Mean Pygmy Goats

[RookieChickenFarmer]

I have 2 female pygmy goats that I have raised since about 8 weeks old. They are 2 years old now. Both are very sweet to me, but when I introduced a pygmy billy for breeding, they almost killed him! I have tried twice now to breed them with no luck. I really believe they are too mean to the billy. Our neighbor has some sort of a cross breed (not pygmy) billy that is just slightly larger than my girls. If I were to use him for breeding, do you think the kids would be too large for safe deliveries? I feel like the only way I'm going to get these girls bred is to find a billy big enough to kind of show them who's boss. I'm open to suggestions!

 

[Stacykins]

I have 2 female pygmy goats that I have raised since about 8 weeks old. They are 2 years old now. Both are very sweet to me, but when I introduced a pygmy billy for breeding, they almost killed him! I have tried twice now to breed them with no luck. I really believe they are too mean to the billy. Our neighbor has some sort of a cross breed (not pygmy) billy that is just slightly larger than my girls. If I were to use him for breeding, do you think the kids would be too large for safe deliveries? I feel like the only way I'm going to get these girls bred is to find a billy big enough to kind of show them who's boss. I'm open to suggestions!

Separate each girl when she is in heat and put her with him. Don't toss him in with the two girls. You need to break up their herd dynamic. Yes, there will be some abuse, but it won't be both of them smashing on him.

 

[RookieChickenFarmer]

Sounds like a wonderful suggestion. I'll give it a try. Thanks so much!

 

[cassie]

Stacykins has given you good advice, but personally, as soon as the buck breeds the doe twice I would put the doe back in her pen. I would not leave her with the buck. If she is really aggressive with him, I would tie her until he breeds her and then remove her. There is really no reason to leave the doe in with the buck. If you want you can breed the doe again later the same day and try again the next day if she will still accept service. I have known cases where an aggressive doe has severely injured or even killed a buck when they were left together unsupervised.