| Often, people assume that raising pygmy goats | | | | overweight can lead to a lot of medical complications |
| would be an arduous task. They consider this breed | | | | like poor bones, constricted lungs and mastitis: a |
| rather dainty and frail, but that is actually the farthest | | | | potentially disastrous condition when gas from eating |
| thing from the truth. Pygmy goats are as hardy as | | | | too many grain-based food items can lead to |
| their larger counterparts. And despite their miniature | | | | intestinal infection. |
| stature, these animals can be raised for meat, milk | | | | If possible, try to keep the pygmy goats on a fresh |
| and fiber. Nowadays, more and more people are | | | | diet of greens or plant based food items like fresh |
| raising pygmy goats as pets. Taking care of these | | | | shrub leaves, tree bark, fruits, vegetables and pulp. |
| animals can be simplified if you follow a few basic | | | | Supplementing their diet with vitamins and minerals |
| guidelines, like: | | | | could be done through the formulated feeds that are |
| 1. Make sure that you have a good "stock" before | | | | available in goat supplies stores. |
| you start any breeding program. Raising pygmy goats | | | | 3. Pygmy goats would need more grooming that their |
| means breeding healthy does with healthy bucks. For | | | | larger counterparts. This is especially true if you are |
| this, you would need to study meticulously each | | | | marketing the animals as pets or as fiber producers. |
| potential breeder to see what desirable traits these | | | | Grooming would include regularly brushing their coats |
| animals might have. For example: goats with heavy | | | | with a good bristled brush (similar to horse grooming |
| body builds are excellent for producing meat. Goats | | | | brushes,) and trimming their hooves every month (or |
| that produce large volumes of milk and those that | | | | every 4 to 5 weeks.) A regular grooming schedule |
| have denser coats are also favorable as milk and | | | | also helps keep parasites away, and prevent foot rot |
| fiber producers, respectively. When it comes to | | | | and splayed toes. |
| raising pygmy goats as pets, you need to choose | | | | 4. Lastly, it is essential that you provide your pygmy |
| the more mild-mannered creatures. | | | | goats clean drinking water always. These animals are |
| 2. Establishing the right feeds and the recommended | | | | rather fussy with their drink, and are very unlikely to |
| volume of food should be done under the supervision | | | | touch contaminated, discolored or mossy water. If |
| of the veterinarian. Like all goat breeds, pygmy goats | | | | these animals do not have a good water source, |
| will gorge themselves whenever they can. But | | | | their health suffers visibly, causing their coats to |
| overweight livestock are not only unproductive, but | | | | become lank. In some cases, the goats would refuse |
| tipping the scales can also affect their health | | | | food until they get their clean water. |
| considerably. And for this kind of small breed, being | | | | |