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need info on miniature pygmy goats...want to get one!

16 years ago

I'm thinking of adding a goat to our menagerie in the near futur and would love some info on them...i was thinking female pygmy for the smaller size,does anyone have some good advice for me??

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Comments (11)

shera_melton
16 years ago
I just wanted to tell you some facts about goats:

1. They have to be wormed every 3 months. The wormer can be found at farm stores such as Rural King. It comes in pellet, tablet, and goo forms.

2. Their hooves must be trimmed. There are little folds underneath the hoof that grow and if they grow long it can sometimes cause infection and problems walking.

3. They can be very stubborn, and very crafty.

4. If you decide to breed the female and have babies usually she will have 2 babies but 3 is not unheard of.
beeliz
Original Author
16 years ago
thanks,I am aware of most of the care involved..is it really necessary to have them in an enclosure all the time,or can they live in the yard without doing too much damage?? are pymgmy's as destructive as larger breeds??? and are they safe to have around young children? thanks :)
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Hold them as much as possible, when putting out food, go in and pet them, if they squirm away your not holding them enough. Sit in their pen as much as you can stand it at this age. When they get older you won't need to do this since they will already be used to you. This is the critical age where they figure out if they are part of your heard or you are just an outsider who feeds them and goes away. This is especially serious when your child want to touch them and they feel the little one is an outsider and they need to 'protect' themselves. The first time they try to even playfully butt you, be very very stern and say NO point with your finger and maybe even touch their nose saying NO. Horns and human children are the worst thing ever. Its too late to disbud them but you need to be careful to train your child as much as these goats. I have all horned goats, my pygmy is the worst to use them on outsiders, dogs, or even a little bush he finds annoying. His horns are his way of communicating. Not with me or hubby but with strangers, family members, outside dogs etc. Please educate yourself on the dangers of horns and buy Carolyn Eddy's Practical Goatpacking book. I know you won't be goatpacking but you can learn so much of how to train your goat, how many words they can learn and the discipline it takes to create a well loved pet. You can train goats to do much more then they will show you lol
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shera_melton
16 years ago
As soon as you let them into your yard they will go straight for the flower beds and the gardens, we've learned that by sacrificing some plants. They need a secure pen at night to keep cyotes and predators from getting in. You can stake them out during the day in a place you want the weeds gone and have them out for a long time as long as they are safe. As long as you get them as babies and handle them or get them from someone who has handled them alot they will be fine with kids. There really isn't many ways they can hurt kids because the horns are usually not extremly pointy, just make sure your kids understand to watch out for hooves and horns if the goat gets spooked.
shera_melton
16 years ago
Oh, and if you have things like rose bushes, apple trees, ect they will pick it clean until there is only a stem left. Don't let this discourage you about them though. They are wonderful to have.

Do you have any ducks? If not you should look into them too. They are very cheap to care for and quite fun.
GennyM
16 years ago
Hey Beeliz,

I have a male pygmy goat. He's really sweet and tons of fun, but YES! they can be destructive!!! We don't have a pen/fence to keep him in. He stays in our back yard; our yard is fenced up but he hangs out on our back porch all day long!! He will use the bathroom/pee all over the deck. I have tried to get him to stop by: if I see him doing it I grab his collar and lead him off the deck, but nothing has helped.

He isn't responsive either if he doesn't want to be, but I think that's how most goats are--they kinda do as they please.

He's great with my ducks/cats and all but he will ram into my dogs. I don't know why becasue none of them bother him/chase him or anything--infact he's much bigger than they are!!!

He loves me infact, he will follow me every where and kinda guards me and doesn't want anyone to stand beside me or he has got to where he will ran into them--why? I have no idea LOL

He isn't good w/ my little niece. He will knock her down and so I don't know if all goats are like that or not with kids--I think maybe it's cause she's only 3 and so much smaller than everyone else.

But besides all that I love Reese to death. He makes me smile and laugh each day and he's just a sweet little guy. Even though he's a pygmy though he definitely isn't as small as I thought pygmys were! He weighs around 60 pounds or more...and he has gotten way taller in the last few months.

Anyway let me know if you get one! I female might be mroe calm if you get one I really don't know about that. We got Reese neutered so if you get one you might wanna do that too if you're getting it as a pet.

Good Luck!
Genny
beeliz
Original Author
16 years ago
wow,thanks for the info! I was thinking of getting a female actually...as a baby. I would put her inside a house at night...I would have to build one first!
and Shera melton,yes,I do have ducks! pekins as well as hens and 1 roo...I love them all so much,they're what started me in on all this. I also have rabbits,and 1 flemish giant who roams free in my fenced yard but goes inside his house for the night. But the idea for a goat is hanging high!! I only have nice gardens in the front of my yard which isn't fenced in with the back,fortunately!
shera_melton
16 years ago
Good. I would say go for it. If you get her as a baby and raise her around your kids she will probably be very good with them. Females are supposed to be nicer that ungelded males.

I'm glad you're getting into the farm life. By no means do I live on a "farm" but it really seems like one. We have a vegetable garden every year and the animals!

2 Boer Goats
2 White Pygmy Youngsters
14 ducks and ducklings (Mostly Blue Swedish.)
5 Dogs
3 kittens

The kittens and 1 of the dogs were strays around here. We are probably getting rid of the kittens and we have 6 ducklings. We are keeping 2 or 3 and selling the rest.

I hope you enjoy your little goat. :)
GennyM
16 years ago
I was thinking the same thing that shera said. I think you'll really enjoy a little girl goat--I sometimes wonder if I would have enjoyed a little girl better, but I've got Reese so that settles that =) Good Luck!!!!
beeliz
Original Author
16 years ago
Do you know where I should start looking for one? do I ask the co-op here? I tried the internet but with no help...
GennyM
16 years ago
Well, when ever I am looking for a dog/pet I look in the news paper usually. There are always adds in there with people selling animals. What about your local feed store? I don't really know but maybe they might know of someone somewhere that raises/sells goats??

Just be careful and make sure you get a healthy baby from a good breeder/seller.

I know I wasn't much help I hope someone comes by soon and I'm sure they'll know more about this than I do ;)
freedomstarfarm_gmail_com
13 years ago
I see this thread is old but wanted to add for anyone looking....
Goats are a herd animal and do better in groups of 2 or more. Tiny or large they can do the same damage; if allowed. If you have trained your goat to not go to the bathroom somewhere contact me because I would like to know what magic you used. Nigerian Dwarf goats are as small as pygmy and very docile. That is the breed that I raise and sell. Oh and intact male goats are stinky but castrated males do not smell and make wonderful pets!

Here is a link that might be useful: Freedom Star Farm

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