Pegasus Valley
Pygmy Goats as Pets
Due to their small size, pygmy goats are often kept as pets rather than for meat or milk production. There are
many reasons why pygmies make good pets:
1. CLEANLINESS: Because their diet contains no meat, goat “droppings” do not have the unpleasant odor
that other pets’ manure has. Goat droppings are small pellets that can easily be raked or swept and
disposed of or used as fertilizer for your garden or flower box. Pygmy goats prefer to be clean and dry and
will seek out those places to rest; they do not like rain and will run for shelter when the first drops fall. Although
uncastrated males can have an unpleasant smell about them, neutered males (wethers) and females have no
such odor at all. A single pygmy goat kept as a pet has none of the objectionable odors typically associated
with livestock simply because they are so small and are not kept in a barnyard environment with large
numbers of other animals.
2. SAFETY: Pygmy goats are not aggressive by nature but are very playful. Like other ruminant (multi-
stomach) animals, they have lower teeth but none on top; even if they were to bite, which they do not, it would
be nothing more than a slight pinch — nothing at all like a dog or a cat bite. There has not been a single
documented case of anyone’s being killed or even seriously injured by a pygmy goat! When threatened, a
pygmy is likely to stand on its hind feet, lower or cock its head to one side and stand its hair on end — or run
and hide.
Pygmy goats are not prime carriers of rabies or other diseases transmissible to humans or other animals.
The few diseases or maladies that afflict pygmy goats, while rare, are usually limited to that particular animal
or are “species specific” (confined only to goats).
3. NOISE: Pygmy goats normally are not noisy animals; they may “baaa” once in a while when they see
someone, but it’s a pleasant, “down home” sound. They won’t keep your neighbors awake like a barking dog
or a yowling tomcat. When darkness falls, pygmy goats go to their houses and quietly chew their cud or go to
sleep. On dreary or rainy days, they prefer to stay in their houses and relax and chew their cud; and on bright,
sunny days, they like to lie outside and sunbathe. Pygmies are very peaceful animals and do well in either
residential or agricultural surroundings.
4. TERRITORY: Pygmy goats are creatures of routine. Once they learn their “territory”, they normally are
content to stay within it and do not tend to run off and annoy the neighbors. A fenced backyard is sufficient as
long as the fence meets the ground so the goat cannot slip under it to sample the neighbor’s flowers.
Pygmies are not great fence jumpers but do like to jump on top of doghouses or other structures to
experience the “view from the top”. Be sure no such structures are next to the fence, as your goat may jump
down from the structure on the wrong side of the fence and not be able to get back. Car hoods are tempting
as well; so if you don’t want little hooftracks on your shiny new car, park it somewhere else!
5. SPACE REQUIREMENTS: A single pygmy goat kept as a pet needs relatively little space. A nice
backyard is more than sufficient for a little goat. Goats are browsers rather than grazers and do not decimate
your lawn; they prefer to pick the tasty clover, dandelions or broadleaf weeds and let the nice green grass
grow. A common saying among goat breeders is that a goat would starve to death on a golf course —
because there are no weeds to eat! If you have a thorny patch to clean up, a pygmy goat will do the work of
that expensive weedkiller for you. NOTE: Should you decide to invest in more than one pygmy goat, the
space requirements are still very reasonable. An acre of ground can easily accommodate up to a dozen or
more pygmies without fear of overgrazing. Unlike sheep, goats eat the tops off the weeds and grasses rather
than pulling them up by the roots; thus, a goat pasture normally has an aesthetically pleasing, “manicured”
appearance.
6. RESIDENTIAL ZONING: Many residential areas that have zoning restrictions on agricultural animals will
allow a pygmy goat to be kept as a pet as long as it can be shown that the goat is not being kept for
agricultural purposes. In other words, the goat is not being used for meat, milk production, fiber (wool) or
commercial breeding. A pygmy goat, therefore, would meet the “pet” requirement; if you choose a male,
however, we recommend neutering only because the male smell may be objectionable to your neighbors.
And of course if your little goat is neutered, there can be no doubt he’s not being used for breeding.
7. 4H PROSPECTS: There are a growing number of Ohio counties that are establishing special pygmy goat
classes. This allows youngsters an opportunity they might not otherwise experience — that of raising and
caring for an animal and acquiring the sense of personal responsibility that good animal husbandry requires.
Children who live in residential areas and whose parents do not have the acreage that farmers do can
therefore participate in the 4H program and not be limited to animals such as dogs or rabbits. With farmland
rapidly disappearing and agriculture becoming increasingly distant to most Ohioans, the opportunity for a
young man or woman to acquire the knowledge and experience of raising a “farm” type animal is one that
should be strongly encouraged.
Caring For Your Pygmy Goat
By debbie debbie | Published 04/22/2005 | Pygmy | Rating:
debbie debbie
View all articles by debbie debbie Caring For Your Pygmy Goat
Don't use barbed wire fence if you can possibly avoid it because your goats will get tangled-and cut badly. If you have a predator problem with loose dogs, your own dogs, or coyotes, you'll need a higher fence, with some of it underground.
Another reason for good fencing, in addition to protecting your goats, is to keep them from quickly destroying your fruit trees and rose garden. Loose goats, with their nonselective browsing, can also ruin your relations with your neighbors!
You can build good will by allowing your goat to visit your neighbors' blackberry patch, if they request it. Also take time to consider that goats like to reach through fences to eat. Don't put your fence within 2 1/2 feet of any valuable-or poisonous-shrubbery.
Housing
Fence your goats properly, and be sure you have a good latch on the outside of the gate. Provide for shade in the summer. They also need a dry place for sleeping, eating, and exercising.
For moderate climates, a three-sided shed that faces northeast is recommended. A canvas drop may cover the open side in bad weather. Barns or sheds can face south if there is a good way to close them. An opening to the south can be very nice on cold sunny days.
Make sure you build the shed so that the rain runs away from the door. Provide for adequate drainage. Some sheds are built with slanted roofs that the goats can climb on. They love to sit on the roof and to butt each other off when they're playing. Make the roof tall enough for adults to walk under.
Bedding
Concrete floors are expensive but are easy to clean. Goats are frequently reared on slatted wooden floors.
Put down fresh straw or leave the hay that drops on the ground-but make sure the surface is dry. If you have a slatted wooden floor, you can let this build up during the winter. The urine and droppings filter down through-and in the springtime, you'll have a supply of organic fertilizer.
You'll also need to prepare raised wooden beds for your goats to sleep on. Goats can get hoof problems if they are forced to stand around on wet bedding.
Figure 2 shows an arrangement that should work well. The composition roofing material helps to wear down the goats' hooves. This in turn helps to avoid frequent trimmings. Leading your goat on a graveled road also helps to ear down the hooves.
Boards to walk on are a real help if your goats have churned up a path through the mud. Even in a large pasture, goats will congregate in favorite spots, and these can become quite muddy. Try feeding them at vari0ous locations to avoid this problem. A board sidewalk from the gate to the shed is an improvement over slogging through deep mud puddles.
Inside the goat shed, you need a hay rack that goats won't climb on-you don't want droppings in the food or kids caught and tangled! There are fancy ones available from catalogs and feed stores. You can make a simple hay rack by attaching stock fencing to a shipping pallet with the center boards removed. Nail this at a slight angle to the side of the shed.
Make sure to attach the wire so that the smallest squares are at the bottom. The goats can pull the hay out from this rack easily, and the chaff falls to the ground.
When you've build your rack, drop half of a 40-pound, trace-mineralized salt block inside it. This way the salt stays dry and sanitary.
Feeding
Goats stay healthy only if the
In the summer, if they have browse available, they will eat less hay-but hay must always be available. Fresh, clean water must always be accessible. Scrub out the water buckets frequently to prevent scum.
Round, galvanized, steel drip pans (the kind used for oil) make great goat dishes. They're sanitary and indestructible. As you do with the water buckets, make sure you wash and disinfect the feed dishes often, to help control parasites (worms).
Wethers. Feed them carefully-they can develop urinary stones. Give them balanced rations for calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and protein.
Bucks. Your bucks can also develop urinary stones. Give them the same balanced ration listed for wethers. If you plan to use your bucks for breeding, they'll need extra food because they're burning up a lot of fuel. They need an average of 2 cups alfalfa pellets a day, depending upon the size and activity level of the buck.
Dry does. Feed them the same balanced ration you give your wethers and bucks. Does are smaller and probably don't need the amount of food that the bucks do. Start with 2 cups and work from there. Over conditioned (fat) does have difficulty getting pregnant and difficulty in delivering kids.
Pregnant does. Don't overfeed them-but be sure their feed contains approximately 16% protein.
Milking does. They need twice the amount of feed that you give your pregnant does. They also need access to increased amounts of water.
Kids will be getting most of their nourishment from their mothers for about the first 2 months of life. They'll start nibbling hay and grain from mothers' feed dishes at about 1 week of age. You can wean goats from their mothers (or bottles) at about 10 weeks of age.
Notes on feed. Feed your goats yard trimmings, such as tree prunings (apple, pear, cherry) cornstalks, plums, roses, Goats thrive on blackberries.
Do not feed azalea, rhododendron, or laurel-they're poisonous. Tansy ragwort is also poisonous to goats. Usually, they won't eat it unless nothing else is available. Controlling it in your pens and pastures is the best way to avoid this potential problem.
Breeding
Keep a breeding record on every doe. These records can help you plan ahead for the kidding dates and any special feeding or management needs at this time. It is also important to record any abnormal heat periods or other special conditions associated with reproduction.
Does are usually bred at 7 to 10 months of age. Earlier breeding will stunt the animals' growth, and it might interfere with normal development of the fetuses.
The normal breeding season for the pygmy goat is from late August to mid-March. Goats are seasonal breeders and usually won't breed at other times.
Estrus is the period when the doe will receive the buck. Usually this period lasts 2 to 3 days and is characterized by uneasiness, riding other animals, or standing for riding, shaking of the tail, frequent urination, and bleating. Conception is usually more successful on the second day of estrus.
The gestation period is the period from breeding to kidding. Normally, this period is from 145 to 155 days.
It's common for a doe to have two kids. Some does have three or four at one time.
Kidding
About 150 days after breeding, the doe will be ready to have her young. The udder will contain milk 3 to 4 days before kidding, and sometimes earlier. If the udder becomes painful to the doe, she may be milked.
The first milk after kidding (called colostrum) contains nutrients needed for cleaning out the digestive track and Vitamin A to build resistance. It develops antibodies against disease, and it contains the necessary energy to give the young a good start.
Prepare your kidding pen by cleaning and disinfecting. Use fine bedding so the kids will not become entangled. Keep water pails high enough off the floor so the kids will not be dropped in the water-and drown.
The day before kidding, substitute part of the grain with a warm wet bran mash. This is laxative and will cleanout her digestive tract, thus making less competition for the room in the vaginal area. Pen the animal and leave her alone. [See figure 3.]
Symptoms of kidding are uneasiness, bleating, pawing, etc. After the mucous discharge lubricates the passage and the placental sac breaks, the kids are usually born within an hour. Check the doe at half-hour inte4rvals and give her every chance to kid without assistance.
if she strains for over an hour and a half with little success, sometimes it helps to place bedding or a sack half filled with sawdust under her hind legs or rear end (if she is lying down), so her front end is downhill. This may help kids to get properly line dup for presentation.
Most kids will be born without assistance. The normal position is for the head to be on the front legs. Sometimes the hind end comes first. If the head is back, or one or both front legs are down, you will need to help.
If you assist, tie the doe's head to a wall ring or place the neck in a stanchion. Wash your arms and hands with warm, soapy water containing a mild disinfectant. Be sure your finger-nails are short. Insert your hand and explore the position of the kids.
Don't pull on anything until the doe strains-and be careful that you know what you're pulling on. Be gentle. Guide the front legs and head toward the passage and let nature take its course.
Sometimes, old goats or animals in high condition seem to act as though they are about to kid, but they don't. Assist them by elevating the front feet. If they don't kid, cleanse your hand and check the birth canal. If your hand can enter, the doe should kid. Sometimes the cervix does not dilate, and a veterinarian's assistance is necessary.
The afterbirth will usually be passed in 30 minutes to 4 hours after the kids are born. If this does not happen within 6 hours, call your veterinarian.
It's a good practice to dip the navels of newborn kids in a dilute (7%) iodine solution. Keep this solution in a large-mouth jar so that you can dip the cord clear to the kid's belly. This prevents undesirable organisms from entering the kid through the cord shortly after birth.
After kidding is over, the doe will appreciate a pail of warm water to replace lost body fluids. Allow her to rest. When she is hungry, give her hay and about 1/3 to 1/2 of her usual grain feed-warm bran mash is preferred. Watch her closely. Increase the grain slowly as she can handle it. It will usually take your doe 2 weeks to get back on full feed.
Tattooing and ear tagging for identification
Be sure your animals are properly marked for easy identification both at home and at shows. If you depend on records based on names (with no way to tie the names to the records in a positive manner), you may lose some sales. never buy purebred goats from a breeder who doesn't have positive identification on the animals. he or she may be careless with pedigrees. too.
Tattooing. For identification, goats ordinarily are tattooed in one ear or the soft tissue alongside the tail. Tattooing is done with an instrument you can buy from livestock supply houses. It looks like a pair of pliers, and you insert numbers or letters into it. Each number is outlined with sharp, needle like projections.
Before tattooing your animal, practice by "tattooing" a piece of paper or cardboard to be sure you print the correct number. Then use a cloth to clean the area to be tattooed (for example, the ear). Print the cleaned area with the number and rub tattoo ink into the holes with your finger.
Ear tagging. Most goat owners don't use ear tAGS for identifying their animals. They've seen a valuable but inquisitive animal catch the tag on a fence or brush and rip the ear, thus disfiguring it.
If you do tag your goats on the ear, be careful to place the tag about 1 inch from the head, on the top of the ear, where it can easily be read. Use either an ear punch or a self-piercing tag-preferable the ear punch because there is more room around the tag after healing, so the ear is not so sensitive.
Castration
If you have a buck kids that you don't plan to keep for breeding, don't let them run with the herd beyond 2 to 4 months of age. Well-fed animals mature early, and they may breed the young females.
If you have older bucks that you plan to use for meat purposes, castrate them at an early age-or there will be a taint to the meat, and the meat will be less tender.
The earlier the male kids are castrated, the less shock to the animal. Get the job done as soon as the testicles descend into the scrotum. This may vary from 7-days to 3 weeks of age.
When you plan to use cutting instruments or the elastrator, do the job before fly season and preferably before warm weather sets in. Animals to be castrated with a cutting instrument should not be excited (their hearts beat faster, and there may be more bleeding).
The instruments for castration, other then a knife, cost from $16.50 to $30.00. Check to see if your club could own these instruments jointly and lend them out as needed. This would save everybody money.
Elastration. The elastrator is an instrument that looks like a pair of pliers. It expands a special rubber ring so you can place it around the scrotum about the testicles.
Sit down and hold the kid on your knees. Push the testicles into the scrotum by pressing on the belly wall with your left hand and slide the hand toward the scrotum. With your right hand, expand the ring, slip it over the testicles, but below the rudimentary teats.
Be sure both testicles are present before your release the ring. Glands will drop off in 10 days to 2 weeks. The animal will show discomfort for about an hour. This is a bloodless operation.
Emasculatome. This is a heavy, long-handled, cord-crushing instrument. Please it about each testicle, but below the rudimentary teats. Crush each cord separately and leave the instrument on 10 to 15 seconds. Do the second cord below the first one. The scrotum or sac remains on the animals but testicles dry up because the blood supply doesn't get to the glands.
This is a bloodless operation. It's safe to use in fly season, and the animal will show less shock than with the use of the elastrator.
You can use the instrument on old animals, but they will show more shock than younger animals (their cords and blood supply are further developed). There may be some animals that don't actually get castrated unless you use great care with the instrument-double-check a few weeks later.
The knife. This is the surest method, but it involves a small amount of blood. There seems to be less shock when a knife is used. Sanitize the lower 1/3 of the scrotum and the knife with a mild disinfectant.
Have someone sit down and hold the kid on the knees. Hold the kid on its back, with the legs secured by the hands of the holder. You cut off the lower 1/3 of the scrotum, exposing the two testicles.
With disinfected hands, draw each testicle out slowly, cord and all. If the animal is older than a month, scrape the cord with a dull knife until it is severed. There will be several drops of blood. If the animal is young, place it back with its mother in a clean pen to prevent infection and possible tetanus.
You can use the knife on mature bucks, too. But don't scrape the cord off with them-use instead and instrument called the emasculator, which has a crushing edge on the upper side of its blade and a cutting edge on the lower side. The crushing pinches off the blood vessels so there is less bleeding.
Don't use a knife during the fly season and don't use a knife unless you practice good sanitation. Because there is more bleeding with older animals, it's safer to get a veterinarian to do their castration.
Grooming
Well fed, properly housed goats need to be groomed. Good grooming includes brushing frequently with a really stiff dog brush. A bath during warm weather helps to control fleas and lice. Animals with a heavy infestation lice will become unhealthy and anemic. Their resistance to other infections will be lowered, and their coats will look awful.
For surer protection against lice, powder your animals twice a year (fall and spring) with a livestock dust that has either Sevin or Malathion as the active ingredient. Start sprinkling behind the ears, along the backbone to the tail. Work it in with your brush and let gravity do the rest.
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Use chemicals and drugs carefully!
If you use chemicals and drugs to keep your animals healthy, be sure to use them carefully. Use these materials only under the supervision of an experienced adult or a veterinarian. Always read the label and carefully follow the directions.
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Hoof trimming
Goats' hooves grow rapidly. They can become bent, cracked, or infected-and eventually cripple your animal-unless you trim them properly. Do this about once very 3 months.
The tool that you use is up to you. You may use a utility knife. Some people like small pruning shears. A small hand plan will help keep the hooves level. Stop when you see pink! Use iodine for minor cuts.
Figure 4 shows a side view and a bottom view of a correctly trimmed hoof.
Dehorning
Many kids can be dehorned about about 1 week old. Don't wait until a sold horn is evident, or treating may stunt horn growth and produce a disfigured horn. Get the job done before the fly season starts.
Mature goats can be dehorned, but this is probably a job for a veterinarian, who can use never blocks so the animal will not suffer. Usually a small wire saw is used. The bleeding is reduced because the saw blade closes off and crushes the ends of the blood vessels. Pine tar will help disinfect the area and keep the flies away. You can use special elastrator bands to dehorn goats.
Using an electric dehorning device. The end of the electrically heated dehorner should be from 3/4 inch to 1 inch in diameter-preferably 1 inch for male kids. Plug the iron in and Restrain the kid and apply the iron to the horn spot for 10 to 15 seconds or until the area is a copper red. This should destroy the horn cells. Apply petroleum jelly to the spot and release the animal.
Chemical methods of dehorning. You can purchase potassium hydroxide in a stick from the drug store. Do not let children handle this material, and do not store it where children can handle it-serious burns are possible.
First, cut the hair from around the horn area. Wrap paper around the horn area. Wrap paper around the caustic stick to protect your hands. Dampen the stick by dipping the tip in water. Restrain the animal and apply the caustic stick with a circular motion until the horn tissue is burned off in a circle about 1 inch in diameter.
usually, the area will appear pinkish white. There may be drainage from the area, so put petroleum jelly around the burned spot and down the side of the head so the face will not be burned.
Pen these goats separately for a day or so after the operation-or they may burn each other with the caustic on their treated areas. Don't let these treated goats nurse their mothers-they can easily burn their mothers' udders!
Dehorning paste. You can buy this past from livestock supply houses. It's probably safer to use than the potassium hydroxide stick mentioned in the previous section. Here again, keep the treated animal separate from others for a day or two.
Health Management
Prevention is the single most important issue regarding the health care of your pygmy goat. Be alert to the overall health of your animals. Signs of good health include a glossy hair coat, upright ears, bright eyes, a good appetite, firm droppings-and an active, alert, and attentive disposition. If you see any serious change, give it immediate attention.
it's a good practice to isolate new and returning animals from the rest of the herd for a minimum of 1 week. This will prevent the spread of possible disease.. Safely in your pens, barns and pastures will prevent injuries and a possible call to the veterinarian. Clean up the clutter, trash, broken objects, rotten wood, etc. from the area where your goats live.
Beyond these measures, correct feeding will certainly be the most important step to good goat health. Be sure your animals have:
an ample supply of good, clean water,
access to minerals, and
proper amounts of grain and roughage (as indicated in the section of feeding)
Be sure to keep good health records on each animal. Include dates, problems, corrective action, and results.
Internal parasites
The first signs of parasitic infection are general un-thriftiness, a rundown condition, and a rough hair coat. Watch for these other sings: loss of weight, poor appetite (or none at all), diarrhea (often present), and the various stages of anemia (paleness of the lips and tongue, mucous membrane around the eye).
Take a sample of droppings from each goat to your veterinarian for examination, to determine the type and degree of infestation. Treat according to your veterinarian's recommendations.
There are several good wormers on the market to control internal parasites-especially worms. Make sure the wormer you use is approved for pygmy goats. A regular, continuing program to prevent internal parasite swill pay big dividends.
Lice
There are two types, those that attach themselves to the skin and suck the blood, and the biting lice that live on scales, hair fibers, and skin debris. Lice spend their entire life cycle on the goat.
You can treat affected animals for lice by either spraying or dusting-spraying is more effective (read again the section on grooming). There is also an injectable product available on prescription from your veterinarian.
Manage
A minute, spindle-shaped mite is responsible for a disease termed demodetic mange in goats. The mites live deep in the skin where they give rise to soft oval blebs, which range from 1/8 inch to 1 inch in diameter.
These are usually smooth0surfaced, but they may rupture. If they due, bacterial can invade the skin, causing a secondary infection that produces small abscess. Blebs re most commonly found under the legs, but they may occur along the neck, legs, face or flanks. Serious symptoms are rarely present before 1 year of age.
As soon as you note these bleb cut them carefully in cross patter with a sharp knife, squeeze out the contents, and paint the cavity with Formalin or iodine.
Such treatment doesn't guarantee a cure, However, it prevents an increase in the size of the incised blebs, and it may cut down the number of mites that transfer to other animals. Fortunately demodetic mange poses no special economic treat.
Mastitis
This inflammation of the udder is caused by various types of bacteria. Contributing factors include failure to keep bedding clean, bruises from nursing kids, cuts or scratches on the udder or teats, or infectious discharges from the uterus that may run down over the bag.
The first symptoms you notice might be a doe's straddling walk and failure of the kid to nurse. The udder is usually hard, hot, and swollen, and you may see flecks or clots in the milk.
Isolate the animal from the herd and apply hot packs. Use towels soaked in Epsom salts, as hot as your hand can stand. Repeat this four or five times a day. After soaking, carefully dry the udder and then milk it out. Next, gently massage the udder with camphorated oil. Call your veterinarian. He or she may also suggest infusing the udder with antibiotics.
Foot Rot
This is infrequent in goats. But it may occur in animals that spend much of their time in wet, unsanitary yards or barns-or that stand in wet bedding constantly. The first symptoms you'll notice will be lameness, then a swelling of the foot, which becomes hot to the touch.
In treating, pare away all dead tissue with a knife and soak the foot in an appropriate disinfectant. Bacteria are usually involved, and your veterinarian may recommend the use of one of the broad-spectrum antibiotics as a supplementary treatment.
Brucellosis
This infection in goats is caused by the germ, Brucella melitensis. The symptoms are abortion, lameness, inflammation of the udder, and reduced milk flow. Test all your goats for this infection-it can cause a serious disease in humans called undulant fever.
A human can contract the disease not only from the un-pasteurized milk, but also from assisting at kidding time if the disease is present. The organism can gain entrance through a break in the skin.
Follow state and local regulations about pasteurizing milk. There have been very few cases of this diseqe in recent years in goats in the Untied States, but it's wise to blood-test your goats, anyway.
Bloat
Bloating is an accumulation of excessive amounts of gas in the rumen. This may result from overeating tender, young, high-moisture-content legume pasture or eating lush, green forage that is still wet with dew. Occasionally bloating may follow the choking caused by eating apples, corncobs, or the like
Bloat causes a swelling in the triangle formed by the left hip bone, the end of the rib cage, and the top of the loin. The animal will show distress, lying down and rising, kicking at the abdomen, slobbering, and grunting.
You can prevent bloat by making sure that your animals have a good feed of dry hay before you turn them out on a moist, young pasture. Use a grass-legume pasture rather than straight legumes.
You need your veterinarian for this treatment, which introduces antiferments through a stomach tube or drench. Animals die very suddenly with bloat-don't wait before you call for assistance!
Diarrhea
In kids, bacterial scours occur usually during the first few days of life. It may result from chilling, an unsanitary environment, or faulty feeding practices. The signs include liquid feces, weakness and depression. Usually such kids are un-treated, death may occur within 24 hours.
The newborn kid should always receive colostrum milk for the first 2 or 3 days. If hand feeding follow, strict cleanliness of equipment is necessary-even sterilizing feeding containers whenever a problem exists.
At least three feedings a day are recommended, with either milk or a milk replacer. A milk replacer low in lactose and containing antibiotics may help prevent the occurrence of dietary scours.
If such sours begins, skip a feeding and dilute the milk replacer for the next few feedings. Then, if the diarrhea persists, consult your veterinarian about using a suitable medication.
In older animals, diarrhea may be caused by intestinal parasites, coccidiosis, Johne's disease or other factors-such as a sudden shift from dry feed to lush green pasture. Gradual changes in the feeding program are always recommended . Souring may appear in grazing animals after the first heavy frost, but it usually fads away in a short time.
Ketosis
This metabolic disease occurs just before kidding, or 2 to 4 weeks afterwards. The first symptoms are twitching of the ears, muscular spasms, and loss of appetite. As it continues, coma develops-with rapid, labored breathing, frequent urinating and finally death.
The cause seems to include an unbalanced diet, sudden changes in the diet, or under feeding during advanced pregnancy. Treatment with intravenous glucose and intestinal stimulants is of some use, but prevention is the real answer.
You should give your does a diet containing good green alfalfa or legume hay and at least a half pound of grain containing corn (see section on feeding).
Feed your does at regular hours and don't make sudden changes in their diet. A moderate amount of exercise will tend to keep their bodies tone dup and your animals from going off feed.
Abscess
This is a common problem in goats in many areas of the country. Abscesses are caused by the bacteria Coryne-bacterium psudotuberculosis (cor-ine-bac-ter-e-um, su-doe-tu-ber-cu-losis). They appear around the head and on the neck most commonly.
The disease is spread from infected animals and from the environment through small punctures in the skin caused by sharp (even pinpoint) objects and vegetation. Take special care to avoid infected animals at fairs, to protect your goat.
If abscess do occur on your goat, consult your veterinarian for recommended treatment. If the abscess should break open, clean thoroughly with iodine, flush daily, and keep the infected goat away from others. Keep flies away from the abscess site with a good fly-repellent spray.
White Muscle Disease
Yong goats are subject to this disease caused by a selenium deficiency in the diet. The level of selenium will vary from area to area in pastures and feed. Ask your veterinarian or Extension agent if there's a need to add selenium supplements to rations in your area.
A single shot of selenium/vitamin E solution is generally required by newborn kids. If your area is severely deficient, all your animals will need selenium treatment year-round, in their feed or by injections.
White muscle disease can be confirmed only by examination after death. However, you can uncover a deficiency that may lead to the disease by testing a blood sample from your goat. The sample is tested for selenium deficiency. Treatment may begin as soon as results are confirmed.
Training and showing your goat
Work with your pygmy goat until it's gentle and will lead or stand as you want it to. A few minutes a day for several week sis better than several hours a day just before a show. Teach your animal to lead easily and to walk with its head up. Teach it to stop, to stand quietly, and to take a few steps backward when you push back on the collar and on its shoulder with your hand.
Don't make sudden moves, jerk, or abuse your goat, Hold it so that it can't get away. Teach your goat to stand quietly when someone handles it.
Fitting for show
Wash your animal, paying close attention to under the tail, hooves, and in the ears.
Pygmy goats are not clipped for show. They're judged on the length of their hair and the condition of the hair. You'll only need to clip inside the ears with a close blade.
Trim the feet so the animal stands straight on its legs. Trim as often as necessary, usually once every 6 weeks and several days before a show.
Final preparations. Before taking your goat into the show ring, brush it down carefully. Remove all straw. Clean the ears, nostrils, and feet with a cloth. Be ready when your class is called.
Showing
Pygmy goats in 4-H are shown with a leather collar or neck chain. Bucks are not shown in 4-H. Lead your goat slowly, holding the collar with your right hand, and walk forward. If the judge is on the outside of the circle lead with your left hand. Always lead from the side of your goat that is away from the judge.
Lead in a clockwise direction or follow the judge's directions. Don't crowd the goat ahead of you. Don't move so slowly that the other exhibitors crowed up behind you.
Keep your eye on the judge so that you can stop, pose your goat, or move as he or she directs. When you stop, take the collar in your left hand. You can pose the goat with your right hand. When your goat is properly posed with feet set squarely, head up and alert, let it stand naturally. Don't fuss with it more than you need to.
As the judge walks around to the left of your goat, step a little to the front so that he or she can get a good side view. Then, as the judge walks on around in front of your goat, step back quietly to the left side so that she or he can get a good view front view.
If your animals stands well, let it stand in that position. Show your animal to its best advantage. Always pay attention to your goat and to the position of the judge. Continue showing all the time you are in the ring.
Where ever your goat may place, be courteous and pleasant. Pay careful attention to the reasons the judge gives.
Wait until your name is called or the class is dismissed before leaving the ring.
Your own grooming
Be sure your hands, face, fingernails, cloths, and showed are clean.
Have your clothes pressed, shirt tail in, shows tied, and your hair combed.
Check to see if white clothes are required.
In 4-H, we always do our best. We learn from experiences so we can "make the Best Better"