[Emmett]

Yesterday evening I got a message from a neighbour asking if I would like to take her pygmy goat off her hands and of course I said yes! Today at 9.00pm my friend brought the goat over to my house in his cattle trailer. So without much hassle we got the young Buck into the old byre, that's where he is now. He was butting the wooden door of the byre and Nearly broke it into pieces. With some hay and straw on the ground and a barrel of water for him he has settled in and is happily sleeping away, ready to be turned out to grass in the morning! pictures to follow!

[Sbom]

Just the one?...........sounds like he needs a friend! 

[Roxy]

Yes, goats are herd animals and really do better with another goat.  You will have to watch him when he goes out - he may try and escape to look for a friend
 

[Lesley Silvester]

No one ever sticks to one goat anyway, or two or three or whatever number they started with. 

[fiestyredhead331]

They are addictive animals, started with 1, now got 10 and 6 of those are in kid!

happy goat keeping 

[mojocafa]

 
No one ever sticks to one goat anyway, or two or three or whatever number they started with. 
[/quote]

Tell me about it, now I have 13 kids as well!!!

[Emmett]

Don't worry, I'm already looking for a friend for him! He's very cute but if you try to pet him he swings his head around to hit you with his horns! Anyone know why?

[jaykay]

He just doesn't know you yet Emmett, so he doesn't know if you're going to hurt him or not.

It took quite a while of sitting with my rescued pygmy wethers, not stroking them, just drinking my cuppa and talking, having raisins in my hand......eventually they came and ate, but it was a lot longer before they wanted touching.

When you start petting him, don't start with his head. Just stroke the side of his back leg a bit. Eventually you can stroke his back, then scritch his chest. Some animals never like their heads being touched.

I'd have the vet castrate him if he's just going to be a pet. Less smelly, and if he's currently still a youngster, less bolshy too once the testosterone levels have dropped.

And yes, he'll need a friend :-) 'Course if you're thinking of breeding from him (is he good enough - and if he is, why didn't your friend sell him for that?) that's a different business.

[jinglejoys]

Its his way of protecting his space.Also as the horns are his main defense he's anxious to protect his crowning glory (Also he's probably learnt that when he does that he gets his own way ) I expect you'll soon leatrn why your neighbour wanted to get rid

[Emmett]

We put a collar on him and decided to see if he walks on a rope. He walks very well beside me! Not a single flinch out of him. He is very petted on me now, he wouldn't touch me with the horns! Also he is already castrated and he is a pedigree. Considering showing him?? Do you need pedigree papers just to show him?

[goosepimple]

I should think so otherwise he might be just a small goat not a pygmy.


Don't expect him to eat much grass, they don't graze that much.  Dried apricots, prunes or raisins as Jaykay said will make you very popular, but in moderation.  He'll need fed twice a day (a cup is a general measure) and don't forget goats need salt available at all times.  A very special treat indeed is a hob-nob biscuit (taste like sawdust I think).  Sorry if your neighbour has told you all this.  They like branches to eat (from trees, fruit trees best) and you'll have to trim his feet once a month or so.


Pygmies are great fun, very entertaining, our youngest female (born last May) is like a little dog, she followed me up a tree and across a bridge the other day because she didn't get enough banana and at the moment she's jumping vertically and going crackers with the dog.  The kids (humans) love them to bits.

[Emmett]

He's definitely a pygmy goat. And don't worry she didn't yell me bit I had two Nubian Billy's before (the nicestt gentlest creatures I've ever owned) and have had a salt lick available. He eats the nice young grass and some hay, and supplemented with some dried fruit. He's lovely and tame, he is castrated I think, but he will be around our holding for a while yet!?

[Emmett]

That was actually a  face haha

[tattycat]

Well done Emmett!! Always nice to have around! What shows are you thinking of? Are you coming down this way?

[Emmett]

I'm up in Armagh, Tattycat, so I don't think I will   !  Maybe the Tullamore show, or the Longford show. We go to them every year me and dad so may as well bring the goat too! We will probably go to the armagh show, if you've ever been there?

By the way, does anybody know how to add photos? I try to but it says the attachment is too big