The Pasture Requirements for Pygmy Goats

Pygmy goats are a small type of goat weighing between 40 and 60 pounds. They are often kept to provide milk, as pets or to graze the brush that grows in cattle pastures. Like all goats, pygmy goats are very hardy animals, and it is sometimes assumed that they can eat anything. However, pygmy goats need to be given a proper diet and habitat to be healthy and live long lives.

  1. Grazing

    • Provide the pygmy goat with at least half an acre of pasture, and provide more if the goat's diet is not being supplemented with hay. Provide a pasture that is filled with browse and leafy plants such as clover, dandelions, blackberry bushes and rabbit brush. Goats cannot receive adequate nutrition from grass and do not prefer to eat it, but will do so occasionally. Plant fescue, bluegrass or orchard grass. Remove all poisonous plants from the pasture.

    Fencing

    • Goats are notorious for their ability to escape. Surround the pasture with a 5-foot fence that is made of a tightly woven material; goats can easily get their heads stuck in small openings. Do not tether the goat, as the goat will feel trapped and become stressed or potentially hurt itself. Do not use barbed wire or electric fences, because the goat could easily injure itself.

    Water and Minerals

    • Allow the pygmy goat to stay in the pasture for at least eight hours every day. Use an automatic watering system or a heavy-duty tank to provide it with water at all times. Provide a pastured goat with a mineral block so that it can consume any additional calcium, phosphorus and salt that it might need.

    Shelter

    • Place a shelter in the pasture to protect the pygmy goat from weather. Use a shelter that is at least 25 square feet, has good ventilation and has no drafts. Cover the floor with straw and replace it with fresh, dry straw every day. If the shelter meets those requirements, you can use it as the goat's full-time barn.