"A pygmy and a nigerian are quite different. It's like comparing a sanaan to a boer. One is bred for meat, one is bred for milk. The nigerian is bred for milk (though some people aren't breeding this way)...some are more concerned about colors or size than a good milker with oustanding conformation, both body and udder. And with the pymies...I rarely see a pygmy that is up to breed standards...just because people aren't following the breed standards...which is fine when you're breeding for pets, but I just don't see a good looking pygmy that often."
Kylee -- there a lot of goats out there that b/c they are small are called pygmies. But there are, IMHO, some very good looking pygmies around. I raise and show pygmies; and a lot of us are going back to the original style -- balanced and structurally correct instead of those dumpy little pumpkins that were around 10 years ago. My does have few, if any, problems kidding, b/c I breed for that.
This is my 9YO doe -- she's standing a little stretched out, but you can see she's pretty level and has a long body -- great for having babies! And she's holding up great for her age!
and one of my bucks -- another long body!
and finally -- my fat wether -- but you can see where I'm trying to go with my breeding program!
Anyway, it just seems like pygmies are get a bad rap -- you know, one bad apple -- so I had to put in my two cents! :whatgoat: