Goats in Nigeria enjoy tasty treats from kindly farm visitor

These goats live on a farm in Nigeria. They get lots of hay and other things to eat, but they truly love fresh, green grass. Farming in Nigeria is a very tough occupation and their climate is a dry one. Dense populations of people and homes mean that prime farmland is scarce. Goats like these don't often see green vegetation growing where they live.
This farm family treks a long way over roads and hills to gather grass and leaves that they bring back to the farm for their animals. The owner of the farm is a secondary school teacher who has studied agricultural sciences. This knowledge, along with a love for animals, has inspired him to keep some domestic creatures and run a small farm.
Of course, life in general is very tough in Nigeria, and maintaining a farm is important for providing food for family. Employment opportunities in Nigeria are hard to find and wages are much lower than the wages in North America. In a part of the world with a harsh climate and harsh conditions, keeping the animals on a farm healthy can be crucial to survival. Hiking many miles to carry food for the animals back to the farm is a way of life for many.
These goats clearly appreciate the extra effort as they are fed their treats by one of the older sons in his family as he visits the farm.
These are African Dwarf goats. They have a genetic abnormality called achondroplasia. This condition causes interference with proteins and their role in growth and bone development. As a farm breed, they are advantageous in Nigeria due to their increased resistance to certain parasites and infections. They also breed at a younger age than many other breeds, and they have more kids than other breeds, making them ideal for meat and milk production in Nigeria.