by:

Gary Dixon - Oak Haven Farm
Past President - National Pygmy Goat Association
 

When you take your Pygmy home for the first time there are a number of responsibilities that go with the ownership of your animal. Aside from feeding and shelter requirements, there are shots and worming to be kept up with, as well as other monthly maintenance for the animal. Below is a listing of shots and other procedures related to the ownership of a Pygmy Goat in Florida.

1. Each month you should check your goat's feet. The heel should be level and not rolling to either side of the hoof. The outside edge of the hoof should not fold, bend, or overlap the hoof. If it does, it can create an area for dirt, mud and manure to accumulate, leading to hoof or foot rot. Trimming of hooves is an easy thing to learn. An experienced breeder in the Florida Pygmy Goat Association will be happy to show you how. One thing to remember is that the hooves of an adult Pygmy should look identical to that of a week old kid. Flat, well- heeled with a clean smooth bottom surface. While you’re at the hoof, check in between each hoof, and look for any signs of cuts or sore spots.

2. After checking the hooves, look at the bottom of your goats mouth. (Inside, below the tooth line) It should be pink in color and not white. White gums are an indication of internal parasites (worms). A fecal sample can be taken to your vet. to determine exactly what types of wormers you need to treat your goats. If you are not on a wormer rotation schedule, your vet.. or experienced breeder in the Florida Pygmy Goat Association can help you develop a sound worming schedule.

3. Check under the tail for scours (diarrhea). Diarrhea in goats can mean a number of things. It can mean the goat is ill or that it has gotten in to a flush of new pasture. Too much alfalfa given to a goat that is not used to it will sometimes cause scours also. Before calling the vet. note the color of the diarrhea and try see if the goat ate something new. Check with the vet. for a definitive answer on all medical problems, especially in a young animal.

4. Check the hair and the skin. Here you are looking for lice and mites. Ivermectin, co-ral, or seven dust can stop these guys fast. A poor hair coat can also mean a lack of essential vitamins and minerals. Make sure your goat is getting loose mineral salt or a mineral block, and a feed formulated just for goats.

5. Lastly, check nose for any discharge. Traveling in an open trailer can cause a runny nose that is not associated with a cold. If you haven't been traveling, it might be time for some anti-biotic.

In the livestock industry today the term added value is used to identify a process by which specific measures have been taken to increase value in one’s crop. There are many steps the Pygmy goat breeder can take to add significant value to their animals at sale time. We may be taking some of these steps now, we just may not have known what we were doing.

Look around at the breeders today and you will find the first option to increasing the value of your herd. Take Whirlwind Farms animals for example. Who is the premier buck that many in our breed want a sire from? Merlin. To have a premier animal or PGCH in one’s line means an added value to your herd at sale time. If you breed to a specific line and if the breedings are successful for correctly confirmed kids, then this line breeding, if marketed correctly, will add additional value to your herd.

A second way to add value is sound breeding decisions. That will usually mean success in the show ring. Champions; junior through grand, all impart a certain added value to your herd. Your breeding decisions should make definite improvements in the confirmation of your animals and then success in the show ring. Market your success. Design and keep show records on your herd to impress potential buyers.

A way to insure that potential buyers have some anxiety taken out of their purchase is to have your herd tested. Many of us already do this as a preventative to a disastrous disease running through our herd. Some of the tests that are run on our animals will certify that our herd is free from a specific disease. The state of Florida will certify your herd free from TB and Brucelloisis and they will provide an official certificate as proof. CAE, Johnes and CL are other diseases that can tested by outside labs, but to date, there is no official certificate recognized by the state of Florida to certify your herd free from those diseases. Testing brings us to another way to add value to your herd. And that is your record keeping system linked to your worming, vaccination, and testing procedures. Nothing beats showing your complete records on a single goat to a potential buyer.

Another way to add value to your herd is to maintain a farm that can be thought of by you and the potential buyers as a show place. I’m not saying that you should go out and redo all the fences and build a spectacular barn with thousands of dollars in landscaping to make it all look pretty. The simple things go along way in making a very good impression on that potential buyer of your animals. The easiest things are sometimes are the things that get taken for granted. Keep everything clean and neat around the barn. Keep the fences tight and free from potential danger. Clean and wash out the water buckets or troughs to keep them free from algae and slime. Make sure the feed dishes are clean and free from manure and water. Keep the clutter in the barn and pasture to a minimum. Remember you are trying to make a good impression so that you can sell an animal. No one wants to leave your place thinking that they would never leave a goat off at your place let alone buy one from you!

Finally the last way to add value to your herd that is being developed for our Pygmy goats is a process of identifying, recording, and displaying Estimated Progeny Differences or EPD’s. Our friends in the pork, beef and sheep industries already have a process for this. By recording specific traits we can determine our superior animals. Birth weight, number in birth, and weaning weight or weight at 90 days are traits that fit nicely with our little animals. By recording these factors over a long period time, a breeder can identify superior bucks that sire multiple smaller kids that pack on weight quickly. Other traits can also be recorded and interpreted such as: dystocia, length of twist, or even color.