Lead with the ears and the breeding papers
A Nubian announces itself with long, pendulous ears and a convex, Roman-nosed profile, so the identity page should photograph exactly those features, along with full side views of colour and pattern. Record name, age, sex, breeder, any registration papers and parentage as supplied, plus horn or disbudded status and any ear marks or tags. Write down the herd this goat joins, its place at the hay rack in the first week, and how vocal it is, because Nubians talk more than most goats and a helper needs her normal noise level. Keep the seller's feeding and milking notes at the front too, so your first entries continue the previous keeper's story rather than starting a competing one.
Run the milk log like a dairy record
Milk recording is the working centre of a Nubian file, kept for this breed's rich milk over a long season. Note every milking, the amount in plain terms, udder feel before and after, and anything unusual in appearance or smell of the milk that day, discarding and flagging rather than using anything that seems off. A doe who drops yield suddenly, develops heat or unevenness in one side of the udder, or turns restless on the stand needs that pattern visible, so contact your vet early and take the log. Breeding entries sit beside the milk pages: heat signs, which buck was used, service notes and the kidding window you plan around, followed by a kidding record of kids, sexes, weights as taken and first feeds.
Note feeding, condition and growth in youngstock
Feed records for a Nubian should separate the milking doe, the dry doe and the growing youngster, because each eats to a different purpose. Log hay quality, concentrates as fed, browse and mineral access, and weigh or tape on a steady rhythm, scoring condition by feel along the back and ribs. A big-framed Nubian carries condition differently from a finer breed, so your own repeated scores matter most. Record appetite honestly: a Nubian who leaves feed, stops chewing cud or stands apart grinding her teeth is flagging discomfort in the only way she can, and the feeding page showing when intake changed turns a vague vet call into a precise one. Youngstock growth entries, taken regularly, prove whether a promising doeling is actually tracking well.
Add hoof, ear and herd behaviour entries
Routine pages for a Nubian should include the care her ears invite: check and note the condition inside those long ears, any head shaking, scratching or odour, and what your vet advises if irritation keeps returning. Hoof trims go in with dates of the work as done, cracks or limping between visits, and how the goat handled the stand or restraint. Behaviour notes round out the file: companions, rivalries, fence testing and how this goat responds to new people, since Nubians form strong preferences and a doe who adores one milker may object to another. A sudden personality change in a normally biddable Nubian, especially alongside appetite or milk changes, is worth a prompt vet call with your notes in hand.
Leave instructions a relief milker can use
Close the Nubian file with the page that keeps the dairy running without you: milking order and routine, feed and mineral storage, which doe kids are still drinking from, and the gates, stands and quirks involved. File vet notes and each lactation's summary behind the daily entries so the whole production story reads in sequence. A Nubian's record, kept this way, supports breeding choices, honest sales and better vet care across her whole working life. Drawn together in the KinsLe Pet Passport, those Nubian pages form one packet that can travel from your dairy shelf to a vet visit without leaving anything behind.