thinking about goats

[bc2poo]

i havent posted in a while (i'm usually in the poultry section ) and i'm thinking about getting pygmy goats

I have a couple questions
1- what kind of pen should i keep them in?
do they need a certain amount of space? (i'm thinking maybe i'll get 2-6)
do you have any pictures of your pens that you could show me?

2- are bucks aggressive when they're with a wether and a doe?
can i get a buck and two does?
will they be nice to each other?

3- what do they eat?
i have horses so i have hay and grain

4- when is breeding season?
how long is their gestation period?
what is the minimum and maximum # of babies they can have?


thanks for answering any of these questions

and if you have any other information please let me know thanks!

-Maddie

[PygmyLover]

1 - a good size pen at least 20 X50 feet
here is my pen
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g2...myhouse002.jpg

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g2...regoats025.jpg

2 - I only keep bucks when I am breeding my does. I rent one when I want them to be bred and then he goes back to his owner. Yes bucks can be agressive but not all are. Banchi who is here now is so gentle and cute.

3 - pygmies eat hay, browse (forage like deer do) and some grain. People love to over grain them and that makes them so fat! Yes pygmies will be round but they should easilly move around and not have difficulty getting up etc.

4 - breeding season for pygmies is all year round. Does will go into heat every 18-21 days. They can be bred as soon as they start going into heat (around 2 months) but you don't want that to happen so be sure to keep bucks separate from young does (until they are 1 year to 18 months old).
Guestation is 145-150 days or aprox 5 months.
pygmies tend to have multipuls and that is good, makes for smaller kids and easier delivories. They have been known to have triplets and quads regularly but it all depends on genetics.

Hope that helps any questions pm me or post more.

[HappyFarmer]

I'd like to add this: when purchasing your stock buy from a reputable breeder. It is far better to purchase healthy stock than scramble to fix/cull/determine the problems that can arise from pre-existing conditions. Familiarize yourself with common diseases so you know what NOT to buy.

A $50.00 goat from an auction may cost much more down the road than a $100.00 or $300.00 goat. I'm not saying that healthy goats cannot be had at auction, but I am saying that many times acution goats are culls, with no history available.

My $.02.
HF

[vancom]

I have Lamancha dairy goats, so my comments are pertinent to that fact:

1- what kind of pen should i keep them in?
do they need a certain amount of space? (i'm thinking maybe i'll get 2-6)
do you have any pictures of your pens that you could show me?


My 3 does are kept in an electrified field in thee woods all day, and brought in at night. At night they are housed in a goat shed we built that is 10 x 12 and a fenced-in loafing area that is 20 x 20.

The fellows (1 buck and 2 wethers) have a smaller shed and penned area on the other side. They do not get to spend their days in the woods--we will let them once we electrify a bigger area over there for them.

2- are bucks aggressive when they're with a wether and a doe?
can i get a buck and two does?
will they be nice to each other?

The buck likes the wethers. Not aggressive at all. I would not keep a buck with does. You cannot time breeding and will have no idea when kids are due. Plus, bucks in rut (season) smell a bit and your girls, and consequently your milk will smell as well

3- what do they eat?
i have horses so i have hay and grain

alfalfa or some mix of it, goat grain, brush, leaves, twigs, etc. We feed ours 2 times a days

4- when is breeding season?
how long is their gestation period?
what is the minimum and maximum # of babies they can have?

breeding is when they come into heat--usually late Sept. through the end of the year. 150 days gestation, give or take. I have heard of quads--mine have had singles, twins and triplets.

Vanessa
near Nashville