I’ve always loved having pygmy goats as companions.
They’re so vibrant and full of energy that having them around has been endlessly fun and fulfilling.
I was drawn to pygmy goats originally as I’ve always loved goats in general, but was worried I didn’t have enough space for full sized goats.
I have quite a large garden, so I too assumed that this space would be okay for the much smaller pygmy goats.
I’ve learned a few things over the years of keeping pygmy goats, though, so I thought I’d do a full deep dive into the question.
How much space do pygmy goats need?
So, despite their size, they still need more of their own space than an animal of similar size, but as far as goats go, they do not need much space.
The question will vary a lot depending on how many pygmy goats you want to have, as even herd animals definitely need personal space.
Can I keep pygmy goats in my garden?
Goats are browsing animals, which means they like to have a fair amount of outdoor range to explore and move around in.
Even with the diminutive pygmy goats, you’ll still need a good amount of outdoor space for them to roam around.
It’s important to understand a couple of different terms with goat habitats.
A dry lot is a where the goats do not have a pasture, and you bring them all of their nutrition in the form of hay.
This is generally not as good for the goats as them having a pasture to live and roam on.
The goats will not be getting as much exercise and may gain weight.
You should consider this carefully if you want to have pygmy goats living in your garden.
It may not be the best option for them, even as small as they are, if you don’t want them to destroy your garden for their browsing.
Pygmy goats do well with around 200 square feet of outdoor space, so that gives you an idea of the difference.
The important thing is that goats are all browsers, and are much more like wild animals in that sense than other farm animals.
Cows and sheep just spend their days eating grass, whereas goats like to roam around and sample a few different things.
It is not simply a question of food, either.
Goats are generally much more active than cows or sheep, and need a great deal more stimulation.
If they are living on a dry lot with no pasture to roam, their ability to do this will be comparatively limited.
There are a few things you can do to give them the best life while living on a dry lot, like taking them on walks or providing them with toys and enrichment.
So, if you are willing to take the time to stimulate and enrich your goat as much as possible, it should be okay living in your garden in an enclosed dry lot.
For the best possible health, though, your pygmy goat really ought to have a pasture and space to browse.
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How many pygmy goats do I need?
Goats are herd animals with social needs.
If you’re thinking of just getting a single pygmy goat to keep in the house, you should probably reconsider.
It is generally not advised to keep only one pygmy goat, and the same is true of most species of goat or domestic herd animal.
Goats need other goats to keep them company and keep them happy, for the same reason they need mental stimulation and a large area to explore.
They’re complex creatures with highly evolved emotions and need for stimulation.
Even if you were to spend all your time with it, your goat would suffer for not having other members of its species around.
So, keeping at least two goats is recommended, with three or four being ideal.
They’re highly fun and active animals, and would probably tire you out before you’d satisfied their need for stimulation!
Pygmy goats love to play, and cannot get enough activity.
If you have a herd, they will provide a lot of the stimulation they need amongst themselves.
Obviously, then, this fact will affect the amount of space you’re going to need.
Keeping a herd in a space that’s too small is not a good idea, as they are likely to get frustrated with each other before long.
Sources disagree on exactly how much space they will need, but one of the more conservative estimates says that you should have around 200 square feet per goat.
Other estimates suggested a tenth of an acre for similar-sized goats.
So, unfortunately, there isn’t a simple answer except to say that you will need multiple goats and multiple goats means extra space being taken up.
Pygmy goats are small but they are very, very far from sedentary and lead very active lives.
So, they ought to have a decent amount of land to be able to roam in order to be happiest, unless you’re able to take them out to a special play space every day.
Pygmy goats, then, are not to be underestimated.
They are very small but they are also very full of energy and need a lot of space relative to their size in order to be able to expend that energy.
Goats are herd animals who need the presence of other members of their species to be happy and healthy, so there is no safe amount of space for a single pygmy goat.
You always need to have several, and the space they occupy will need to reflect that.
Finally, they need not only space but also stimulation and enrichment.
All that considered, your goats will be very happy.