The Pygmy goat originated in Africa and was imported to the US in the 1950s. As its name implies, it's smaller than diary goats, but it produces a respectable amount of milk for its weight and food consumption. Most people in our area raise them for show and fun instead of meat or milk. Pygmy goat wethers may also be shown and they can be purchased relatively inexpensively.
Some kids in 4-H like to raise Pygmy goats because they are easy to raise and handle and they are affectionate, cute, lovable and playful. A full grown doe or whether ranges from 16 to 23 inches at the withers and they usually weigh from 40 to 70 pounds. Pygmy goats are year-round breeders so kids may be available at any time of the year. A litter usually consists of 1-3 goats and the kids weigh from 2-4 pounds.
Raising pygmy goats and breeding pygmy goats are similar to other Goats,
The Pygmy goat bleat is similar to that of other goats.
For additional information on the Pygmy Goat, see the National Pygmy Goat Association pages.
Page 3: Dairy Goat Info
These pages were designed by Karen of the Computer Science project of the Irvine Mesa Charros 4-H Club.
