~~~The Care of Keeping African Pygmy Goats~~~ Got Them~PICS~

[The Wolf Queen]

OK thanks again for the info. I will be separating them later in the week when their pen gets finished, and I thought of another question

. How often do does cycle (and how long is their cycle) or do they automatically go into heat when there is a buck around? I would like to be able to keep track just in case. Wow I never knew keeping goats (plural) would be so interesting...oh and is there a way to register them or not because I cant prove their purebreds and their parents are unknown?

 

[La Roux]

First off, I say pygmies! When a doe is in heat, she will act more vocal, and she will flag her tail. Personally, the doe seems alittle young to be i heat, BUT the buckling is ready. Seperate them asap! Pygmy goats cannot SAFELY be bred until about 18 months because their hips dont widen as qucickly as other breeds.

 

[ksalvagno]

Cycle is 18-23 days according to Storey's Guide To Raising Dairy Goats. They don't go into heat just because a buck is around.

If they aren't already registered and the parents are unknown then I don't think you can register them. But you could look at the National Miniature Goat Association page or email them and find out. http://www.nmga.net/

 

[The Wolf Queen]

OK so it looks like they will be bred for pet quality, but I don't mind

I called today and asked the guy at the feed store and he said that they are pure pygmies just not registered. Yay! Well I was thinking about the whole separation thing and I was thinking about maybe getting a whether to keep Onyx company and another doe to keep Zoe company. I have the space in both pens so area wise we are OK I was just wondering if a buck would hurt a whether. Any ideas?

 

[Love my Critters!]

You do not want to put a buck and a wether together. A wether can go in with a female, but not a mature buck.

 

[WhiteWingedDove]

Cuties!

To register them you will need to acquire some registration papers, most likely from the person you purchased them from. Are you interested in showing them at all? It can be a lot of fun! I do think it is required to have them dehorned first if you ever decide to. It would be best to do that now before the horns get any bigger.

Having a buck and wether can be alright, depending on their temperaments. I only keep one buck around and I always have a wether in with him as company, they are best buds, never leave sight of each other. Like most animals, they will fight a little when first introduced, but they soon decide who is boss.

Good luck with your new hobby!!

 

[cmjust0]

Quote:
I think that's a great idea, personally.. That way, you can feed the boys and girls seperately and have a more gender-specific feeding and supplementation regimen.. For instance, if you wanted to rotate in a little 'hi-mag' mineral for the does in Spring when the fresh grass is coming on strong, you could do that without it posing the risk of UC in the males. Or if you want to work the does up to higher amounts of grain in late gestation, you won't have to worry about males consuming too much.. So on, so forth.

Again...this is an excellent idea, IMHO.

 

[Epona142]

Uhm, why can't a buck and a wether go together?

I used to keep a wether with my buck all the time, they were best friends. Bucks should not be alone, just like any goat, but sometimes people only need/want one buck. The solution? A wether buddy

 

[Melissakins]

My mom who's raised Dairy Goats now for 20+ years has a couple bucks in a pasture together and when all she had was one buck, kept a wether in with him. Sure they'll get into minor tiffs, but so will the does. If you introduce them young, there should be no problems. If you introduce a goat into an established herd, try to introduce more than one at a time so the established herd won't pick on the one animal.

They have a pecking order like our chickens do.

If you were to get a wether about the same age as your little buckling and another doe kid about the same age as your doeling, things should be fine.

 

[The Wolf Queen]

Hey everyone. I got the pens finished and Zoe and Onyx have been separated for a couple of days although they can still see each other through the fence. I'm looking into getting two wethers from a ranch in Edgewood as companions for them. They love their new houses and wouldn't quit running around the first 2 day since they were stuck in my silkie breeding pen for the first week. Lol They have also gotten more used to being handled but they still back away 90% of the time when someone approaches them. They are soooo cute