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Re: Nubians or Pygmy's for beginners Posted by GoatWorld on June 20, 2001 at 21:40:20:

In Reply to: Nubians or Pygmy's for beginners posted by paul on June 19, 2001 at 06:58:09:

Paul,

Brush control was the primary reason for us to get goats as well and as time has passed and the brush has been kept at bay, we've learned that we love our goats both as pets and as brush eaters. So I've got to throw in my two cents just for grins.

While many people look at goats for bloodlines, color, horned vs no horns, dairy vs. meat, etc., I always found myself looking at a prospective goat with the thought in mind "how much kudzu can this goat eat daily?"

What I have found is that the larger the goat, the more brush they eat with an exception or two. Someone posted that LaManchas seem to eat less - I would have to agree because I have noticed that too.

You mentioned that you have 3/4 of an acre for your prospective goats to control the brush on. The smaller pygmys would seem to be a good choice (at least in my opinion). It does not take long for bigger goats to weed down the brush they are supposed to. Then you need to start feeding them more purchased feed.

Also, if you are entirely new to goats, the "care" of any type or size of goat is universal pretty much. It is in my opinion easier to learn how to care for a smaller goat first rather than try wrestling or moving a large goat - especially by yourself. That's one reason I like pygmys - if you need to take them in the house, just pick them up and they are very portable.

As you learn to give shots, administer health care products, trim hooves etc, you can move up to the bigger goats and apply alot of what you have learned from your smaller buddies.

A couple of my own personal "do's and don'ts" -
If you are depending on feeding only the "brush" in the summer, I think it is imperative that you also keep hay on hand at all times - I have moticed that the more hay they eat, the more brush they eat. The hay gets the furnace going.

Make sure you keep loose minerals and baking soda present for your goats at all times. Each area of the US has soils that are either rich or deficient in certain minerals. The loose minerals address this concern while the baking soda keeps the goats from bloating from all that brush and the pH of their system balanced (especially good if you have certain types of brush that goats get too much of).

Lastly, you may want to reassess a once a year worming program because one thing in particulr with goats eating brush is that they are also ingesting the worm larvae that sticks to the blades of weeds and grass. In whole it really depends upon what part of the country you reside - some areas have more of a worm problem than others but in the end you will find that "worms and intestinal parasites" is of the biggest concerns and ongoing health management problems of all goat owners - no matter what type of goat it is.

Best regards,

Gary Pfalzbot

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