Things You'll Need
- appropriate fenced pen
- feeder
- water
- feed
- brushes
Instructions
How to Keep Pygmy Goats
You need at least a 20-by-20 foot fenced area for two Pgymy Goats. Fencing should be at least 5 feet high (you must keep stray dogs out; they’ve been known to kill does). You can get non-climb fencing. For kids, you may need to adhere cardboard to the fence to prevent them from squeezing out. Be sure you use good quality hardware.
Make a sleeping platform; an old door can serve this purpose.
Keep hay feeders off the ground to protect against parasites. Hang on a fence or in a shelter on a metal rack.
Always have fresh, clean water available. Elevate the water above the ground for cleanliness. (Make sure a kid cannot fall in; they can’t get out). Automatic waters are convenient, but expensive.
Make or buy Grain Mix: 6 parts rolled barley, 4.5 parts rolled oats, 2.5 parts rolled corn, 1.5 parts soybean pellets. Feed pygmy goats quality alfalfa supplement with grain twice a day. (Wethers should not be fed grain after they are weaned due to the high possibility they will develop urinary calculi (stones). Fresh clean water is of course a must.) Goats will not eat feed that falls on the ground (to them it’s dirty).
Trim hooves at least every four months.
Goats need a yearly booster of Tetanus C &D. Give does and bucks a vaccination of 2cc of Clostridium perfringens types C&D tetanus toxoid (CD&T) yearly. (Ask your vet about pregnant does)
De-worm goats more than six-months old once a year.
Give your goats something to play on. They like to climb and jump. Wooden cable spools are a lot of fun for them.
Groom your goat. Goats really enjoy being groomed, especially in spring when they are shedding their winter coats (I like to have on hand a a dog undercoat rake for combing out their undercoat). Grooming is an excellent bonding activity with your goats.