to this the small number of these animals in Russia and, accordingly, the paucity of information about them, and your head will spin.
The differences mainly concern the sizes of these dwarfs. In Russian-language sources you can find information that the size of a Cameroonian goat does not exceed 50 cm. And this is the size of goats. Females are even smaller. The weight of a goat is usually 25 kg, very rarely reaching 35 kg. Queens usually weigh 12-15 kg. In the absence of a Russian Association of Cameroon Goats, it is difficult to say whether this information is true.
The description of the Cameroon goat breed given by the American Goat Society and the American Dairy Goat Association indicates that the female should be up to 57 cm at the withers, and the male should not exceed 60 cm. According to the standard of another Dwarf Goat Association, males should ideally reach 48-53 cm with a maximum allowed height at the withers of 58 cm. Goats in this association are ideally 43-48 tall with a maximum height at the withers of 53 cm.
The difference in height of as much as 10 cm leaves wide scope for “creativity”. It would be good if the result of a creative approach is just a “minis”, and not an ordinary outbred goat that has been shredded as a result of inbreeding.
The Cameroon goat, characteristic of dairy breeds, has a small dry head, a thin neck, a relatively wide back and thin legs that are longer than those of the Pygmy goat.
The Pygmy differs from the Cameroon by having shorter legs, a thicker neck and greater muscle mass. The height of both breeds is the same. Also, both breeds have horns, but breeders of dairy goats often dehorn the animals to avoid injury.
Photo of Cameroon goat.
Photo of the Pygmy goat.
You can see with the naked eye how shorter the legs of the second are than the legs of the first.
The same situation can be seen in the photo of a goat of the Cameroon breed (top) and Pygmy breed (bottom).
Pygmy goats are also usually more fluffy, which is why they are more popular among lovers of dwarf goats.
There are other miniature goat breeds. One of them was bred in Australia specifically as a pet. The productive characteristics of this breed were in second place.
Colors
You will have to immediately decide which of the African dwarfs you are talking about when purchasing. Pygmy goats have a very limited number of colors and always have brown eyes. In Cameroon dairy goats, color variation has virtually no boundaries. They can be of any color. Some Cameroonian goats have blue eyes. Therefore, if the kid for sale is piebald or spotted, and even has blue eyes, it is almost certainly a Cameroon dairy goat.
Character
In terms of behavior, dwarf goats are no different from their larger counterparts. They are mischievous and stubborn. If a Cameroonian woman has gotten it into her head that she “needs to go there,” she will strive “there” with all her might.She will lie in wait for the moment when access to the place she desires has opened and will immediately leak out.
Contrary to reviews about Cameroon dwarf goats, even uncastrated goats are not known for their viciousness. Their struggle with humans does not come from malice of character, but from the natural desire for any herd animal to find out its place in the hierarchy of the herd. But the touching appearance and small size prevent the owner from catching the moment when the goat begins to try the limits of what is permitted. As a result, the goat comes to the conclusion that he is the leader of the herd, and tries to “put” the owner “in his place.”
To displace the leader and take his place, you will have to fight the animal seriously. Hence the opinion about the viciousness of adult goats. One way or another, you still have to fight with the goat and it’s better to “catch” his encroachment on leadership at the very beginning. Then you can get by with a little bloodshed.
In general, Cameroonians are very affectionate and affectionate creatures. They get used to their owner very easily if they are not offended.
They can even be punished in the same way as cats: by spraying them with water from a spray bottle.
Productive characteristics
If we take the American line of Cameroon Dwarf goats, their productivity is truly amazing. At the peak of lactation, these goats can produce up to 3.6 liters of milk per day. Although their productivity actually ranges from 0.5 liters to 3.6 liters per day and averages just over a liter. How much milk specific Cameroon goats produce depends on their diet, the milk yield of the particular animal, and which line it belongs to. But you shouldn’t count on more than 1.5 liters of milk per day.
The milk of Cameroonian goats is highly valued for its high fat content, the average value of which is 6.5%. Sometimes the fat content can rise to 10%. Milk is odorless and has a creamy taste. In reviews of foreign owners of Cameroonian goats, there are admissions that they “deceived” their friends. The man sincerely believed that he was drinking cow's milk.
Advantages and disadvantages of the breed
The advantages of the breed are the cost-effectiveness of their maintenance and fairly high milk yield.
Thanks to this feature, 3-4 goats lambing at different times are enough to cover the milk needs of a small family all year round.
A serious advantage is the problem-free lambing of Cameroon goats. Complications during lambing in dwarf goats are rare. An adult Cameroonian female gives birth to 1-2 kids.
The disadvantages include the “stickiness” of Cameroonians. If the queen is friendly to humans, then the kid will not be afraid of him. Especially if you communicate with a kid from birth. This option is preferred by owners of dwarfs who do not want their pets to literally walk over their heads.
With the widespread custom in Russia, immediately after birth, weaning goat kids from the uterus and feeding them by hand, the owner of a Cameroonian runs the risk of getting a serious headache. The kid really becomes demanding and annoying. This is understandable from a scientific point of view: imprinting, but it is very inconvenient in everyday life.
Content
The needs of dwarf goats differ from the needs of larger varieties, perhaps to a lesser extent. Life in harsh African conditions has taught these animals to be content with little. They even have to be limited in grain feed so that the goats do not become obese.
If the hobbyist already had some goats, then the question of how to keep a Cameroon goat will not even arise. Fears that the African animal will not survive the cold well are unfounded. The climate of Africa is far from being as mild as we all used to think. Often, even above-zero temperatures with high air humidity and strong winds feel like below zero.
Cameroon goats do not like dampness and need a dry environment. In frosty weather they will burrow into deep litter. In general, Cameroonians are no more demanding of climate than Nubians or Saanen goats.
Goats are destroyers by nature. They can jump on walls and cabinets just as well as cats. And just as mischievous. But a cat can be trained to do its business in the litter box, and a Cameroonian can only be trained not to do its business in the bed. Therefore, even as a pet, the Cameroonian must live in a separate room in the yard.
Choice
To obtain milk, it is better to choose a goat that has had at least one lamb. In such an animal, the nipples are already developed enough to create a minimum of inconvenience during milking.
Pygmies have very small nipples and are poorly suited for milking. Cameroonians have much larger nipples and udders.
The methods for choosing the right Cameroon goat are the same as when choosing large dairy breeds:
- correct exterior;
- udder without defects and regular shape;
- checking milk yield before purchasing;
- no extra nipples.
For Cameroonians, having only two main nipples is a very important factor.In a large goat, this issue can be neglected, but since you literally have to milk a Cameroon goat with three fingers, the extra teats will be a big nuisance.
Young Cameroonians are milked using the thumb, index and middle fingers. After the second lambing, queens can be milked with a “fist”, but in this case the index finger is excluded from the process.
The video shows that Cameroonian has quite large nipples. But the “tame since childhood” thing is a marketing ploy.
If the kid is left under the uterus, the remains will have to be milked at first. During the first 2 weeks, the uterus produces colostrum, even when it is no longer distinguishable from milk in color. But the taste is no good. After 2 weeks the milk becomes sweet.
Reviews
Conclusion
The Cameroonian is an almost ideal animal for those who do not need a lot of milk, but want to have their own. Cameroonians do not require much space or feed. This is also one of the best breeds for those who want to start producing cheese, butter and... soap. Full-fat milk with a lot of protein is ideal for these types of products.
