Pygmy Goat Breed – Everything You Need to Know

These little goats are full of fun. They are a joy to watch their crazy antics as they play, climb and do weird types of acrobatics. As they are a small to medium sized goat they do not need as big a pasture as their larger counterparts. But they still require a good amount of fresh grazing as they love their greens and grains.

They are very lovable too and enjoy the company of their humans. They are also quite easy and fun to train. As they are not as big as most goat breeds, they make a wonderful pet for the entire family. But if you have children it is always advisable to have them disbudded young.

Pygmy Goat Goat Quick Profile Overview

Pygmy’s are very lovable and inquisitive bundles of energy and fun
Country of Origin:	Developed from the Landrace animal West African Dwarf goat common to the Cameroon Valley or West Africa.
Other Names:	African Pygmy
Breed Size:	Small
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Main Purpose:	Pets, exhibition and milk production
Can be used for	Breeding, Meat, Milk, Pets, Show
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Temperament:	They are cute, inquisitive, active, loyal and lovable
Good with Kids?	They are good for supervised children. It is always advisable to disbud the kid goat before 3 weeks of age. And a wether buck is a lot friendlier and calmer to have as a pet.
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Ideal Environment:	They do not need a big a grazing pasture as the larger to medium-sized breeds. But they do need room to move about. Play, adventure and lots of greenery to graze on.
Ideal Climate:	They do well in any weather as they are very hardy and adaptive little goats.
Conservation Status:	Not Listed by the *ALC They are quite common as they are the most popular breed of goat kept as pets
Health Issues?	They are not as susceptible to most diseases and parasites as other breeds or livestock
Good Starter Goat?	They make an exceptionally good starter goat. Their sweet personalities, size and adaptability make it easy for the novice goat owner.
Goat Associations:	National Pygmy Goat Association
Goat Clubs:	NC Pygmy Goat club they may also be able to help with breeder and or clubs in your areas.
Note: *ALC stands for American Livestock Conservancy

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

These little characters have had quite a trying history of being used in zoos and kept as lab animals. But today we see the value of these little guys as really great pets. They are also trainable, loveable and loyal. In fact, un-neutered males will literally fight each other to vie for their human’s attention. We have to label the does as petite. As far as goats go, she is petite and really nimble. She will basically fly over an obstacle. But a more loyal and faithful pet you could not ask for she is like a little dog and loves to follow her humans around. This little buck is sweet, feisty and robust. He is quite willing to fight for what is his but at the same time is very friendly. Wether bucks do make the best pets and if you are not looking to breed your goat it may be best to have them castrated.
Color(s):	They have 3 basic base colors for their coats. These can be a dark mahogany/brown, black or a medium brown color. It is rare that you find a Pygmy goat with just one color as their coats are usually splashed with various patterns some of the most being agouti and caramel patterns. Both the doe and the buck tend to exhibit the same color patterns and combinations. Nothing distinguishes the color from either sex.
Goat⇒	Doe	buck
Breed Weight:	50 lbs.	60 lbs.
Breed Height:	38 cm at withers	50 cm at withers
Hair:	Short, fine and glossy	Short, glossy with a ridge along their spine. They also tend to have beards
Ears:	Ears that stand erect much like that of a dog. They tend to be the color as her coat.	In proportion to their heads and they are erect and the same color and or color combination as his coat
Horns:	They do have short horns	Their horns are thick and curve back. They are not as heavy or long as their larger counterparts’ horns.
Matures at age:	5 to 15 months	3 to 15 months
Puberty Age:	4 to 10 months	4 to 9 months
Breeding Age:	18 months	1 year
Breeding Traits:	1 Breeding cycle	Cover 20 to 30 does in 1 season

DOE BREEDING & MILKING INFORMATION

If precautions are not taken to separate her from bucks, she can fall pregnant at around 3 months. It is not advisable to breed her until she is around 18 to 24 months old. As the Pygmy goat is polyestrous, she can breed every 9 to 12 months with a 5-month gestation period between breeding.
Breeding Period/cycle:	Usually lasts 12 to 36 hours Ave. 21 days/18 to 24 days
Gestation Period:	Usually around 5 months
Kids:	They usually have twins but can have up to 4 kids per litter
Good Mothers?	They make good little mother and will feed their kid until weaning.
Lactation Period:	5-6 months They can produce a good quality of milk during their lactation period
Milk Quality:	Their milk is sweet and nutritious
Milking Level:	They are quite small and as such may be difficult to milk especially for a novice

GOOD TO KNOW

A few bits and bob of handy information about the Pygmy Goat breed
Where to buy them:	It is best to check with the Pygmy goat breeders’ associations, clubs or the American Goat Federation. As the Nigerian Dwarf goat and the Pygmy goat can sometimes get confused. Checking for registered and listed breeders in or around your area will ensure you get the correct breed.
Agility:	They are really nimble and agile little creatures. They are also amazing escape artists that will figure their way out of anything they set their mind to.
Interact with other animals:	They are best with smaller domestic animals and livestock. Although they will generally socialize with any other non-threatening animal as they love to mingle

GENERAL INFORMATION:

The Pygmy goat is said to have been kept as pets for around 7500 years.

They are often found as a favorite for petting zoos and children’s party farms as they are small, friendly and very entertaining.

They love to jump and climb that they will often find the most amazing ways to get over and out of their enclosures.

There is a new type of yoga being practices called “goat yoga” for which the Pygmy goat is becoming very popular for. Check out this Woman’s Health Article on Goat Yoga – Goat Yoga

Most goats have decent skin leather especially the younger smaller goats, but the Pygmy Goat breed is not specifically bred for their pelts

They could be used for fiber as their coats can get to a medium length and be quite fluffy. But they are not used in fiber production

For a small goat, they do give a decent meat yield and it has a very nice flavor. But they are not really bred as a meat production goat

HISTORY

This little goat was first found in West and Central Africa. They are descendants of the West African dwarf goat.

During the colonial era, the British transported some of the West African dwarf goats to Europe. Here they were primarily used for their milk and in zoos for the feeding of carnivores and as a display.

In the 1950’s some of these West African Dwarf goats were imported to the United States as lab research animals. They were also used in American zoo’s and for their milk.
Years later private breeders took an interest in the breed. This began the widespread popularity of these little goats as pets and for exhibition purposes. Their lovable and agreeable natures make them ideal both as pets and exhibition goats.

The Pygmy goat is one of the most common goats kept as a pet in America these days.