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Did
You Know That...
Pygmy
Goats are fine pets
and useful homestead
livestock.
Milking time at
Maggidan’s Minis
Pygmy Goats are a
dual-purpose (milk
and meat) goat,
ideally sized for
smaller farms.
Pygmy Goat milk is
very rich, perfect
for home cheese
making.
Pygmies are heavily
muscled, and
perfectly sized for
the family freezer.
Did
You Know That…
Pygmy
Goat gestation is
about 5 months.
Amber’s
Newborns
Dan with a 1 week
old kid
Does can produce as
many as 3 litters in
2 years. The
average number in a
litter is two, but
three, four or even
five kids are not
uncommon. Many
does can happily
produce a litter a
year from the time
they are two years
old until they are
10 to 12 years
old. Kids are
typically 2 to 4
pounds at
birth. They
are weaned at 12
weeks.
Did
You Know That…
Pygmy
Goats can live well
into their
teens.
Buffy at 15 years
young
The Maggidan’s
Mob
The leader of the
herd is most often
an older experienced
doe. Pygmy
Goats thrive best in
a herd, they do not
like to be without
the company of their
own kind.
Did
You Know That…
Male
goats are
Bucks. Female
goats are Does, baby
goats are Kids, and
castrated male goats
are Wethers.
Buck
Wether
Wethers make
outstanding pets and
are often the least
expensive.
Does make good
pets. Bucks
should be considered
breeding stock only,
they often have an
odor and habits
people find
objectionable.
Does and wethers do
not have a buck’s
odor or breeding
habits.
Did
You Know That…
Goats
are browsers rather
than grazers.
Snacking on a pine
sapling
Goats prefer to eat
brush, weeds,
leaves, bark and
tall grass no closer
than 6 to 8 inches
from the
ground. They
do not make good
lawn mowers but can
help control the
brush in woodlots
and woody plants in
pastures.
Did
You Know That…
Pygmy
Goats originated in
West Africa.
A West African Dwarf
Buck
Pygmy Goats are
called West African
Dwarf Goats or
Cameroon Dwarf Goats
in their native
Africa. They
were imported
through Sweden to
the United States in
1959 as stock for
petting zoos and
research labs.
Through selective
breeding they have
become the
Pygmy Goat seen
today.
Did
You Know That…
The
National Pygmy Goat
Association is the
registry and club
for purebred pygmy
goats and their
enthusiasts in the
United States.
It has many regional
affiliated clubs.
Maggie
Leman is a NPGA
Region Director and
she or any other
exhibitor will be
happy to talk to you
about joining the
NPGA or the local
affiliated
club. There
are links to the
NPGA and many
regional pygmy goat
clubs on our FYI
page.
Did
You Know That…
Pygmy
Goats come in two
color patterns.
The NPGA recognizes
two color patterns
for Pygmy Goats,
Caramel and
Agouti.
Caramel Pygmy Goats
are white to deep
brown with a darker
facemask, dorsal
stripe and leg
stockings with a
light stripe on the
front. Agouti
Pygmy Goats are
shades of grizzled
gray or brown with a
darker facemask,
dorsal stripe and
solid leg
stockings.
Pygmy Goats also
come in Black or
Solid Black, a
variation of the
agouti
pattern. Most
Pygmy Goats have
frosted ears,
muzzles, foreheads
and tails the Solid
Black does
not. Visit our
Pygmy
Colors page for
more examples.
Light Caramel Gray
Agouti Brown Agouti
Black
Did
You Know That…
All
Pygmy Goats can grow
horns and both sexes
can have beards.
Buck with hornsDoe
with
horns
Doe with a beard
All registered
pygmy goats are
required to be
genetically
horned. Horned
goats are less
likely to produce
hermaphroditic (a
form of sterility)
kids. Most
kids are disbudded
to prevent the horns
from growing.
Of course the bucks
have beards but so
do many does.
We trim the beards
off the does for the
show ring to make
them look more
feminine.
Did
You Know That…
Pygmy
Goats have four
stomachs.
Goats
have 4 stomach
chambers, the
reticulum, the
rumen, the omasum,
and the abomasum.
Goats digest their
food by fermentation
in the rumen that is
populated with
millions of
bacteria. They
also ruminate or
chew their cud,
bringing partially
digested food back
from the rumen into
their mouths for
further
chewing. After
the food leaves the
rumen it goes
through the omasum
and abomasum for
further
digestion.
This type of
digestive system
allows goats to
thrive on hard to
digest plant
material.
Pygmy
Goats 101
By
Maggie Leman
Introducing
the Pygmy Goat
Modern
pygmy goats in
America can trace
their roots back to
the Cameroon Dwarf
Goat of West Africa.
That is why some
people call them
African Pygmy Goats.
The Cameroon Dwarf
goat is a short,
heavily muscled
animal with a dark
colored coat. But
the pygmy goat seen
in America only
faintly resembles
their ancestors in
Africa. Along the
way they were
probably crossed
with Swedish Lapp
goats who
contributed improved
milking ability and
the possibility of a
light colored coat.
Then, once they were
imported to the
United States,
breeders here bred
selectively for
traits they found
desirable and
produced a unique
little goat called
the American Pygmy
Goat or just the
Pygmy Goat.
Pygmy
goats were first
imported into the
United States in
1959 by the Ruhe
Brothers in
California and the
Catskill Game Farm
in New York. Due to
federal importation
regulations, pygmy
goats and other
livestock could not
be imported directly
from Africa. So,
pygmy goat does were
bought from German
zoos, where they
were available for
about $15 a head.
From there they were
taken to Sweden to
be bred to Danish
owned bucks so that
the offspring could
be imported to the
United States. With
quarantine,
breeding,
maintenance and
shipping charges,
the final cost per
animal was about
$3500 (in today's
dollars that would
be more than
$10,000). Both the
importers felt it
was worth the price
as they could sell
stock to American
zoos for display in
children's petting
zoos. Apparently
their instincts were
correct as the pygmy
goat is a mainstay
of petting zoos
everywhere.
The
National Pygmy Goat
Association's breed
standard describes a
pygmy goat as a
genetically small
goat standing from
16 to about 23
inches at the
shoulder, and having
a deeper, wider
barrel, shorter
legs, and shorter,
wider face than
dairy goats All
colors are
acceptable as long
as the goat has the
required breed
markings. There are
two patterns for
these breed
markings: caramel
and agouti. The
caramel pattern
ranges from snow
white to deep brown
on the body, with
darker
"trim" on
the head, legs,
dorsal stripe and
belly. The agouti
pattern includes all
shades of grizzled
gray, and shades of
grizzled brown with
darker trim on the
head, legs, and
dorsal stripe. When
in doubt between
caramel and agouti,
look at the goat's
stockings. Caramels
have a light stripe
running up the front
of the stockings.
Agoutis have solid
stockings with no
stripe. In addition,
partial or complete
belly bands of white
and white stars on
the forehead are
acceptable. All
other white marks
are faults
There
are three sex
classes in pygmy
goats, bucks, does,
and wethers. A buck
is a male and a doe
is a female, and are
breeding animals. A
wether is a neutered
male, and is
primarily a pet. All
three are shown at
National Pygmy Goat
Association shows.
Dairy goats shows
never feature their
wethers, and seldom
have classes for
their bucks
Caring
For your Pygmy Goats
Housing
And Fencing
Because
of their small size
and hardiness, pygmy
goats are easy to
keep. First, they
require a dry,
draft-free shelter.
Pygmy goats need
about 15 to 20
square feet of room
per animal. That is
a space that is 4
feet by 5 feet. So a
large dog house
could house a grown
pygmy goat. But,
pygmy goats are herd
animals and do not
thrive if kept
alone. They are best
kept in groups. Even
a buck would rather
be with another buck
than be alone. So if
you plan to keep
pygmy goats, plan to
have more than one
and provide shelter
accordingly. We use
a combination of a
large barn for our
does and kids, and a
shedrow barn for our
bucks with 8 by 6
foot stalls with
separate outdoor
pens for our bucks.
Our grown bucks
often have a
weanling buck kid
for company. The
young kid is
comforted and feels
safer having an
older goat for
company during
weaning and the
older buck gets a
playful companion.
They don’t view
each other as
rivals, more like
mentor and
protégé.
Ideally
pygmy goats should
have access to
pasture for exercise
and browsing. But
many pygmy goats
don't enjoy the
luxury of large
pastures and are
instead kept in
pens. The larger the
better of course,
but a 30 by 30 foot
pen is ample for two
to four goats.
Fencing should be
chain link or wire
mesh as pygmies are
smart and soon learn
to squeeze out of
horizontal wires
such as that used
for horses. Even
electric fences
won't hold a
determined goat.
Secure fences serve
a more important
role than just
keeping your goats
out of your
neighbor's prize
roses--they keep
predators from
getting in! Any dog,
no matter how
friendly, will chase
a pygmy goat to
death. Often this
friendly dog will
inflict terrible
wounds in the
process. It is not
the dog's fault
entirely, it is
their nature to
chase small animals.
And, you can't
always count on a
dog being confined.
So take heed to the
old saying,
"Good fences
make good
neighbors," and
securely pen your
goats.
Feeding
Your Pygmy Goats
Properly
Secondly,
pygmy goats need to
be fed properly and
have access to clean
water. Goats hate
stale water and will
sometimes go without
rather than drink
it. Goats need
plenty of water to
make their digestive
system work properly
and bucks in
particular need
water to help
prevent the
formation of urinary
stones. Goats should
also be provided
with a loose mineral
supplement,
preferably
especially made for
goats. The most
important food for
goats is good hay or
good pasture. Many
pygmy goats do well
on a diet of hay or
pasture forage only
Some pygmies, such
as growing kids and
yearlings, and
breeding animals
need to have their
diets supplemented
with grain. Every
pygmy goat owner has
his own opinion
about what this
grain ration should
be. Maggidan's Minis
uses a quality 16%
pelleted goat feed
for both bucks and
does. Occasionally
we supplement this
feed with a high
protein, vitamin and
mineral supplement
such as Calf Manna
for animals in high
production such as
growth, lactation
(milking and raising
kids), or heavy
breeding. They have
access to a loose
mineral and
salt
formulated for
livestock. We also
feed a top quality
grass hay. Our goats
also have access to
large woodsy
pastures for
browsing.
We
use the goat's body
condition as a guide
for how much
supplemental feeding
they require
Generally, pet goats
are fed way too
much, and frequently
are fed the wrong
things. Goats should
never be fed dog or
cat food, rabbit
pellets, or poultry
feed. This kind of
diet can lead to
severe, sometimes
life threatening
health problems such
as bloat, rumen
impaction
("stomach
blockage"), and
urinary stones. One
of the biggest
health problems with
pet pygmy wethers
and bucks is urinary
stones. It is our
opinion that the
number one cause of
urinary stones is
improper feeding and
watering. Because of
a male goat's
physical makeup, it
is very difficult
for them to pass a
urinary stone.
Should they develop
this condition you
are facing an
enormous vet bill or
euthanasia. Feed and
water your goats
properly and you
will be rewarded
with happy healthy
frisky pets.
Your
Pygmy Goat’s
Health Care
Goats
have relatively few
health care
requirements, but
these are important.
They are hoof
trimming, regular
deworming and lice
control, and
vaccinations.
Maggidan's Minis
recommends that
hooves be trimmed
every six to eight
weeks. We deworm and
delouse four to six
times a year. And,
we recommend that
pygmy goat owners
vaccinate against
rabies and
clostridial diseases
such as tetanus.
There are several
clostridia and
tetanus vaccines for
goats. Look for one
that says "C, D
& T". There
is no approved
rabies vaccine for
goats in the US. so
we use the vaccine
approved for sheep.
All of these
procedures, except
the rabies
vaccination, can be
done by the owner
with just a little
training. Most vets
or pygmy goat
breeders are willing
to help you learn.
Another good place
to learn about pygmy
goat care is at goat
seminars such as the
Goat-A-Rama
sponsored by the
North Carolina Pygmy
Goat Club, or a
Small Ruminants or
Goat Producer
seminar sponsored by
veterinary colleges
or County Extension.
The
last health
requirement for your
pet goat pertains
not so much to his
physical health but
to his mental
health. Goats are
herd animals and are
very uncomfortable
with being alone.
They absolutely
require a companion.
The best companion
is another goat.
Lacking this, cows,
sheep, llamas and
horses make adequate
companions. But, a
buck should not be
included in your pet
pair or herd. Pygmy
goats are fertile as
young as three
months, and a
pregnancy at this
age is a disaster.
Pygmy goat does
should not be bred
until they are about
18 months old. They
need to be close to
their full size when
they kid (give
birth) five months
later to avoid
problems with the
kid(s) being too big
to come out. Pygmy
goats can also breed
year round unlike
most dairy goats
which are fertile
only for a few
months in the fall.
Pygmy does become
fertile again in as
little as ten days
after kidding. The
babies are cute, but
unending motherhood
is a terrible drain
on a doe. So you can
see that a buck
would have to be
kept separated from
the does except when
breeding is desired.
Bucks and does
should not even
share a fence line
as they can mate
through the fence.
This has happened to
us more than once.
So now our bucks are
housed well away
from the does to
prevent accidental
breeding. Besides,
bucks don't make
good pets, due to
their musk odor and
their incessant
"need to
breed" nature.
Sharing
the Pygmy Goat
Experience
So,
you are about ready
to take the plunge
into pygmy goat
ownership. The next
question is
"Where do you
find help and
support when you
need it?" Pygmy
goat owners can join
several well
organized and
enthusiastic groups.
Locally for us there
is the North
Carolina Pygmy Goat
Club. Many states
have their own pygmy
goat clubs. The
National Pygmy Goat
Association has a
list of associated
clubs with contact
persons. Dan and I
have been members of
the North Carolina
Pygmy Goat Club
since 1991. The help
and information
given to us by
fellow members has
been the foundation
for most of our herd
health procedures.
The members of your
region's pygmy goat
club can help you
find a vet, locate a
hay and feed source,
give tips on hoof
trimming and
vaccinations, and
just be there when
you need advice or
someone to brag to
when there are new
kids in the barn.
All pygmy goat club
members are happy to
help new and not so
new pygmy goat
owners with any
concerns they have,
and always welcome
new members.
On a
national level,
there is the
National Pygmy Goat
Association. The
National Pygmy Goat
Association
maintains the only
registry herd book
for pygmy goats in
the United States
and works to support
and promote the
pygmy goat breed as
pets, show and
alternative
livestock. The
National Pygmy Goat
Association has over
2000 members world
wide and over 53,000
goats in its
registry. The
National Pygmy Goat
Association
publishes it's
magazine, Memo, six
times a year and
also has many other
books and resources
available especially
for pygmy goat
enthusiasts. The
National Pygmy Goat
Association
sanctions about 300
pygmy goat shows a
year. Shows are a
great way to meet
other pygmy goat
owners even if you
don't show your
goats.
This
is just a basic
guideline for
keeping pygmy goats
happy and healthy.
If you have any
further questions we
are just an e-mail
or phone call away.
Or you can go to the
sites listed below
for more in depth
reading.
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