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Pygmies for all
Reasons
by Maxine K. Kinne
It’s very clear to you
why you have your wonderful little goats, but many times people
ask, “What are they good for – why do you have them?” Maybe
there are as many answers as there are Pygmy goat owners. To
begin with, they’re great pets; very friendly, sociable,
endearing and eminently lovable. Watching their antics is
entertainment all its own. Pygmies are just plain fun to have
around.
Many rationales for
keeping Pygmies are important and it’s handy to know other
benefits and use of Pygmies for explanations at public
exhibitions, to potential customers and for relatives who think
you’ve gone ‘round the bend. You never know when a good excuse
is going to come in handy!
Due to Pygmy goats’
diminutive size they are easily handled by children and make
excellent 4-H projects. Requirements for housing, pen space and
feed are much less than for the larger dairy breeds.
Some people enjoy showing
their goats and there are numerous reasons for participating in
shows. What we enjoy most are the friends we’ve made. Show time
is a great time to meet old friends, make new ones and learn
from others. The judge’s evaluations of one’s goats as compared
to others is an incentive toward better breeding programs. And
it’s always great fun to win a ribbon.
I’ve read that Pygmies
are more efficient browsers than dairy breeds. In a study
done at the University of Oregon Medical School involving
cattle, sheep, dairy goats and Pygmy goats, it was found that
Pygmies showed a positive preference for compounds tasting
sweet, salty, sour and bitter, which may suggest they find a
wider range of plants palatable. [. . .]
Mention goat milk and
many people grab their throats and gargle, “AAAGH!” Pygmy goat
milk is extremely sweet and delicious. Does willingly give up
to 2/3 gallon per day at the peak of their lactations. I feel a
doe worth her keep should give half-a-gallon per day at her
peak, but a quart a day is nothing to sniff at – that’s nearly
two gallons a week! The butterfat content of Pygmy milk in our
herd ranges from 4.5% to over 11%. High butterfat content
means the milk resists off-flavors due to dietary causes and
helps maintain milk’s sweet, delicious flavor longer in cold
storage. Raw Pygmy goat milk has maintained its freshness and
flavor in our refrigerator for 14 days. Pygmy milk is higher in
calcium, phosphorus, potassium and iron than milk from dairy
breeds, and is lower in sodium.
Polyestrous sexual
behavior means they can cycle year-round as opposed to dairy
breeds. If milking is a priority, a continuous supply of milk
can be obtained by breeding two does alternately. Dairy breeds
usually have problems maintaining a year-round milk supply due
to their seasonal breeding nature.
[. . .]
Pygmy goats are more
disease-resistant in some ways than other breeds. In Africa
they are immune to the bite of the tse-tse fly – probably not a
problem in your neighborhood. Demodectic mange affects Pygmies
much less severely than dairy goats breeder causing bb-sized
lumps in Pygmy skin but up to golf ball-size in dairy goats.
Natural teat conformation helps Pygmy does resist mastitis, a
bacterial infection of the mammary system, usually gaining
entrance through the teat orifice. Pygmies usually have small
orifices in addition to well-attached udders that are held
close to the body, out of harm’s way.
[. . .]
Frequently, Pygmy goats
are kept as companion animals for other species of livestock
and are often found at horse breeding facilities and race
tracks. An article in Spring, 1983, Memo documents an elephant
at the Indianapolis Zoo suffering acute loneliness and
subsequently comforted by the presence of a Pygmy wether.
[. . .]
Add to these many
positive qualities that Pygmy goats are [. . .] unusual pets.
People can’t fail to respond to their friendliness, loyalty,
responsiveness, utility and intelligence.
Excerpts from:
Kinne, Maxine, ed.
Pygmy Goats: Best of Memo
2
(1982-1987)
National Pygmy Goat Association: pp 30
This document is for
informational purposes only and is in no way intended to be a
substitute for medical consultation with a qualified veterinary
professional. The information provided through this document is
not meant to be used in the diagnosis or treatment of a health
problem or disease, nor should it be construed as such.
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