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Club
News!
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Maggie
Leman with any
news from around the
farm or in the
showring.
Excerpts
From
Helpful Hints For
Your Herd
This
is just a small
sample from our 39
page booklet:
Pygmy
Goats 101
By Maggie Leman
Modem
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
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 a shed row
barn with 8 by 6
foot stalls with
separate outdoor
pens for our bucks.
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 woven
(not welded) 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 Goat
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 and wethers, 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
pet 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 mix
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
those sponsored by
the North Carolina
Pygmy Goat Club, or
a Small Ruminants or
Goat Producer
seminar sponsored by
veterinary colleges.
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
14-18 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 deliver.
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.
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
websites listed on
the Great Goat
Resources Page for
more in depth
reading.
Hey!
Need Hay?
Sure you can
probably buy hay at
the same store you
buy your feed, but
why pay the high
price? The North
Carolina
Agricultural Review
(See the Great Goat
Resources page for
contact information)
is a great place to
find a farmer who
can supply you with
just the right hay
for your little
goaties and usually
for a whole lot less
money! You don’t
have to buy a lot,
most of these
"fellow
farmers" are
happy to sell one or
two or 20 or 30
bales.
Sharing
the Wealth
You’ve
composted, mulched
and piled the barn
berries, until you
are pooped out of
room. What to do?
Call your County
Extension Agent
(look in the
government pages in
your phone book). He
or she will let the
master gardeners in
your area know where
they can go to
strike "black
gold". Unlike
cow and horse
manure, which can
"burn"
tender garden plants
if not composted
first, goat berries
can be put right
into the garden.
Gardeners in
suburban and urban
areas are always in
need of a reliable
source of compost
and they bring their
own shovels!
Poisonous
Plants
This is a list of
common poisonous
plants. It is by no
means complete.
Contact your
agricultural
extension agent for
a list of plants
known to be
poisonous in your
area. Most
well fed goats will
not eat poisonous
plants as most, but
not all of them,
taste bad. For
example, I have
horse nettle or
nightshade growing
in my pasture, but
the goats won't
touch it. A starving
goat might! On the
other hand most
goats will eat
azalea and
rhododendron as they
seem to taste good!
But both are very
toxic. Know your
poisonous plants to
protect your goats.
The Cornell
University Poisonous
Plants Web Pages
has pictures and
photos of poisonous
plants for easy
identification.
Castor
Bean (seed, leaves)
Caladium (all parts)
Christmas Rose
(root, leaves, sap)
Diffenbachia (all
parts)
Philodendron (all
parts)
Mistletoe (berries)
Rosary Pea (seeds)
Autumn Crocus (all,
esp. bulb)
Bleeding Heart
(leaves, roots)
Dutchman's Breeches
(leaves, roots)
Foxglove (leaves)
Larkspur (all;
seeds)
Lily of the Valley
(all)
Monkshood (all)
Narcissus (all)
Daffodil (all)
Jonquil (all)
Potatoes (all green
parts)
Rhubarb (leaves)
Tomato (leaves)
Apple (large amount
of seeds)
Apricot (seed)
Almond (seed)
Avocado (leaves)
Azalea (all)
Black Locust (bark,
twigs, seeds)
Boxwood (leaves,
twigs)
Buckeye (leaves,
nuts, flowers,
sprouts)
Horsechestnut
(leaves, nuts,
flowers, sprouts)
Chinaberry (fruit,
bark, berries)
Chokecherry
(leaves, seeds,
bark)
Wild Black Cherry
(leaves, seeds,
bark)
English Holly
(berries)
Oaks (tannins in
foliage and acorns
can be toxic in
large quantity)
Oleander (all
including dried
leaves)
Privet (leaves,
berries)
Rhododendron (all
parts)
Yew (all, esp.
berries)
Daphne (all; fruit)
English Ivy
(berries, leaves)
Golden Chain (seeds,
pods, flowers)
Lantana (green
berries, leaves)
Mountain Laurel (all
even honey is toxic)
Yellow Jasmine (all,
including nectar and
roots)
Wisteria (pods,
seeds)
Buttercup (all)
Cone Flower (all)
Black-eyed Susan
(all)
Hemlock (seeds,
stems, fleshy
taproot often
mistaken for wild
parsnip or anise)
Jack-in-the-pulpit
(all)
Jimson Weed (all)
Amanita Mushrooms
(all)
Nightshade (all)
American Bittersweet
(berries, roots,
leaves)
Deadly Nightshade
(all)
Pokeweed (roots,
shoots, leaves)
White Snakeroot (all
parts)
Morning Glory
(seeds)
Tobacco (leaves)
Tulip (bulbs)
Iris (corms)
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