Question About Pygmy Goats?

Question

Hi,

Today my grandfather purchased some Pygmy Goats, and none of us know much about them. We purchased mom and baby along with another baby who does not belong to her. Okay my questions are: How long do they live?
How old are they when you consider them adults? When do you wean the young? Can they whelp okay? How long before they give birth from the time of breeding? How old do you breed them? Do they have heat cycles or do they just get pregnant at anytime? After they have babies how long before they can breed again at the minium? just give us some info about these goats.
See after we bought mom he said he bred her to a billy and its been about a month since and she looks fat like shes preg. So i really need to know this. Oh also when is a male goat able to father litters?

Answer 1

How long do they live? Approximately 8 to 12 years. Goats which are well cared for live past 15.
When do you wean the young? Ideally between 10 and 12 weeks of age. Some breeders wean as young as 6 weeks, but it's better for baby to remain with mom longer than that.
Can they whelp okay? Goats giving birth is called "kidding", not "whelping". Pygmies are more prone to problems than other goat breeds, especially first time moms. Make sure someone is there when she goes into labor and keep a close eye on her. Be ready to call the vet if necessary.
How long before they give birth from the time of breeding? 145 - 155 days (approx. 5 months)
How old do you breed them? Some breeders will say 1 year, 18 months is even better so that mom is more mature and less likely to experience kidding problems.
Do they have heat cycles or do they just get pregnant at any time? They have heat cycles approximately every 3 weeks (will vary). Some goat breeds only have heat cycles during certain seasons, but pygmies will have heat cycles every few weeks, year round.
After they have babies how long beofre they can breed again at minimum? They *can* and will breed within days or weeks. I personally feel that it's better to give them some time off and only breed them once per year, again to avoid problems for the doe and kids.

Pygmy bucklings can be fertile as early as 8 weeks and some have impregnated their mothers at this young age. It's important to wether them before this age if they are not going to be used as breeders. If they are going to be breeders, they need to be separated from mom and all other does at 8 weeks except for supervised feedings. Doelings usually have their first heat around 5 months of age, but there have been reports of 2 month olds getting pregnant.

Pygmy goats tend to be fat. Mine look pregnant year round. The best sure sign of pregnancy is missed heat cycles, followed by a developing udder that slowly fills with milk towards the end of pregnancy. A few does will not develop an udder until they kid, but usually the udder will start changing a few weeks in advance.

Answer 2

Pygmy Billy Goat

Answer 3

I raised goats for about 8 years. All goats are "herd animals" -- they do best with at least one other animal of their kind for companionship or they may act a little strange. Sometimes horse trainers keep a goat with a lonesome horse for a stall companion. Goats are very gentle good pets if they are raised that way from the beginning. If they are born with the herd and then tried to gentle to a pet -- it doesn't work very well because instinct takes over. I was always there when the babies were born so that my scent was mingled with the mother's scent. The "kids" always adopted me as an extra mom to care for them and would climb into my lap and fall asleep. They love to climb on things and run and jump. They are definitely for the outdoors. They need to have a house where they can go in and sleep and get out of the rain. They need open spaces and lots of fresh air also. They need hay, fresh water, special feed for goats and they need to have their hooves trimmed pretty often. They need to be wormed regularly.The pygmy goat is a lot smaller than regular goats and need a lot less of everything than regular goats. They can get sick and die quickly from resporatory infections, etc. You should get some books and read up on the care and needs of any pet you decide on for their sakes as well as for yours. There is nothing more painful than losing a pet you have cared for and come to love. They become a part of your family! Hope this helps!

Answer 4

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Question About Pygmy Goats?
Hi,

Today my grandfather purchased some Pygmy Goats, and none of us know much about them. We purchased mom and baby along with another baby who does not belong to her. Okay my questions are: How long do they live?
How old are they when you consider them adults? When do you wean the young?...

Answer 5

Hi your soo lucky you got goats I want Pygmy goats what state do you live in (what country as well) and where did you get them? I really love goats =D =)

Answer 6

Ok- we have 3 and this is what I know. - Their gestation (for most species) is about 5-6 months. If the female was bred a lot, or is fat, she will look pregnant year round.
They are sex mature at about a year, though you should hold off to let them finish growing, esp the females. We got our babies at 6 weeks old no problem. It may be a little young, but they are on pellets and hay fine.
The longest I have heard of them living is about 7-8 yrs, though if you breed the females continuously, they may die in just a couple years.
That is about all I know, hope it helped.