Breeding Pygmy Goats - Easy Steps To Help You Start Raising Pygmy Goats

Goat breeding is an endeavor commonly practiced for milk and meat production. Compared to other livestock farming, it entails a smaller investment because of the low acquisition costs of the goats, the facilities and maintenance. This article will show straightforward steps in breeding Pygmy goats.

A Pygmy goat is a small type of goat common referred as a dwarf because of their miniscule size compared to an average goat. This goat has its origins from West Africa's Cameroon Valley. In 1950, the Pygmy was initially imported to the United States for zoo and research purposes. Eventually, they were bought by private individuals and became famous for their docility and friendliness making them good house and zoo pets.

A good thing in breeding Pygmy breeds is that they are highly polyestrous unlike other dairy and meat goats. This implies that they could breed continually all year round. They are considered to be very robust as far as their anatomy and high adaptive characteristics are concerned. Their anatomy will show that they have a unique feature called "thurl" and a feature common to other animals like the dew claw.

The goal of breeding Pygmy breeds is not just producing high quantities of goats but also quality. It is better to have a few high quality Pygmy goats then have many weak ones.

Breeding Pygmy goats is divided into two parts: breeding the doe and breeding the buck. For the doe, a date within the year must be chosen for the doe to deliver the baby. Unlike other goat breeds, Pygmy goats can breed all throughout the year. This implies that summer or winter kids could be produced. The gestation period of Pygmy goats run from 145 to 153 days.

It must be ensured that the doe is at the right age for breeding; that is, at least a year old. Breeding Pygmy goats before a year can ruin their growth and can result to birth defects. The Pygmy doe must be in perfect shape when pregnant; an overly thin or fat Pygmy goat will hamper pregnancy. Salt must be accessible to Pygmy does during breeding. As the pregnancy matures, does must be fed with half a pound of grain per day. After delivery, this dosage has to be increased.

Next comes the buck. The Pygmy bucks must be separated from the does if they are not being bred. Keeping them with the does could result to their indocility and aggressiveness. Prior to breeding Pygmy goats, the bucks must be in good condition. The breeding process may be stressful for them that their eating appetites and weight will decrease.

Goat meat production is the fastest growing segment of U.S. agriculture. Raising meat goats can be simple and easy if based on those who have done it. If you are looking for more tips on breeding pygmy goats and want to avoid the common painful mistakes made by novice and experienced farmers too, go to: www.raisingmeatgoats.com