Why do people raise pygmy goats

A goat on good pasture shouldn't need grain. An exception to this is a pregnant mother or a doe that is nursing kids. Generally, good quality pasture or hay is enough to keep your pygmy goats healthy.

If you do supplement their diet with feed, make sure to purchase feed that is formulated specifically for goats. Don't buy livestock feed that is intended for multiple species. Goats have unique mineral needs from other livestock species.

If you feed them grain intended for sheep, horses or cattle, they can develop nutrient deficiencies and become ill. Pygmy goats are hardy and adapt easily to many climates. If you feed and house them properly, you won't have many health issues from them. Goats of all breeds are susceptible to infestations from the barber pole worm. Barber pole worms are internal parasites that chew the lining of the digestive tract.

Once they've created a wound, they consume the blood that comes from the wound. These blood-eating parasites can cause anemia in goats. You can perform this easily at home in less than a minute with no cost. If your goats show signs of anemia, worm them. Only worm them if they show signs of anemia to prevent creating worms that are resistant to wormer. Hoof issues are the most common issue with goats, including pygmies.

Goats should have their hooves trimmed every weeks. Do this quickly with a pair of hoof trimmers designed for goats. While trimming the hooves, check for moisture between the toes. The skin between the toes should be dry. If you notice that it is wet or there is an odor, your goat may have hoof rot.

Treat it easily with a product like Hoof n' Heel to kill the pathogen causing the infection. Pygmy goats are easy to raise, especially if you have a small space to keep them in. With good care, pygmy goats are hardy and healthy and will require little additional care form you.

If you have children, they will fall in love with pygmies. There is a reason that pygmy goats are so popular at petting zoos Pygmies are curious and friendly. Apart from being the most lovable pet, these goats are also known for their highly nutritious milk production. On average, a pygmy goat tends to produce one to two liters of milk depending on the age of the female breed. Although the milk comprises of 4.

They continue to produce milk for almost 4 to 6 months after giving birth to a baby. These goats are non-seasonal breeders and can give birth to their young ones during practically any time of the year. They attain puberty after 4 to 5 months of their birth. However, it is advisable to breed them after they reach the age of 9 to 10 months. Pygmy goats look like dwarfs, as they have short legs and a stocky body.

Their limbs are relatively short as compared to the body length. The salient appearance features include a broad forehead, short horns, erect ears, a small nose, and rounded muzzle.

The male goats are slightly different in appearance due to the presence of a long beard. Just like other breeds, pygmy goats are ruminant animals. They stay healthy and productive if appropriately fed. When feeding these goats, you need to consider their age, sex, and individual circumstance. Typically, pygmy goats are less demanding when it comes to their food. They can feed on simply green grasses, corn, and other types of grains.

It would be great if you offer them a natural grazing area. In addition, have plenty of hay for them to feed as they wish. Roughage will help with rumen function for digestion. In addition, you can also feed them supplementary feeds.

Make sure to offer a balanced amount of protein, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium. In order to keep your pygmy goat safe and healthy, you need to provide it with proper goat housing. The primary focus needs to be able to keep the goats safely contained and away from predators. A clean and cozy environment can help to protect these goats from seasonal or viral diseases. If you have plenty of space, make a fence around a reasonable area with plenty of grass. The goat house should have adequate set up for drainage.

If you live in a hot climate, you may consider running a misting system in the afternoons. Depending on the breed, pygmy goats typically have two babies per pregnancy. However, some breeds have 2 — 5 kids at a time. A baby goat is called a kid. The typical breeding season for pygmy goats is the months of September through March.

No doubt, pygmy goats are good pets in most of the cases. The reason for this is the fact that they are friendly, easy to handle, social, and love to play. They can also be trained, just like any other pet. Moreover, they are the best companions for the kids and elderly alike. Hence, you need to use a specific utensil for them to feed and make sure they drop less while eating.

As a whole, pygmy goats serve as the best pet if you know how to take care of them and give them due attention. When you own a pygmy goat or want to have one, the first thing to consider is knowing what it takes to raise it as a pet.

You need to focus on a wide range of aspects, including housing, feeding, cleaning, and other similar factors. They are cold hardy with proper shelter. Take care to ensure they can drink from water stations without tipping them over and becoming wet. However, when you are raising a pygmy goat as a pet, you need to pay much attention to the proper housing.

Usually, pygmies need a simple housing setup. They will be more than happy if you offer them an easy-to-build three-sided enclosure. The house should be well ventilated and provide a nice cozy place for the goat to sit and relax. Besides, try to build a secure and robust enclosure for the pygmies, as they love to jump around. It will not only offer required protection against the predators but also prevent their escape during the night. We prefer a good fenced-in area. Moreover, pygmies love to sleep in relatively higher places.

Therefore, it would be better to build their house slightly above the ground. Make sure to keep it dry and clean. Remember to put something in the house that your pygmy loves to play with.

It will help your pygmy goat to build a connection with the housing. If you are looking forward to raising a pygmy goat , it is highly recommended to learn how to feed them. The feed for pygmy goats is relatively different from that of other commercial goats. It is possible to supplement the regular goat chow, but fresh grass is the most desirable food for these goats.

To build an affectionate relationship with your pygmy goat, it would be better to welcome it with a handful of grains two to three times a day. It would also be appropriate to offer fruits and vegetables as treats. It is beneficial to feed them goat mix not more than twice a day for better growth.

Since pygmies can have a tendency to become overweight without ample space to play, it is necessary to control this issue by providing them with a moderate feed. Make sure to keep them away from poisonous and allergic herbs and plants such as Japanese yew, azaleas, laburnum, and rhododendrons.

You should always provide them with a fresh and adequate amount of food and fresh water. Raising pygmy goats as pets and for farming purposes is quite popular these days. People love them due to their small size and unique body structure. Besides their attractive appearance, they are friendly too. There are different opinions about raising a pygmy goat, which depends on the purpose for which you are going to raise it.

Before starting raising a pygmy goat, it is essential to keep a few things in mind. These include the knowledge about the behavior, habits, and temperament of these goats. Here we have described about some typical characteristics of pygmy goats that you need to match with your demands from a pet. If most of these match with you, then pygmies are good choice as pets for you.

Consider raising a pair or more pygmies as pets. Because single pygmy can be unhappy and make a sorry sight. Pygmies are smaller in size, but they are extremely social and they require the company of other pygmies or animals. Your cows, donkeys or horses can also be their good company to stay happy. As we have mentioned earlier, pygmy goats are different from other normal goats in the body size and structure. They are of uniquely stocky look with compact, muscular and small size.

They come with a wide variety of colors. Usually they are found in agouti, black, tan, white or mixed colored coats. One notable thing about pygmy goat is their babies. Every pygmy goat has a distinct personality. And each goat will have specifically distinct requirements. But most of them are friendly, although all of them might not be delighted to see you. Not all pygmies will welcome you home like a faithful pet dog, and absolutely not all will be delightfully pleasant companions.

But most of them are congenial and docile. Usually females and castrated bucks are docile and are of good nature. And the bucks are a little more independent, obstinate and stubborn. So for raising pygmy goats as pets, wethers or females will be perfect for you. If you start raising them from when they were babies, then they will easily adapt themselves with you and your home environment. Pygmy goats hate getting wet.

So never try to wet them, otherwise you might see changes in their moods. Most of the pygmy goats are gentle and responsive to humans. They might demand attention and love from you by nudging you hare and there.