Читать книгу Raising Goats For Dummies - Cheryl K. Smith - Страница 70

Pygmies, like Nigerians, are miniature goats that came to the United States from Africa. Pygmies have been bred to be short and stocky (unlike Nigerians) and are more limited in color, ranging from white to brown to black with only minor variations. The most common pattern is agouti, which refers to alternating bands of colors, kind of like salt and pepper hair. (Figure 3-5 shows an agouti Pygmy goat.)

Pygmy goats aren’t usually considered dairy goats, but because they don’t fit neatly into any category I include them here. Most of them are raised as pets or 4-H projects, but a small minority of breeders raise them for milk. The Pygmies raised for milk tend to look more like Nigerians in body shape. If you want Pygmies for milk, make sure to ask whether they’re registered with the American Goat Society and whether the breeder is milking them.

FIGURE 3-5: An agouti Pygmy goat.

Because they have been bred down to a short, compact size, Pygmies often have problems kidding and need the services of a veterinarian for cesareans. They are not quite as prolific as the Nigerians, either.

Like Nigerians, Pygmies are much less expensive to keep and take up a lot less space than a standard dairy goat, so they work well in rural and urban settings.