How to Keep Pygmy Goats

They are very cute. They like having their snouts rubbed and scratched and are as affectionate as a cat (ie. When they want to be). Pygmy goats are comfortable around dogs, cats and horses. They have very cool distinctive pupils that are horizontal rectangles. "That's why some people have likened them to the devil," says Cheryl Daniels of North Hills, Calif. who has two Pygmies, who live harmoniously with the family's horses, cats, and four big dogs.Pygmy goats originated in the Cameroon Valley of western Africa, (their official name are African Pygmy Goats). They were imported into the United States from European zoos about 50 years ago for use in zoos and as a research animal. Private breeders acquired them and they became very popular as pets because of their good-natured personalities, friendliness and hardy constitution. They’re standard at petting zoos.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• appropriate fenced pen
• feeder
• water
• feed
• brushes

How to Keep Pygmy Goats

1. You need at least a 20-by-20 foot fenced area for two Pgymy Goats. Fencing should be at least 5 feet high (you must keep stray dogs out; they’ve been known to kill does). You can get non-climb fencing. For kids, you may need to adhere cardboard to the fence to prevent them from squeezing out. Be sure you use good quality hardware.

2. Make a sleeping platform; an old door can serve this purpose.

3. Keep hay feeders off the ground to protect against parasites. Hang on a fence or in a shelter on a metal rack.

4. Always have fresh, clean water available. Elevate the water above the ground for cleanliness. (Make sure a kid cannot fall in; they can’t get out). Automatic waters are convenient, but expensive.

5. Make or buy Grain Mix: 6 parts rolled barley, 4.5 parts rolled oats, 2.5 parts rolled corn, 1.5 parts soybean pellets. Feed pygmy goats quality alfalfa supplement with grain twice a day. (Wethers should not be fed grain after they are weaned due to the high possibility they will develop urinary calculi (stones). Fresh clean water is of course a must.) Goats will not eat feed that falls on the ground (to them it’s dirty).

6. 
   Mr. Darcy of Durham Township, Pennsylvania (baby Pygmy Goat).

   Trim hooves at least every four months.

7. Goats need a yearly booster of Tetanus C & D. Give does and bucks a vaccination of 2cc of Clostridium perfringens types C&D tetanus toxoid (CD&T) yearly. (Ask your vet about pregnant does)

8. De-worm goats more than six-months old once a year.

9. Give your goats something to play on. They like to climb and jump. Wooden cable spools are a lot of fun for them.

10. Groom your goat. Goats really enjoy being groomed, especially in spring when they are shedding their winter coats (I like to have on hand a a dog undercoat rake for combing out their undercoat). Grooming is an excellent bonding activity with your goats.

Tips & Warnings

• For two pygmies, a dog house provides adequate shelter, however, a larger shelter would be ideal and is a must if breeding the doe or adding another goat is planned.
• Bucks and wethers can be weaned as early as 6 weeks. Wean does for eight or nine weeks.
• Pygmy goats scan be used as milking goats (supplying up to a 1/2 gallon of rich milk a day).
• Sheep and cattle are grazers and goats are “browsers.” The won’t mow your law, but they love blackberries and brush.
• Consult your vet immediately if any of the following occur to your goat:
• It goes off its feed (in very hot weather this is common).
• It stops running and playing
• It stands hunched up, tail drooping
• It has loose or mucous-y diarrhea (also called scours)
• It has a high temperature. Normal goat body temperature is about 102.5. Take your goat's normal body temperature for reference.
• Feeding grain to bucks and wethers could facilitate the development of urinary calculi, or urinary stones.
• Never feed a wether grain after they turn three months old. It puts on excess fat, threatens his health.
• Rhododendron are highly toxic to pygmy goats and require immediate vet care for survival.
• Pygmy goats hate to get wet.
• Symptoms for worms: weight loss, in spite of a good appetite, a rough coat, and/or a general "ratty" appearance. You can take a fecal sample to your local vet for testing if you suspect worms.
• Watch out for lice, too.