Pygmy, Nigerian Dwarf or Standard Breed? What Size of Goat You're Choosing

Our buying guide already notes the welfare recommendation of smaller breeds for pet-keeping. This guide sets out what the actual breed standards say about size, using each breed's own registry or extension source rather than one generic figure for “goats.”

Adult sizes, by breed and source

The two dwarf breeds are measured in height, not weight, in their own breed standards — that's the actual basis they're judged on. Standard dairy and meat breeds run several times heavier than either dwarf breed once fully grown.

Pygmy vs Nigerian Dwarf: similar origin, different build

Both breeds trace back to West African dwarf goat stock, and they're genuinely close in height — but Oklahoma State University Extension is direct that they're bred for different things. Pygmies are bred to be “cobby” and heavy-boned, a stockier, more compact build. Nigerian Dwarfs are bred with the length of body and structure, in proportion, of a dairy goat — a leaner, more refined frame despite the similar height range. If you've seen both side by side, this is the visible difference, not just a naming distinction.

The National Pygmy Goat Association's own standard doesn't give a weight

Worth being honest about: NPGA's official breed standard, which we fetched and read in full, measures Pygmy goats by height at withers and cannon-bone length — not by weight. Several hobbyist sources quote weight figures for Pygmy goats, but since the breed's own registry doesn't publish one as part of its standard, we're not citing a number here that the breed's own authority doesn't give.

Why standard breeds are a different commitment

A Boer buck at up to 135kg or a Saanen at 65kg is a genuinely different animal to plan space, fencing and handling around than either dwarf breed — several times the bodyweight, even where height doesn't look dramatically different at a glance. If you're choosing a breed partly for ease of handling, the weight difference matters as much as the height.

What this means for your plans

• Whichever breed, the same UK/US housing minimums apply per animal — see how much space a goat needs and the housing calculator, since published space figures aren't broken down by breed size.
• Budget feed for the breed's actual adult weight with the feed cost calculator — our feed guide scales by the weight you enter, so a Nigerian Dwarf and a Boer buck give genuinely different numbers.
• Re-read our buying guide before choosing — the RSPCA's recommendation for pet-keeping is castrated males from smaller breeds, or females, which points toward the dwarf breeds covered here.

What we couldn't find

We found no official weight standard for Pygmy goats, no sourced temperament comparison between the breeds beyond their physical build, and no comprehensive size table covering every goat breed kept as a pet. Ask a breed society directly for breeds not covered here.

Sources: National Pygmy Goat Association, Breed Standard (revised January 2020): npga-pygmy.com; Oklahoma State University Extension, Breeds of Livestock (Nigerian Dwarf, Boer, Saanen goat breed pages): breeds.okstate.edu. Sources checked: September 2026.

Common questions

How big do pygmy goats get?

The National Pygmy Goat Association's official breed standard gives an adult height at withers of 16 to 22⅜ inches for does and 16 to 23⅝ inches for bucks. The standard is written around height and build, not weight — we haven't found an official weight figure to match.

How big do Nigerian Dwarf goats get?

Oklahoma State University Extension gives an ideal height of 17-19in for does (22.6in maximum) and 19-20in for bucks (23.6in maximum), with an ideal weight of about 75lb based on breed evaluation data.

What's the difference between pygmy and Nigerian Dwarf goats?

Oklahoma State University Extension is direct: despite similar origins, they're separate breeds. Pygmies are bred to be 'cobby' and heavy-boned, while Nigerian Dwarfs are bred with the length of body and structure, in proportion, of a dairy goat.

How big do standard goat breeds get?

It varies by breed and purpose. Oklahoma State University Extension gives Boer goats (a meat breed) as 90-100kg for does and 110-135kg for bucks, and Saanen goats (a dairy breed) at around 65kg — several times heavier than either dwarf breed.