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It turned out that under the name “Cameroon goat” two native breeds of Africa are often hidden at once. To the layman, the two breeds are very similar and are often not really distinguished. Also, amateur goat breeders unknowingly cross these two breeds, and now it’s really difficult to figure out who exactly runs around the yard: a Nigerian goat or a Pygmy one. Or maybe a mix of the two.
In the West, these two breeds are collectively called “dwarf”. Fans of the breeds, of course, distinguish who is who and breed their animals in cleanliness. The main difference between these breeds from each other is productive directions. Cameroon dwarf goats are dairy animals, and Pygmy goats are meat.
Additional confusion in the names is added by the fact that in different countries these breeds are called differently:
- USA: Nigerian dwarf, African pygmy;
- Great Britain: pygmy, Dutch leprechaun;
In other countries:
- Guinean gnome;
- Guinea;
- Grassland Dwarf;
- Lesnaya;
- Dwarf West African;
- African pygmy;
- Pygmy;
- Nigerian pygmy;
- Cameroon gnome.
If you search, you can find other names. The compilation from the Nigerian Dwarf and the Cameroon Gnome stands out in particular: Cameroon Dwarf.
The story of
Naturally, illiterate African tribes could not tell Europeans the story of the origin of mini-goats. Therefore, these breeds got their names from the regions where they were first found by white people.
The progenitor of both breeds was most likely the West African pygmy goat. This breed is still widespread in Africa today. The Pygmy goat was found in West Africa, the Nigerian (Cameroonian) goat breed was originally found in the Cameroon Valley, although it is distributed throughout West and Central Africa. And today, all over the world.
The Cameroon breed has a double name due to the fact that the Cameroon Fault runs just along the border of these two countries, and sailors simply bought goats on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea. Who is in Nigeria and who is in Cameroon.
These artiodactyls arrived in Europe as food for predatory animals at a time when Great Britain was collecting live curiosities from overseas colonies in its zoos. The sailors also appreciated the dwarfs, who began to take them with them on ships for the sake of fresh milk and meat. Mini-goats took up little space, they also needed less food, and milk from them could be obtained almost like from large breeds.
Later, Cameroon mini-goats were also appreciated by milk producers. But the Pygmys began to be bred not so much for the sake of meat, but as pets. They have a more attractive appearance. If we compare the photo of the Cameroon (Nigerian) goat and the Pygmy, then this becomes obvious.
Some cannot understand how such charming animals can be eaten, others are perplexed since when goats have become inviolable. Moreover, not everyone who deals with dwarf breeds, and indeed with goats in general, also agrees about charming animals.
Description
The diverse colors of the Cameroon and their similarity to the Pygmies, as well as the presence of numerous crossbreeds of dwarf breeds and dwarf goats with large ones, have led to the fact that the descriptions of the Cameroon goat in different sources are seriously different. Add to this the small number of these animals in Our Country and, accordingly, the scarcity of information about them, and your head will spin.
The main differences relate to the size of these dwarfs. In -language sources, you can find information that the size of the Cameroon goat does not exceed 50 cm. And this is the size of goats. The 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 the 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 no more than 60 cm. According to the standard of another Pygmy 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 cm tall with a maximum height at the withers of 53 cm.
The difference in height as much as 10 cm leaves a wide scope for “creativity”. It’s good if the result of a creative approach is just a “mini”, and not an ordinary outbred goat that has been crushed as a result of inbreeding.
The Cameroon goat has a small, dry head, a thin neck, a relatively wide back, and thin, longer legs than the Pygmy, characteristic of dairy breeds.
Pygmies differ from Cameroons in shorter legs, thicker necks, and greater muscle mass. The growth of both breeds is the same. Also, both breeds have horns, but dairy goat breeders often dehorn animals to avoid injury.
Photo of a Cameroon goat.
Photo of a Pygmy goat.
You can see with the naked eye how the legs of the second are shorter than the legs of the first.
The same situation can be seen in the photo of the Cameroon goat (top) and Pygmy (bottom).
Pygmy goats are also usually more fluffy, due to which they are more popular with lovers of pygmy goats.
There are other miniature breeds of goats. 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 is in question when buying. Pygmy goats have a very limited number of colors and always have brown eyes. In Cameroon dairy goats, color variability is practically unlimited. They can be of any color. Some Cameroonian goats have blue eyes. Therefore, if the kid for sale is piebald or spotted, and even with blue eyes, it is almost certainly a Cameroon dairy goat.
Character
In terms of behavior, dwarf goats are no different from their large counterparts. They are mischievous and stubborn. If a Cameroonian has got it into her head that she “needs to go there”, she will strive to “go there” with all her might. It will lie in wait for the moment when access to the place she desired was opened up and immediately seep in.
Contrary to reviews of Cameroon pygmy goats, even uncastrated goats do not differ in malice. Their struggle with a person does not come from the wickedness of their character, but from the desire, natural for any herd animal, to find out their 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 remove 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 “little blood.”
In general, Cameroonians are very affectionate and affectionate creatures. They get used to the 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 you take the American line of Cameroon pygmy goats, then their productivity is really amazing. At the peak of lactation, these goats can produce up to 3,6 liters of milk per day. Although their performance actually ranges from 0,5 liters to 3,6 liters per day and averages just over a liter. How much milk a particular Cameroon goat gives depends on their diet, the milk production of a particular animal, and which line it belongs to. But you should not count on more than 1,5 liters of milk per day.
The milk of Cameroon goats is highly valued for its high fat content, the average value of which is 6,5%. Sometimes fat content can rise up to 10%. The milk is odorless and has a creamy taste. In the reviews of foreign owners of Cameroon goats, there are confessions that they “deceived” 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 economy of their content and a fairly large milk yield.
Thanks to this feature, 3-4 goats that have calved at different times will be enough to cover the needs of a small family in milk all year round.
A serious advantage is the trouble-free lambing of Cameroon goats. Complications during lambing in pygmy goats are rare. An adult Cameroon brings 1-2 kids.
The disadvantages include the “stickiness” of the Cameroonians. If the uterus is friendly to a person, then the goat 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 later.
With the widespread custom in Our Country immediately after birth, weaning kids from the uterus and feeding them by hand, the owner of the Cameroonian risks getting a serious headache. The goat really becomes demanding and importunate. This is understandable from a scientific point of view: imprinting, but 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 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 an amateur 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 tolerate the cold are unfounded. Africa’s climate is far from being as mild as we all used to think. Quite often, even above-zero temperatures with high humidity and strong winds feel like below zero.
Cameroon goats do not like dampness and need a dry environment. In cold weather, they will burrow into deep litter. In general, Cameroonians are no more demanding on the climate than Nubian or Saanen goats.
Goats are destructive by nature. They can jump on walls and cabinets as well as cats. And just as mischievous. But a cat can be taught to do its business in a tray, and a Cameroonian – just not to do its business in a bed. Therefore, even as a pet, the Cameroon must live in a separate room in the yard.
Choice
To obtain milk, it is better to choose a goat that has at least one lambing. In such an animal, the teats are already developed enough to create a minimum of inconvenience during milking.
Pygmies have very small nipples and are not suitable for milking. Cameroonian teats and udders are much larger.
The ways to choose the right Cameroon goat are the same as when choosing large dairy breeds:
- correct exterior;
- udder without defects and regular shape;
- milking capacity check before purchase;
- no extra nipples.
For a Cameroonian, having only two main nipples is a very important factor. In a large goat, this issue can be neglected, but since the Cameroon goat has to be milked literally with three fingers, extra nipples will interfere very much.
Young Cameroons are milked using the thumb, index and middle fingers. The uterus after the second lambing can already be milked with a “fist”, but in this case the index finger is excluded from the process.
The video shows that the Cameroonian has rather large nipples. But about “handmade since childhood” – a marketing ploy.
If the kid is left under the uterus, at first the remains will have to be milked. In these first 2 weeks, the uterus produces colostrum, even when it is already indistinguishable from milk in color. But it doesn’t taste good. After 2 weeks the milk becomes sweet.
Reviews
Conclusion
The Cameroonian is an almost perfect animal for those who do not need a lot of milk, but want to have their own. Cameroonians do not require a lot of space and feed. It is also one of the best breeds for those wishing to engage in the production of cheeses, butter and … soap. Full fat milk with a lot of protein is ideal for the production of these types of products.