Goats...??

Pygmies are fun. If you are just going to have one get a ewe or a female. Males like a lot of attention too but they also like to head butt a lot. You need a warm safe place for it to bed down at night. Stray dogs tend to attack small goats so your pen should not only keep the goat in but othe animals out. Get it when it is just a kid around 3-5 months. Young enough you can give bottles as a treat but eating mostly solid food. Take it to a vet for shots and warming and a hoof check. Learning to trim hooves is easy if you start early and before any problems develop. When you go to get your goat look around at the farmer's other goats and their attitudes and condition. That can tell you a lot as to what kind of health your little goat could be in. Also do not be afraid to look for one in Shelters or rescue groups. They can teach you a whole lot about them. Good luck.

Pygmy goats are from africa and breed yearround due to the temperature in africa, so you cant keep bucks (not billies) with the does, but you should get more than one for sure, they are herd animals.

You will need a small shelter, i use a dog house (i have big goats and this works fine) and a safe fenced area about 10 sq ft per animal.

Feed: Grains , unless the temp. is cold (like -10) or they are prgnant, they dont require grain, just makes them fat, and could cause bloat. Hay is a must; dont feed alfalfa as its too sweet for them and they will become fat and bloated, feed timothy / brome or other grasses. Water is also a must.

If you plan to breed them, choose only purebred bucks that have good type, and are gentle. Choose does that are CAE, CL, Johnes free, and have a good udder.

Other, you will need to learn to trim hooves, many sites have good info on it like http://www.fiascofarms.com/ they are a wealth of information.

haha.. well. first of all. they are a lot of work. But they are so much fun. if you get males. make sure they are neutered, a buck has no purpose as a pet, they can be very testy. a wether (neutered male) will make teh best pet. U must have at least 2 goats. I do not reccomend you get a got with horns. (it is a hazard to you, themselves and each other) I have one with horns and will never get another one. well. you need a fence (does not have to be large) but they need room to stretch their legs and graze and so on. i would say for a miniature goat (like a pygmy or nigerian dwarf) you need at least 4' high. or they will jump it. i have some that try to jump that. as for feeding.. for a pygmy or nigerian wether. i handful of 10 or 12% grain. (such as sweet feed or all stock). Put a little bit of apple cider vinegar in their water to prevent urinary calculi. As for hay (which you need unless you have a sufficent pasture, even then give them some) a flake or 2 for every 2-3 goats. you can tell if they are hungry. they dont tend to like timothy hay. orchard grass or bermuda grass hay is best. ** if you have wethers DO NOT give them alfalfa hay** it is too high in protein and could give them urinary calculi which will kill if not treated immediatley. keep a bowl of baking soda around them all the time. (they will go and just take a taste as they need it) it keeps the acid in the rumen (a compartment of the stomach) at a low level, and keeps them from bloating. And they need a shelter. Even something as simple as a doghouse will work. but a run in shed is best. they need their hooves trimmed regularly (they say every 6 weeks) i do mine every month to keep them managable. and they need a shot of CD/T tetanus TOXOID every year. if you get babies.... they should have had both rounds (when they are babies they get one at 4 weeks, then one at 8 weeks. then they are good for a year. then thye just get it yearly. it prevents overeating disease and tetanus. Goats are a lot of fun. but a lot of work. if you have any further questions let me know. oh. and e-mail me. and i will give the worming lecture (which is important)

barehnh@aol.com