Keeping Pygmy Goats
Important considerations
Pygmy goats are not difficult to keep but, as with all animals, their owners need some basic knowledge in order to keep them happy, healthy and safe and to keep you legal. Please consider the following before bringing any goats home!
In order to keep goats you need to be registered as a goat keeper with DEFRA and keep various records, please see our section ‘Records and the Law’ for more information
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Goats are not solitary animals, most breeders will not sell you just one goat. They need to be with others, a minimum of 2 goats together but preferably 3.
Goats need plenty of space and a shelter - they are not suitable pets for a small garden. They hate getting wet so need shelter available to them all year round. Some owners house their goats over the winter, others give them access to pasture all year round, but even when out at grass they need a shelter to get out of the rain. They also need to be well fenced in as they can be pretty talented escape artists!
Goats are browsers rather than grazers. This means although they do graze on grass, they’d rather eat your hedges and trees! They do not make good lawn mowers! They also need access to hay all year round for nutrition and roughage. See below for more information on feeding pygmy goats.
They love to play and be off the ground so will appreciate toys to play with and platforms of various heights to stand, play or snooze on. Please do not tether your goats. For safety we also only put collars on our goats when handling them.
Feeding, Health and veterinary care
Keeping your pygmies healthy and happy!
Goats are ruminants and need suitable feed. They need access to good quality hay all year round in order to provide them with nutrition and sufficient roughage and ensure their rumens can work effectively. Fresh water should always be available to them of course. They will enjoy browsing on hedgerows or branches brought their pen when housed over winter. A red Rockies mineral lick will offer them trace elements if they want it. Concentrated pellets or coarse mix feed should be fed sparingly. Watch the weight of your goats and adjust their feed appropriately. Wethers in particular (being castrated males) can be prone to weight gain. Grass pellets can be given as a treat. Fruit & vegetables can be enjoyed by goats but please be aware that, by law, these should not have been in your kitchen.
Please note you should not give your goat feed or goat mineral block to sheep. Goat feed contains copper which can be toxic to sheep.
They need regular (twice yearly) vaccinations to protect them against clostridial diseases. Lambivac is the vaccine of choice although no vaccine is licenced for goats. Please do not use Heptavac as it has been known to make goats unwell. They need worm and other parasite monitoring (and treatment if necessary) and foot trimming. It is also wise to be registered with a veterinary practice that has experience of Pygmy goats.
