Traveling with a pygmy

TxMex · #1 02/27/10, 03:59 PM

After doing quite a bit of research, it seems like pygmy goats are pretty amenable to becoming pets. I travel a LOT! I'm wondering if a pygmy doe might make a good companion and source of milk and hopefully a companion for my small dog. She would have her own crate to travel in and a secure fenced area during the day.....and probably(sigh) a corner of the bed at night or again inside of a crate.
Are they very mouthy...tend to cry a lot? Occasionally I stay in hotels, if I'm in a hurry. So noise might occasionally be a problem. Thanks for your input. I'm also posting a more comprehensive post on the homesteading forum.

Alice In TX/MO · #2 02/27/10, 09:04 PM

Um. This is an interesting question.

Pygmies are meat goats, not milkers, but I had a Pygmy/Nubian cross who was DETERMINED to be a milker.

You didn't ask about house training. Or their tendency to CLIMB on ANYTHING. I don't think the motels would appreciate it.

thaiblue12 · #3 02/28/10, 11:11 AM

Probably not.
I have bottle kids in the house only at night right now because they are "too good" to sleep in the barn. They are making me insane!! They are Nigerian Dwarf which I find to be friendlier than any pygmy I have had, they are also bottle kids so very into humans. They are disbudded which you would really need to have done if the goat was to be inside. Having a horned house pet would be a nightmare IMO.
The girls have been pee pad trained since they were 2 days old, but they will poop any and everywhere, while walking etc. Sure it is easy to cleanadn them being so little they are tiny but the poop will get bigger and can roll almost anywhere.
They jump 4 foot high baby gates, eat any type of paper or plastic they come in contact with. Yes that gets better as they get older but they are still mouthy creatures. Even if they do not eat everything like people claim they sure do put everything in their mouths.
Pygmys have tiny teets and do not produce that much milk. Plus if you are on the road you will still have to milk her twice a day and find a way to treat and cool the milk.
Goats are prey and dogs are predators, they usually do not make the best companions. My house dogs never bother the goats and even tolerate being grazed on by the babies and walked all over, but I would not call them friends.
Oh yea nothing like having a goat knot up your hair, you brush it and realize that they actually chewed off a 2 inch long by one inch wide piece.
I am so ready for the girls to go outside full time.
You would have to bring hay with you, minerals and etc just for the goat. That would get to be a bit much as well.
They are cute but trust me far more so outside where they belong. Even there they can get into mischief.

Minelson · #4 02/28/10, 11:19 AM

It really depends on the goat. My Gretta would be perfect for that. She is not afraid of anything and will jump right into the truck. She is happiest when she is with me. She doesn't make any noise. She is very protective though...but I think only on our property so if I take her anywhere she is really laid back. She really is like a dog. But more like a puppy with constant chewing on stuff and not house trained. So poop and pee would be a problem.

TxMex · #5 02/28/10, 12:55 PM

Nothing like displaying your ignorance for the whole world

I didn´t realise there was a difference. I thought nigerians and pygmies were just different words for the same critter.
The little goat would not run free while I´m not there. She would have a large dog crate to call her own. She would travel in it and sleep in it at night. When not in her crate or walking with me she will have a fenced in area to keep her out of mischief. My ´dog´is a mini schnauzer that really has no idea that he isn´t a human. He is very obedient and If I explain to him that the goat is human too he´ll be fine.
You can house break them? Really!? Wow...I had no idea. How about training them to walk on a harness? I´m really hoping that this little goat will become a pet.
As far as having to be milked twice a day.....no worries. I´m retired and set my own schedule. Even if I´m traveling it won´t be a problem to stop and milk her. I also understand that she will need to be bred once a year and would look ahead of time for a suitable buck for her to visit.
Thanks for the advice!

thaiblue12 · #6 02/28/10, 01:36 PM

Pygmy is a smaller tubby meat goat.
Nigerians a bit bigger and are milk goats.

I had a Nubian bottle kid in a crate at night. He would scream and press his head to the top to get out, he eventually broke it. They do not enjoy being crated. Goats like to spend hours per day grazing/browsing and sleep in "goat piles". They are a herd animal and they are complainers, loud complainers when left alone. Two always do better than one.

If you bred your doe she should not travel at all during the last month of pregnancy.

Yes they can be house broken for peeing not pooping.

Yes the can be trained to walk on a leash.

If you do go through with it and it works out great, but if it does not have a plan to give away/sell or leave her with friends who have goats.

Minelson · #7 02/28/10, 04:41 PM

Gretta would have to sleep on the bed with me and the dog

She walks wonderfully on a leash unless you are heading towards a pen.
Traveling with a pygmy - Goats

BethW · #8 02/28/10, 06:42 PM

LOL Minelson, that pic cracks me up every time I see it

Peanut just lies down completely. Then he rolls over and looks at me upside down.

Minelson · #9 02/28/10, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BethW

LOL Minelson, that pic cracks me up every time I see it

Peanut just lies down completely. Then he rolls over and looks at me upside down.

OH Beth...you have GOT to get a picture of that!!

Bricheze · #10 02/28/10, 10:27 PM

It sounds like a nice idea, exotic pets are fun to have around... for a while. But the screaming, eating of EVERYTHING paper, pooping, and peeing, will get old after a few months. I would also worry about a medical emergency happening somewhere without access to your regular goat vet--which are very hard to come by.

After you quit traveling around so much I would definitely recommend two or more backyard ND's or Pygmies as pets; but stick to dogs for car companions!

waygr00vy · #11 03/01/10, 07:08 AM

I think a lot of how a goat would do in your situation would depend on how it is raised and also the individual. I have known people who brought their goats in to crates at night every evening and out in a pen in the day. Their goats, even when older, were perfectly content to go into their crate. If you travel real often and the goat is used to that lifestyle from the get go...I think you could probably do it. Do you camp when you travel? If the goat was either outside or in a crate most of the time you would probably be ok but they are quite destructive inside so think hotel would be out of the question...