Big New Adventure In Little Goats

By: Catherine Potts
In my first foray into pygmy goats, I've discovered that they're most like perpetual 2-year-old children. They're always crying for you to feed them, run to you when they miss you and poop everywhere. It's quite an ego boost!

A lot of people have asked me why I decided to get goats. "Are you going to breed them? Are you going to milk them?" "No" I would say. "They're going to exist to be cute." That's OK right? Not every animal has to be a money maker, right? Some have come to grips with it and others still can't believe why I would bother. That's OK, it's my life. Not theirs.

My history with livestock is mainly with horses. Growing up showing and training, I developed a strong sense of what is appropriate care and what is not. This means that if I can provide the very best, I will. If I can't, I'll get darned close. In short, I've spent far more on my little caprines than I thought I would. It's because I care though. I really do love my little guys! They all have their own personalities and I've decided that it was a great decision.

The neighbors all love them too. They tell me all the time that they love hearing their little bleats and group call to me when I walk out the door or when they see one of the neighbors in their yard. The great thing about pygmy goats as pets is that they're always happy to see anybody. They're hardier then I give them credit for too.

I got my guys when they were 1-2 months old, respectively. Because of that, I'm very protective of them and make sure they have everything they need. So what does a pygmy goat need on a daily basis?
Here is a list:
*Hay
*Fresh water
*Goat Chow
*Lots of love

I know a great lady (I call her the goat lady) who is into caprines for solely business. She has herding dogs that she trains and competes in competitions. In a conversation with her about abscesses from vaccines, we basically established that my goats are more like dogs and so I'm more emotionally attached to them. In comparison, her goats are "just" livestock and if they aren't useful to her, she finds them a new home. Take that as you may. The difference in our realities is both great and not so. Even though her situation is based in business, she also does care for her animals. She wants them healthy because it's the right thing to do. That is where she and I are exactly alike.

My goats are fed twice daily. If I'm a little late, boy don't they let me have it! Another thing I've learned is that they are drama queens. They behave as if the world is going to end when it's feeding time. Oh the chaos! To prevent the head butting (or attempt to)

I've established eating stations. Each one has their own bucket with grain. The only problem is, they might finish before another and then proceed to harass their stable mate into giving up the grain. I've not quite figured out how to get them to stop this just yet. I'll keep you posted on more hijynx and lessons learned.