Pygmy goats are a popular pet for those looking for an adorable and easy-to-care-for outdoor pet. These good natured animals are quite animated and offer the same benefits as full-sized goats, including being providers of milk and effective at cleaning up dry leaves and other natural waste, but they are far more compact and require less space than their larger relatives.
Housing a Pygmy Goat
Housing a pygmy goat is relatively simple. In fact, an 8' x 10' shed provides plenty of room for up to four adults, though care should be taken to provide elevated areas for the goats to use when feeding and sleeping. In addition, an attached enclosure should be added to the shed in order to provide the pygmy goats with an outside area to roam and play. Be certain to make the fencing at least 4 feet high, however, so your pygmies can't escape!
Keep in mind that the main goal of providing shelter is to keep your pygmy goat out of the rain, wind and snow. Therefore, you should take care to make certain the shelter is not drafty or leaky. At the same time, it is important to remember that pygmy goats like to have places to jump and to climb. You should also plan for good ventilation in the shelter in order to keep odor and moisture to a minimum.
Feeding Your Pygmy Goat
Many people believe that pygmy goats will eat anything they can come across, but this simply is not true. What is true, however, is that they are hearty eaters and do prefer to graze throughout the day rather than eating large amounts of food a few times per day. Therefore, it is best to provide your pygmy with a section of land on which it can graze regularly. Keep in mind that goats actually prefer to eat things such as clover, dandelion, wild lettuce, brush, blackberry, and rabbit brush over grass, so providing them with access to a weedy, overgrown area is preferable to allowing them to graze in an area that is mostly comprised of grass.
In addition to providing your pygmy with opportunities to graze, you may need to supplement your pygmy's diet with legume hay, such as clover or alfalfa hay. This type of hay is better than grass hay because it contains more protein. During the summer months, however, you may not need to provide your pygmy with anything more than a pasture on which it can graze and access to plenty of clean water. Young pygmies or a doe who are currently nursing, on the other hand, will still need supplemental foods such as oats and corn in order to provide them with the extra energy they need.
Although pygmy goats aren't your typical pet - you certainly won't bring them indoors to cuddle with you in bed at night and you likely won't take them for a walk in the park any time soon - they make for wonderful companions. So, if you are looking for a pet that is easy to care for and will bring you years of enjoyment, a pygmy goat may be just the pet for you.
CS Swarens is the CEO of Find a Pet Online. 800 998-7065. For additional information on dogs, cats, birds, horses, and exotic pets visit the internet's resource for pets for sale. Research pet information with detailed profiles of over 430 pet breeds.
Housing a Pygmy Goat
Housing a pygmy goat is relatively simple. In fact, an 8' x 10' shed provides plenty of room for up to four adults, though care should be taken to provide elevated areas for the goats to use when feeding and sleeping. In addition, an attached enclosure should be added to the shed in order to provide the pygmy goats with an outside area to roam and play. Be certain to make the fencing at least 4 feet high, however, so your pygmies can't escape!
Keep in mind that the main goal of providing shelter is to keep your pygmy goat out of the rain, wind and snow. Therefore, you should take care to make certain the shelter is not drafty or leaky. At the same time, it is important to remember that pygmy goats like to have places to jump and to climb. You should also plan for good ventilation in the shelter in order to keep odor and moisture to a minimum.
Feeding Your Pygmy Goat
Many people believe that pygmy goats will eat anything they can come across, but this simply is not true. What is true, however, is that they are hearty eaters and do prefer to graze throughout the day rather than eating large amounts of food a few times per day. Therefore, it is best to provide your pygmy with a section of land on which it can graze regularly. Keep in mind that goats actually prefer to eat things such as clover, dandelion, wild lettuce, brush, blackberry, and rabbit brush over grass, so providing them with access to a weedy, overgrown area is preferable to allowing them to graze in an area that is mostly comprised of grass.
In addition to providing your pygmy with opportunities to graze, you may need to supplement your pygmy's diet with legume hay, such as clover or alfalfa hay. This type of hay is better than grass hay because it contains more protein. During the summer months, however, you may not need to provide your pygmy with anything more than a pasture on which it can graze and access to plenty of clean water. Young pygmies or a doe who are currently nursing, on the other hand, will still need supplemental foods such as oats and corn in order to provide them with the extra energy they need.
Although pygmy goats aren't your typical pet - you certainly won't bring them indoors to cuddle with you in bed at night and you likely won't take them for a walk in the park any time soon - they make for wonderful companions. So, if you are looking for a pet that is easy to care for and will bring you years of enjoyment, a pygmy goat may be just the pet for you.
CS Swarens is the CEO of Find a Pet Online. 800 998-7065. For additional information on dogs, cats, birds, horses, and exotic pets visit the internet's resource for pets for sale. Research pet information with detailed profiles of over 430 pet breeds.
Article source: Ezine Articles.com
Learn more here: RaisingGoatsGuide.com
If you're going to have goats you
will definitely need one of these signs:
Novelty Goat Crossing Sign 12" X 12"
will definitely need one of these signs:
Novelty Goat Crossing Sign 12" X 12"
The Goat Handbook, by Ulrich Jaudas. Goats are economically valuable animals, but owners need basic information about their care, housing, breeding, and upkeep. Here is expert advice in non-technical language. Barron’s popular line of Pet Handbooks resembles Barron’s Pet Owner’s Manuals series, but are larger, having more pages, more photos and line illustrations, and more detailed advice and information. Pet owners and soon-to-be owners will find reliable information from breeders, veterinarians, and pet care experts presented in easy-to-follow, handsomely designed volumes.... More