Pygmy goats: Big business in a tiny package
Pygmy goats can sell for up to $10,000 each.
Photo:
Lisa Bradley / supplied
New Zealand's first, and smallest, pygmy goats are in high demand - and big prices are being paid.
A South Island farmer's venture of being the first person to import a couple of pygmy goats has taken off, with more than 150 people now on her waiting list for the cheeky miniature pets.
Lisa Bradley and her husband, who live in Golden Bay, started Waitotara Pygmy Goats three years ago.
"My husband hunts deer and culls feral goats, and he always used to bring a baby goat home as we always enjoyed their antics over the years," Bradley said.
"We've always had pet baby goats. As we've got older, I wanted an animal project which is a bit cute and small, and not already here in New Zealand.'
Bradley said she decided pygmy goats fitted the bill, and there was quite a process to import them.
"They are very stocky, they are very friendly and came from Australia where they are quite new as well (about a decade). They are particularly popular in the United States but we can't import directly from there, so went through Australia."
The goats were put in quarantine for a month in Australia prior to being shipped to Auckland, and passing all the Ministry for Primary Industries' tests, then flown to Nelson.
'We bought in one full-blood buck and two purebred does. When we saw them for the first time, my smile showed it all - we were just ecstatic, and to see these little guys was amazing.
"The full-blood buck, who is coming up nine years of age, stands just 49cm tall at his shoulder, or wither, area."
Remu the pygmy goat.
Photo:
Lisa Bradley / supplied
Bradley said they weighed about one kilogram at birth and were incredibly inquisitive, mischievous and full of antics. They also loved human company.
"I have bred up the original imports with
Nigerian dwarfs
and ferals, and now I have about 30 goats and am getting them more true to type as they continue to breed."
She said the demand for them was huge, with several people also wanting to breed them, but more who want them on a lifestyle block - such as those who want a couple for their grandkids to enjoy.
"They are very small little animals so are not intimidating for children, and they are just so funny and love people - they love the attention."
Bradley says she de-horned all her babies so there was no danger of young or old owners being bunted by little horns.
There was now so much interest around the country that she has just started the New Zealand Pygmy Goat Association, which included a breeding registry.
Bradley also went to Australia last year and was trained by an American pygmy goat judge to be an official judge herself.
Bill Collins the pygmy goat.
Photo:
Lisa Bradley / supplied
When it came to selling her kids, Bradley said it was a challenge and she had become a "nosy seller" who checked out facilities to make sure they went to the right home with suitable shelter.
"I never sell one goat on its own - the only time I would do that is if it's going to be with other goats, as they are very social.
"But they do transition much better into a new home if they go with a buddy. So I advocate for at least two babies to go together."
And how much did it cost to buy one of Bradley's pygmy goats? The price of a de-sexed male kid started at $500, and for a young buck capable of breeding it was up to $10,000. All of her breeding goats were DNA-tested, microchipped and regularly checked for diseases.
Grayson the pygmy goat.
Photo:
Lisa Bradley / supplied
Meanwhile, Bradley said the next kidding season was going to be the best yet as it was the third year of breeding.
"I have a rotation of paddocks for them and they all have houses in the paddocks.
"I think I am a little bit of the 'crazy goat lady'. They are just amazing to see and I spend an awful lot of time with them. My husband thinks I love them more than him, but it's not true! I couldn't do it without him and it's an exciting thing to see."
Bradley added that she currently had another buck and two does sitting in quarantine as she needed more diversity in their blood line.
Mani the pygmy goat and Billy the cat.
Photo:
Lisa Bradley / supplied
The miniature goats originally came from Africa and were taken to Europe in the early 19th century.
They were then shipped to the United States in the 1950s and sold to zoos prior to gaining popularity as pets and show animals.
The dwarf strain of goats they came from has achondroplasia. which results in an animal with disproportionately short legs, a plump body and a short head.
Australia started importing them in 2013.
Their lifespan is between 10 to 15 years, and a doe gives birth to up to four kids at one time.
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