Courtesy of Danielle Langloism, Wikipedia CCLGoat snobbery
I’m a goat snob. I admit it. I’ve never had much use for dwarf or miniature goats. I always assumed they were on par with designer dogs — just genetic engineering to suit the whims of humans.
I’ve been set straight, however, by this article from Cooperative Farming News.
Little goats are useful and with my new attitude adjustment, I can add a couple reasons why they may be perfect for a small homestead.
Tiny goats shouldn’t need as much fencing. While little goats still jump, their fences can be shorter and don’t have to be as solid as the fencing needed to hold back 200 pounds of a big shoving goat. Tiny goats also require less forage and feed and can be housed in smaller areas. But remember, they’re still tiny escape artists so regular fence maintenance is mandatory.
All in all, I’ve seen the error of my ways and will campaign to make goat snobbery a thing of the past with all goats proving equal in their own right. My apologies to the little goats.
— Naimhe Jeanne
Ooooooohhhhhhhh I’d like to warn you about the idea that the ‘tiny’ goats need less fencing; not my experience at all. I kept two miniature pygmies for several years in with a 4 foot fence. Then, I agreed to take on two other miniature pygmies who were related to my two and put them in the same paddock as the other two. Within minutes they both had jumped the 4 foot fence and were meandering about the farm. Incidentally, this was when they were both grossly overweight too! If they were horses I’d have good show jumping prospects with them. The only thing that has kept them on the ground and inside the fencing is being pregnant.
In fact, others who have kept the ‘normal’ sized goats have said that my fences would be fine for them as they don’t tend to jump as much at these pygmies do!
cheers,
HDR
When it comes to goats the rule of thumb seems to be there is no rule of thumb.
I was at a goat auction the other day. They had a single Pygmy/??? cross come through the ring. I have NO idea what the cross part was, but this goat – a 2 year old – was TINY. I turned to the man sitting next to me and said “I have CATS bigger then that thing!”
Maybe a Nigerian Dwarf? Those things are soooo tiny…