Eye Colors of the Nigerian Dwarf


Brown Eyes

Photo courtesy of...
Jessica Thoma



Blue Eyes

Photo courtesy of...
Jessica Thoma


Blue eyes are a simple, dominant trait. Brown eyes are recessive. At least one parent must be blue eyed to get blue eyed offspring. They cannot "skip" a generation. Brown eyed mated to brown eyed will always result in brown eyed offspring. Please see the chart below to understand possible offspring outcomes when breeding blue and brown eyed goats.

In very rare cases there have been Nigerian Dwarf Goats with one blue eye and one brown eye. This is more likely to occur from lack of pigment due to white spotting and not by an inheritable gene.

BB - Homozygous blue eyed. Is blue eyed and will always produce blue eyed kids, regardless of mate.
Bb - Heterozygous blue eyed. Is blue eyed, but carries the brown eyed gene.
bb - Homozygous brown eyed. Is brown eyed and does not carry the blue eyed gene.

The chart below shows possible matings between blue eyed and brown eyed goats.