Miniature goats are increasingly popular as pets, which is no surprise given how adorable and friendly they are. Two popular small goat breeds that many people keep as pets are Pygmy goats and Nigerian Dwarf goats. Although these smaller breeds of goats can make great family pets, they can be harder to care for than traditional pets such as dogs or cats.
However, goats are considered livestock, so you may need to check with your homeowner's association, local zoning laws, and any other applicable regulations before you decide to bring one home.
Breed Overview
Here's a comparison of these two popular breeds:
- Pygmy Goats: Originated in West Africa. Originally named the Cameroon Dwarf Goat, pygmy goats made their way from Africa to zoos in Sweden, eventually ending up in America in 1959. Pygmies are characterized by medium to long straight hair. Pygmy goats can thrive in almost all climates. Their docile, pleasant nature makes them ideal for family pets. They are also prized for their milk production and are prolific breeders, usually producing one to four offspring every 9 to 12 months. They're active and fun-loving animals that need space to exercise. One thing I love about the pygmy goat is their small size. A female adult Pygmy will weigh about 55-75 pounds on average and males could go up to about 85 pounds. Pygmy goats are incredibly playful. Probably the most playful of any goat breed we’ve raised.
- Nigerian Dwarf Goats: Like pygmy goats, they originated in Western Africa but are now found throughout the world. They share many similarities with pygmy goats, but they are a distinct breed. While pygmy goats are bred to have a cubby appearance, Nigerian Dwarf Goats are bred to look more like traditional dairy goats. Dwarf goats are fun and lovable. They have a gentle nature that makes them particularly well-suited for children to raise. Many young children raise them for 4-H projects. They're excellent mothers and can produce three to four pounds of milk daily.
Pygmy Goats: All You Need to Know
Housing
Goats are herd animals, so they're happier with other goats. Goats cannot be kept alone. Your family pet dog or your horse will not suffice. Goats should always be kept in groups of 2 or more. You'll find that many breeders, myself included, will not send goats to single-goat homes. You must have a companion for your goat.
Your goats will need room to run and play. We recommend giving each goat at least 135 square feet. As for shelters, you’ll need 20 feet for each 2 goats. Keep males and females separate. You’ll need to make sure your goats have free access to both shaded and sunny areas.
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Goats require shelter from rain - they think they will melt if they get wet! Providing them a nice structure where they can escape the elements is a necessity. Dog houses, dogloos, calf hutches, 3 pallets fixed together with a roof on top, small sheds, carports, lean-tos, and elaborate barns alike all work as shelter. Goats do not like to be wet and as such need protection from the rain and snow. Shelter for two goats can be as simple as a dogloo house, or as fancy as a small shed. Leave the shelter open during the day so they can always go inside if they want to - this provides them with shade from hot sun, shelter from harsh winds, and of course a dry place to get out of the rain. They can be housed with other livestock: horses, donkeys, sheep, cows etc.
They'll need a place to shelter from extreme weather and plenty of room to explore and play. Your accommodations don't have to be fancy, but your goats should be protected from the elements and drafts. Plan for at least 15 to 20 square feet of housing per goat. They'll love niches where they can climb, sleep, and jump.
Goats also need a fence to keep them safe from predators and contained. Also, inspect your land and remove any toxic plants, such as ivy and laurel. Be sure to use good fencing! Sturdy fences are your best option. No Climb Horse Fence or Hog or Cattle panels work great for goats. Combo panels or Cattle Panels work well for goats. Keep in mind very young goat kids can get through the larger squares of a panel like this one. Use smaller spacing or cover the largest squares with mesh to prevent escaping.
Goats love to climb and a variety of climbing toys can be offered - old coffee tables and other furniture, discarded wooden wire spools, piled up stones, and old tires all make great climbing toys. Make sure the climbing toys are not close to the fencing, so that the goats cannot use them as a “launch pad” to jump over the fence.
In the summer I recommend horse pellet bedding - these are pine pellets available at Tractor Supply - and in the winter I pile up plenty of straw for warmth. Because I am in a wet area, my goats needed quite a bit of bedding and indoor space to get out of the rain. One way to decrease the amount of bedding is to use raised slatted floors.
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I lock my goats up at night to protect them from predators, and I recommend that your shelter be lockable so you can secure your goats inside at night. Predators include coyote and foxes, but the most common predator is actually domestic dogs. Your neighbor’s sweet Labrador is the greatest danger to your goats, so make sure fencing is secure.
The fencing will keep your goats safe from predators and protect them from toxic plants and other dangers.
Feeding
Providing your pygmy goat with an appropriate diet is the most important thing you can do to keep them in good health. Most health issues in goats are caused by an inappropriate diet.
The average Nigerian Dwarf goat over 6 months of age needs only hay, browse, fresh water, and loose minerals to be healthy and happy. The exception to this diet are Does who are in the last month of pregnancy or who are milking.
Goats Need Hay. We feed our herd the best quality alfalfa and timothy we can find. Goats also do very well on teff hay or grain hay such as oat, rye or 3 way. Whethers do not need alfalfa, but can be fed a mixture that contains alfalfa as long as the Ammonium Chloride mentioned above is included in their mineral. We have found that 2-3 adult goats will eat about 1 flake per day with allowances for waste. And goats are very, very wasteful. They like to pick out the leaves, flowers, and seeds and leave most of the stems. Wasted hay makes excellent stall bedding, mulch for trees, and compost. Or group your goats with other animals who will eat the wasted stems. We like our PIGS for this job!
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If you have good pasturage, Billy will be able to get many of his nutrients from grazing. If you don’t have good pasturage, you’ll need to provide alfalfa hay. Each goat will eat about 3 to 5 pounds of hay per day. Some goats, such as nursing mamas, also need grain, as well as vitamins and minerals. Your vet may also recommend offering iodized salt.
Types of hay typically offered are bermuda grass hay, orchard grass hay, timothy hay, alfalfa hay or a mixture. Hay should be of good quality - not slimy, moldy, or dusty. Our goats eat alfalfa hay in the winter, in the summer they eat alfalfa pellets and pasture browse. Please note that straw is different from hay and should be used as bedding but not as feed.
Goats should always be fed off the ground to prevent hay or grain from getting soiled. Browse is any type of shrubs, weeds, leaves, etc. Goats do not really eat grass like sheep or cows, they prefer woody plants.
Goats need loose minerals. Minerals specifically formulated for goats are best. And remember, get a loose or granulated mineral and not a block. Goats, unlike cows or horses, so not salvate very much. As such, they do not produce enough saliva to lick off enough of their required minerals from a solid block. As such, always use a loose mineral. We use and recommend SweetLix brand minerals, but there are many others to choose from as well. Whethers and bucks should have a mineral that contains Ammonium Chloride. I highly recommend Sweetlix Meat Maker goat minerals, without rumensin. These are advertised as being for meat goats but they are suitable for pets and dairy goats as well.
Just like any other animal, your goats will require plenty of fresh water. You may want to set out extra water stations in hot weather, to prevent dehydration. Nigerian Dwarfs are short. Specifically, Nigerian Dwarf goats need water they can reach. Low profile water troughs are best. A tall water trough will be difficult to reach for these short little critters. Always provide clean, fresh water. Don't let them go without water through the winter. Water buckets should be rinsed daily and refilled with fresh water.
Goats should not be fed human food. Most of their diet should be composed of food they can forage, such as grass and hay. You should only give them minimal amounts of pellet feed or grain, since they can gain weight easily. Pellet feed and grain can also cause miniature goats to develop bladder stones, which can block their urethra and cause death if untreated. They also need access to a mineral block or loose mineral that's designed to complement their diet of grass and hay. Make sure they have plenty of fresh, clean water available at all times.
Health
Your goats will need regular veterinary care. In addition to vaccinations, worming, and tetanus shots, they will need thorough exams. You may also need to get Billy’s hooves trimmed.
I vaccinate my goats against tetanus and clostridium perfringens, common deadly diseases of goats. They are given a vaccination, called a CDT vaccine, and a booster shot 4 weeks later. The vaccination gets a yearly booster after that. This vaccination is available at Tractor Supply. If you have a livestock vet who is familiar with goats, they can give vaccinations for you. I can also give vaccinations, just get in touch with me a few weeks ahead of time. Aside from their yearly vaccinations, your goats will need their hooves trimmed. I do this every 6 to 8 weeks, it is easily done at home with a pair of $15 hoof trimmers from Tractor Supply.
Goats need their feet trimmed regularly, but in arid sandy Reno, Nevada they do not need them done as often as a wet or soft ground location. Also...Goats should only be wormed if a parasite issue is present.
The average lifespan of a pygmy goat is 10 to 15 years, so you should be prepared for a long-term commitment if you decide to keep one. You can help your pygmy goat live a longer, healthier life by ensuring they have proper veterinary care. They should be vaccinated yearly with a CD&T vaccine that protects against overeating disease and tetanus. As part of their routine healthcare, you should also monitor them for evidence of gastrointestinal parasites that can cause diarrhea and anemia. Your veterinarian can put your goat on a preventative worm control regimen.
Coccidia Prevention
I recommend using a coccidia prevention medicine. Coccidia is a protozoa that is a dangerous parasite to small animals - it affects baby animals of many species, such as cats, dogs, chickens, sheep, and goats. Adult animals are not in danger from coccidia under normal circumstances because adults have strong immune systems. Coccidia prevention is usually a medicine such as Sulfadimethoxine (also called Albon) given at 3, 6 & 9 weeks of age. I give the medicine by mixing the correct dose into their milk, and they never even notice it’s there. You may also simply squirt it in their mouth by inserting the syringe as far back as possible and pushing the plunger down. Please do not skip this important medicine! Coccidia kills many kids every year!
First Aid
A basic first aid kit can be very helpful in taking care of your goats. It is imperative that you learn to control these parasites. I recommend checking your animals’ FAMACHA score weekly - this is looking at the color of the inner eyelid to determine if the animal is anemic. You can find a variety of YouTube videos showing this process. I also recommend having fecal samples looked at once or twice a year, preferably in spring and fall.
Toxic Plants
Despite widespread belief, goats can't eat just anything. Many plants are harmful to goats, so they shouldn't be unsupervised in areas where you can't control what plants they have access to. Well-fed goats are less likely to ingest poison since they aren't as hungry. A hungry goat will be less discriminating about what it eats, so ensuring your goat has plenty of healthy food is the first step in keeping it safe.
Some plants and substances are toxic in small amounts, while others are toxic over time, with the consumption of large amounts. Some possible toxins you should make sure your goat avoids include:
- All houseplants
- Flowering bulbs
- Landscaping plants
- Herbicides
- Fertilizers
- Pesticides
- Rodent poison
- Creosote-treated wood
- Lead paint
Training
Like dogs and children, it is important to instill manners in your goats so that they remain pleasant pets and do not become a nuisance. Some behaviors that I discipline include chewing, jumping, and vocalizing. If your goat is chewing on your fingers, hair, or clothing, pinch their ear or lightly flick their nose and tell them no. Use the same discipline for jumping behavior. Be consistent with this training and you will find that they stop doing these things.
Goats can be stubborn. However, it may be helpful for you to know that they hate getting wet. A squirt bottle or hose can be a handy training aid. If your goat is screaming for your attention every time he sees you - or if he is screaming at meal times - ignore him and make him wait until he is quiet. This can take a lot of patience but it is well worth the peace and quiet later. One behavior that is never acceptable in a goat is head butting. When kids are small it is easy to dismiss head butting as “play”, but they quickly grow up and you will get injured. When a goat head butts I put them in time out and completely ignore them. If this happens during feeding take the bottle away and walk away. Goats hate to be ignored and will learn that this behavior is never acceptable.
Goats are very smart and can be taught tricks. A lot of trainers have success using clickers to teach their goats, you can find information on this on YouTube. If you are familiar with clicker training, it’s a similar idea. First you whistle, then you use a spray bottle of water or hose. You can also use a spray bottle to help you move a group of goats somewhere you want them to go.
It is helpful to teach them to walk on a leash in case you ever need to lead them somewhere - to the vet, away from danger, into shelter, etc. You can give them a variety of treats to train them, including raisins, Cheerios, small chunks of cut up apple, banana or carrot, and horse cookies.
Exercise and Play
Pygmy goats love to play and exercise. Watching your goats have fun playing is very entertaining. You can encourage their play and provide healthy stimulation by giving them toys and equipment. Although you can design elaborate playgrounds, simple toys will do just as well. Old tires situated about 18 to 24 inches apart will provide a jumping challenge for your goats. Another fun toy is a teeter-totter made from a log and a 2" x 6" board. Just avoid using a board that's too long so your goats won't get caught underneath. You can also adapt the idea by setting up a balance board with two posts and a cross board. Your goats will have a blast walking across it. Natural materials can also be used for playground equipment for your goats.
Other Considerations
- Collars: Most new goat owners know that collars can be a problem for goats. Collars can actually be dangerous for goats. For one thing, they can easily get stuck on things. Also, because of the way goats are built, it’s easy for collars to cut off blood flow. If this has ever happened to you it’s totally scary! One minute you’re walking next to your goat, holding their collar. My goat Aurora did this several times and it always scared me.
- Escaping: The saying goes that if a cat can get through your fence, so can your goat. In general happy, healthy, well-fed Nigerian Dwarfs with a herd to keep them company are not escape artists. But that is only a general statement; there are always exceptions. Goats can go under, over, or through fences if they really think they need to! Lonely goats may attempt to escape for companionship, bucks may attempt to escape to get to nearby does in season, hungry goats may escape for food, and so on. They are master escape artists! While Pygmy goats are a smaller breed, they are incredibly agile and will hop or climb right over a fence.
- Rubbing: Another common fence problem is that goats LOVE to rub against them. Holistic Goat Care had a genius recommendation for large scale goat farms. Give your goats an old street sweeper brush!
- Shaving: Goats should not be shaved if you can avoid doing so. We often shave our goats for shows. However, the coat serves to protect your goats from sunburn, bug bites, and cold temperatures.
- Bucks: Bucks aren’t the best choice for a pet. They urinate on themselves. Attractive isn’t it? See image above with our Pygmy buck and pee stained beard.
