Breeding Pygmy goats is the most wonderful experience but also a huge responsibility!

The decision to breed from your Pygmy goats should not be taken lightly. In order to breed good quality, healthy, physically correct kids you need to ensure your Nannies and chosen stud billy are all healthy, of sound conformation and temperament and disease free. Your vet can advise you on relevant blood tests for diseases to carry out on your breeding stock. We test for CAE, CLA, Johnes and bTB. It may be wise to look at sending your females to stay with a Billy or hiring a Billy in rather than buying a Billy when you are first starting out.

It is worth taking a goat husbandry course to learn more before breeding your goats. 

Your Nannies should be a minimum age of 18 months before breeding to ensure they are well enough grown when they kid at around 2 years of age.  The average gestation period for a pygmy goat is approximately 150 days.  

Nannies have increased nutrient requirements when pregnant and lactating.  They should also be vaccinated 4 weeks before they are due to kid.  When planning kidding please ensure you will be available to them - do not book a holiday for when they are due! Most Pygmies kid unassisted but of course there are occasionally complications.  They also generally make excellent mothers - but there is always the exception to the rule.

Pygmies generally have a single kid or twins, and occasionally triplets.  The kids should stay with their mothers until around 12 weeks of age, after which time they can be weaned to allow their mum to have a rest.  Nannies should only give birth once every 12 months.  Do not keep a billy with your nannies all year round.  He will breed with your nannies as soon as they come into season again and they will not have sufficient rest between one crop of kids and the next.  

We get our kids disbudded so they never grow horns but this is a matter of personal choice.  By law this can only be done by veterinary surgeons.  We prefer our goats without horns and find it safer for everyone, including the goats themselves.  The kids will also need vaccinating twice 4-6 weeks apart with the first vaccine being given at around 3 weeks of age.