Are you wondering how much do pygmy goats cost? If so, keep on reading!
The average cost of pygmy goats sold through online avenues such as hoobly range from $75 to $300. However, some farms place different prices on these miniature goats selling them from $65 to $165, granted that these goats are unregistered, and $300 to $400 for the registered ones. In general, pygmy goat prices will cost you around $65 to $400. Male pygmy goats are often priced cheaper compared to females. Pygmy goat prices vary depending on the sellers; these prices also depend on features such as sex and age of the goats or whether or not these goats are registered and/or dehorned.
Pygmy goats are miniature goats that are often domesticated. There are several reasons as to why these goats have been popularly purchased and because of these reasons, the National Pygmy Goat Association (NPGA) classified pygmy goats as multi-purpose animals.
General Characteristics of a Pygmy Goat
- Height and Weight
Although these characteristics may vary, pygmy goats are often 16 to 13 inches in height. In terms of weight, these goats often weigh 26 to 39 kilograms.
- Hair
Usually, they have short, thick, full coat, straight and medium to long hair. Males have full beard while Female do not possess beards at all.
- Color
The main colors of pygmy goats range from shades of white, caramel and black.
Goats are four-legged animals that we mostly just see in farms. However, these Pygmy goats are not your usual farm goats as they have famously been kept at home. Besides asking the usual question as to how much the average cost of pygmy goats are or what are the usual Pygmy goat prices; this also leads us to an additional question, what are the purposes for purchasing pygmy goats? With that, below are some of the common reasons as to why pygmy goats are brought home.
Pet Purposes
One reason is that these goats are gentle and sweet as pets; parents are confident that their children would be comfortable with these goats around. Apparently, the positive temperament of these goats assure families of a friendly and safe pet-owner relationship. It is also important to highlight that the size of these goats also contributes to its features as great pets.
- Entertainment Shows
Another reason on the list is that just like dogs, these pygmy goats are also known to be entertaining as they possess antics that are fun to watch; this is the very reason why these goats are used in entertainment shows.
- Milking or Breeding Purposes
Lastly, some Pygmy goat owners also focus on the milking abilities of these animals. A continuous supply of milk is very much achievable when it comes to pygmy goats as they have the ability to cycle all year round. These Pygmy goats also have the ability to get pregnant as early as 3 months; this is very beneficial if the owner is into the breeding and selling business.
Additional Expenses In Purchasing Pygmy Goats
As we know, the purchase of pygmy goats is also accompanied by additional expenses for their food, shelter and other necessary measures that pet owners need in taking care of them. Unfortunately, when holistically figuring out how much do Pygmy goats cost, the rough estimate of spending $65 to $400 is actually an understatement when it comes to actually taking care of these animals.
- Housing
Like other dairy goats, Pygmy goats also require shelters that are large enough
for their miniature size; if there are more than one goats occupying the shelter, it should be ensured that each animal would have at least 15 to 20 square feet of space. The housing floors may be made of wood, concrete or clay; furthermore, enough hay should be provided as bedding for the Pygmy.
- Fencing
Pygmy goats often require strong fences that will keep them from escaping and loitering around. Importantly, these animals are intelligent and can easily find ways to escape which is why sturdy and chain-link type of fences are recommended. These fences should also be measured according to the height of the goats. Usually, fences for Pygmies would be of 4 feet in height.
- Food
The availability of a pasture is very important when taking care of Pygmies since
` they ought to be allowed to graze. However, in cases where there are no pastures nearby, hay and grasses should still be given to your goat’s diet. A typical adult Pygmy may eat 1 to 2 pounds of hay in 1 day. Furthermore, clean water should also be provided for the Pygmies.
- Grooming and Extra Care
Some Pygmy goats may have to be dehorned as their horns may be weak.
Dehorning may be done for an extra fee. Besides dehorning, their hooves should also be taken care of. Hooves should be trimmed at least every other month. Pygmy goats should also be dewormed in order to avoid health problems. Deworming may be done every four months. Visits to the veterinarian are also something to take into consideration.
So let us go back to the main question, how much do pygmy goats cost? Well, in calculating how much the average cost of pygmy goats are, the calculation, therefore, should not only be limited to the Pygmy goats prices alone as there are several other things that need to be considered. As previously discussed, taking care of Pygmy goats involve a wide range of measures and with these measures, extra expenses are also in sight and should be in the calculation.