Begin With the Herd's Health Testing
A Nubian goat comes from a dairy herd, and the herd's testing habits should be your opening question. Ask what diseases the herd is screened for, how often screening happens, and whether results for this goat's dam and sire are available to read. Ask how the breeder responds when a goat tests positive or keeps an unexplained abscess, and how incoming animals are kept apart before joining the herd. Straight answers here matter more than a polished sales talk.
Ask about parasite management as well. Nubians thrive in warm climates, and warm climates favour parasites, so ask what the breeder uses, how they judge whether it is working, and whether they check individual goats rather than treating the whole herd on a calendar. A goat leaving a well-monitored herd starts life with you in far better shape than one from a herd managed by guesswork.
Ask About Milk in Terms of the Pail
A Nubian is valued for rich milk, so ask the seller to describe the dam's production concretely. Ask how much she gives at her peak, how long she stays in milk, and how she handles in the parlour or on the stand. Ask about udder attachment and teat size on the dam, because hand milking a Nubian with poor teat placement is a twice-daily frustration for years. If the doe you are buying has freshened before, ask how she milked, how she kidded, and whether she raised her kids or they were pulled.
Ask whether a doe is sold open or bred. If bred, ask for the buck's identity, his dam's milking record, the service date, and how pregnancy was confirmed. A Nubian breeder who tracks service dates and due dates carefully is also likely to track everything else carefully. If you are buying a kid, ask what the sire's other daughters are doing in milk, not just what he looks like in a show pose.
Ask About Noise, Size, and Heat
A Nubian's voice is part of the purchase, so ask about it directly. Ask how vocal this line is at feeding time, at weaning, and when in season, and ask the neighbours question honestly: will this goat suit the distance between your barn and the nearest house? Nubians are also large dairy goats with long, pendulous ears, so ask the mature size of both parents and look at the growing room your housing and fencing actually offer.
Ask how the herd handles summer heat. Nubians generally cope well with warmth, but a seller should still describe shade, water access, and whether production or appetite drops in the hottest weeks. Ask about ear care in cold snaps too, since those long ears can suffer in bitter weather and a northern buyer needs the breeder's honest routine. A Nubian that arrives home with a heavy parasite burden, a persistent cough, or a hot, painful udder needs a veterinarian's attention promptly, not a wait-and-see week.
Ask About Registration and Daily Routine
A Nubian sold as registered should come with papers that match the goat in front of you. Ask whether registration is complete, whether identification matches the documents, and whether the breeder registers kids routinely or only on request. Ask what hay, grain, and minerals the goat eats now, how much pasture or browse it gets, and whether it has lived with horned or hornless herd mates, since mixing the two needs management.
Ask how the goat behaves with children, dogs, and clipping or hoof trimming, and whether the seller provides after-sale advice and would take the goat back if circumstances break down. Take the testing results, breeding details, and feeding routine home in writing. Stored in KinsLe Transferrable Profiles, that written history stays welded to your Nubian's profile rather than fading with the seller's recollection.