| Pygmy goats are a popular pet for those looking for | | | | eaters and do prefer to graze throughout the day |
| an adorable and easy-to-care-for outdoor pet. These | | | | rather than eating large amounts of food a few |
| good natured animals are quite animated and offer | | | | times per day. Therefore, it is best to provide your |
| the same benefits as full-sized goats, including being | | | | pygmy with a section of land on which it can graze |
| providers of milk and effective at cleaning up dry | | | | regularly. Keep in mind that goats actually prefer to |
| leaves and other natural waste, but they are far | | | | eat things such as clover, dandelion, wild lettuce, |
| more compact and require less space than their larger | | | | brush, blackberry, and rabbit brush over grass, so |
| relatives. | | | | providing them with access to a weedy, overgrown |
| Housing a Pygmy Goat | | | | area is preferable to allowing them to graze in an |
| Housing a pygmy goat is relatively simple. In fact, an | | | | area that is mostly comprised of grass. |
| 8' x 10' shed provides plenty of room for up to four | | | | In addition to providing your pygmy with |
| adults, though care should be taken to provide | | | | opportunities to graze, you may need to supplement |
| elevated areas for the goats to use when feeding | | | | your pygmy's diet with legume hay, such as clover or |
| and sleeping. In addition, an attached enclosure should | | | | alfalfa hay. This type of hay is better than grass hay |
| be added to the shed in order to provide the pygmy | | | | because it contains more protein. During the summer |
| goats with an outside area to roam and play. Be | | | | months, however, you may not need to provide |
| certain to make the fencing at least 4 feet high, | | | | your pygmy with anything more than a pasture on |
| however, so your pygmies can't escape! | | | | which it can graze and access to plenty of clean |
| Keep in mind that the main goal of providing shelter is | | | | water. Young pygmies or a doe who are currently |
| to keep your pygmy goat out of the rain, wind and | | | | nursing, on the other hand, will still need supplemental |
| snow. Therefore, you should take care to make | | | | foods such as oats and corn in order to provide |
| certain the shelter is not drafty or leaky. At the | | | | them with the extra energy they need. |
| same time, it is important to remember that pygmy | | | | Although pygmy goats aren't your typical pet - you |
| goats like to have places to jump and to climb. You | | | | certainly won't bring them indoors to cuddle with you |
| should also plan for good ventilation in the shelter in | | | | in bed at night and you likely won't take them for a |
| order to keep odor and moisture to a minimum. | | | | walk in the park any time soon - they make for |
| Feeding Your Pygmy Goat | | | | wonderful companions. So, if you are looking for a |
| Many people believe that pygmy goats will eat | | | | pet that is easy to care for and will bring you years |
| anything they can come across, but this simply is not | | | | of enjoyment, a pygmy goat may be just the pet |
| true. What is true, however, is that they are hearty | | | | for you. |