Pygmy Goats
If you are considering getting pygmy goats as pets, there are a few things you need to know about them. Try to match their temperament, personality, needs and habits with what you are expecting and what you can provide them with. An unhappy pygmy goat is a really sorry sight, for by definition they should be happy, playful, curious and mischievous. Get pygmy goats for pets only if you know you can keep them happy. Below are some of the pygmy goat characteristics that you need to match with your needs from a pet. If most match, pygmy goats as pets is an option for you. Another thing, there is no such thing as a pygmy goat as a pet, it is always pygmy goats as pets. Take a cue from that and never have one in singular digit. Pygmy goats are extremely social and need the company of other pygmies or animals like cows, horses and donkeys to stay happy. So, unless you have the time and the resources for more than one pygmy goat, you shouldn’t be having pygmy goats as pets.
Physical Attractions
As mentioned earlier, pygmy goats differ from normal goats in the body size and structure. Pygmy goats are small, compact and muscular, giving them a uniquely stocky look. With the size of a large dog, i.e. about 16 to 23 inches from shoulder to ground, they are totally unlike the normal goats that we are familiar with. Pygmy goats weigh around 120 pounds or more and sport light to dense coats, depending on the climate of their native region. Pygmy goats are generally found in white, tan, black and agouti (white and black mixed together, giving them a mostly gray look) colored coats. With pygmy goats I can guarantee one thing, you can never walk away from a baby pygmy goat. Once you see one, you are hooked for life and you will have your pygmy goats as pets no matter what your initial plans were. They are just too cute to resist.
Temperamental Moods
No two pygmy goats are the same, not even twins or real siblings. Each pygmy goat has a distinct personality and each one will have specifically distinct needs. While most are aloof yet friendly, not all will be delighted to see you. Not all will welcome you home like a faithful pet dog and not all will be delightfully pleasant companions. Yet, most are congenial and docile and more often then not, their happy days will far outnumber the crabby ones. Even with the gender, females are generally docile and good natured while the males are a little more stubborn, obstinate and independent. Oh and before I forget, your pygmy goats will sure have ‘lord-high-and-mighty’ auras about them, so I guess you will just have to bear their moods (better than hurting a few prides here and there, trust me!). Pygmy goats sure know their minds and you could say they stubbornly stick to them. Pygmy goats hate getting wet so to prove my point, try getting one outside when it is raining. He is sure to dig in his heels and give you a tough time, for someone so tiny.
Display of Emotions
Most pygmy goats are gentle and responsive to humans and a few happy pygmy goat owners claim that their pygmies actually demand love and attention by nudging them here and there. The thing with pygmy goats is that if you wish for an enthusiastic pet that will wait for you to come home, wag his tail endlessly to show his excitement and happiness while you are around and whine till hell freezes over when you insist on him sleeping outside, you need a dog and not a pygmy goat. Pygmy goats normally hide their feelings very well and so even if they love you to death, they are unlikely to show it. A pygmy goat will wag his tail momentarily while you are around and the next moment go back to his usual blank stare. Don’t take me wrong, pygmy goats that are raised at home as pets are as loyal and faithful as their canine brothers, just not as showy though. Pygmy goats are generally very loud when they are expressing their displeasure or are demanding something. Your neighbors might object to you having pygmy goats as pets, if your pygmy goats give out untimely alarms during the night.
Daily Doings
Did I mention the pygmy goats are playful? They sure love to play, clown around and prance around like they’re tipsy. You will see them having occasional mock ‘head-butt’ fights and will also see them chasing each other over open fields. As an owner, you will have to provide them with a stimulating environment that has a lot of scope for play. You will have to strategically place some wood stumps or other such things, that they can use to climb on and jump from. They get bored very easily so, as an owner you will be required to be creative and on your toes.
Housing Needs
Pygmy goats are simple creatures that are content with simple three-sided enclosures. Yet, if you have a small, secure and ventilated barn, it is even better for them. It is for the owner to make their closures secure, to protect them not only from predators and stray dogs that trouble them, but also from their own foolhardy escape plans. Be warned, your pygmy goats are one of the greatest escape artists in the world and will climb, jump and do just about any acrobatics, to do anything that they are not supposed to do. It may sound funny but pygmy goats have somewhat aristocratic needs. They require something to sleep on, as they prefer it over sleeping on the ground. You will either have to provide them with sleeping benches or provide thick rugs on elevated platforms for that purpose.
Dietary Needs
Be careful, your pet pygmy goats will eat up anything green, even your precious flower plants. The standard goat chow that you get in the market, should be supplemented with grass hay that is not alfalfa (causes urinary calculi). Pygmy goats also welcome a handful of grains every once in a while. Fruits and vegetables should be given to them as treats. Goat mix should be fed to them only two times in a day and that too only 2-3 ounces. Pygmy goats have a tendency towards obesity and this should be nipped in the bud with moderate feeding. They must be kept away from poisonous plants like Azaleas, Rhododendrons, Japanese yew and Laburnum. Your pygmy goats will need a fresh water supply at all times.
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