Australian All Breeds of Miniature Goat and Sheep Society
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  • Home
    • (JOIN AABMGS) Membership
    • About AABMGS
    • AABMGS Committee 2022-2023
    • Contact
    • Premium Breed
    • Policies, Objectives & Code of conduct
    • Neogen DNA
    • AFFILIATED CLUBS
  • STARTING OUT
    • New Buyers Guide- Goats
    • CAE & JOHNE'S DISEASE
    • BUYING YOUR NEW BUCK
    • New Buyers Guide- SHEEP
  • Find Breeders
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    • Colonial Percy Island goats
  • Sheep
    • Harlequin Mini Meat Sheep
    • Persian Sheep
    • Babydoll Southdown
    • Coloured Babydoll Southdown Sheep
  • Forms
    • Goat registration
    • Sheep registration
    • Transfer ownership
    • Update registration
    • Buck/ram service certificate
  • Shows
    • show results
    • Australian Champions, A,Ch
    • Photo Gallery
  • News
    • PROMOTIONS
    • NEWS & NOTEWORTHY
  • AABMGS MEMBERS ONLY
    • Membership Renewal
    • AABMGS MERCHANDISE
    • Blog
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    • SELLING & PRICE GUIDE
    • IMFORMATION FOR MEMBERS

Pygmy Goat

Picture
Petite Bleat Mee-Cee (Doe ) Petite Bleat Franklin Buck) Petite Bleat Billy Goat Cyrus (Buck) (permision Leasa Wallace)
Picture
Tiny Dancers Stud, Permission Jo Mitchell

Breed standard

General description
The Pygmy Goat is hardy, good natured, genetically small, cobby and compact.  Head, neck and legs are short in relation to body length.  The body is full-barrelled and well muscled, circumference in relation to height and weight is proportionally greater than in other breeds.

Breed characteristics
Coat: The full coat of straight, medium long hair varies in density with seasons and climates. On does, beards may be non-existent or sparse. On adult bucks, abundant hair growth is desirable; the beard to be full, long and flowing, the copious mane draping, cape-like, across the shoulders.
Colour and breed-specific markings: Any colour and colour combination is acceptable in Australia – Pygmies bred by upgrading from non-Pygmy does potentially carry a diverse range of colours.

Full-blood stock imported as embryo from the US conform to the preferred colours listed below.
 
The preferred colours recognised in the US are:
  • Solid black
  • Black
  • Agouti
  • Caramel with black markings
  • Caramel with brown markings
 
Body structure
Head: Short to medium long; profile somewhat dished.
Muzzle rounded, not snippy; nose short, wide and flat.
Chin and underjaw full; bite even, neither overshot nor undershot; jaws broad, strong and well muscled.
Forehead broad, flat or concave.
Eyes set well apart, bright, prominent but not protruding. Any colour is acceptable.
Ears medium sized, firm, erect, alertly mobile.
Genetically horned or polled; disbudding and dehorning permissible.
Neck: Well muscled; short, round, more full-throated than dairy breeds; more refined in does than in bucks.
Withers: Nearly level with, but not lower than the spine.
Shoulders: Muscular, well angulated and laid-on, tightly attached; point of shoulder placed posterior to the sternum.
Ribs: Wide apart, well sprung; rib bone long, wide and flat.
Back: Strong, laterally straight, level along chine and loin.
Chine: Broad, level from withers to loin.
Loin: Broad, strong, nearly level, rising slightly toward the iliac crest.
Rump: Medium long, medium wide, neither level nor steep.
Hips: Wide, nearly level with back.
Thurls: High, wide apart.
Pin bones: Wide apart, lower than hips, pronounced.
Tail: Set high, wide at the base, symmetrical, carried high.
Flanks: Deep, set low on barrel.
Thighs: Long and wide, well muscled, incurving towards udder.
Legs: Short, heavy bone, well muscled, wide apart.
Forelegs: Straight and squarely set, with elbows close to ribs and cannon bone short.
Hind legs: When viewed from the rear: hind legs straight, widely set to accommodate large barrel; stifle held tightly to the body. When viewed from the side: femur and tibia proportionately longer than in dairy breeds and angulated toward a more pronounced stifle joint, thus compensating for the short, flat, and flinty rear cannon bone.
Hocks: Cleanly moulded and sharply angled.
Pasterns: Short, strong and resilient.
Feet: Well-shaped, proportioned to size of animal, deep heel and level sole with hoofs symmetrical.
Body capacity: Large in proportion to size of animal, providing ample digestive and reproductive capacity as well as strength, vigour, and stamina.
Barrel: Broad, deep, increasing in width and depth toward flank giving an impression of perpetual pregnancy. Symmetrical, well supported by firm abdominal wall and well-sprung ribs. The disproportionately large circumference of the paunch is greater in does than in bucks.
Heart girth: Large due to long, well-sprung fore-ribs.
Chest: Well muscled brisket, wide floor, full at point of elbow.
 
Mammary system (Does)
Udder: Firm, rounded, small to medium sized, halves evenly balanced and symmetrical.
Rear attachment: High, full, tightly attached and blending smoothly.
Front attachment: Well forward, tightly attached without pocket, and blending smoothly into body.
Texture: Silky smooth, elastic, pliable but firm, free of lumps or scar tissue.
Teats: Two, cylindrical, of uniform length and size, sufficient for milking with two fingers and thumb. Symmetrically placed, free of obstructions, deformities, or multiple orifices.
 
Reproductive system (Bucks)
Testicles: Two, fully descended, of fairly equal size, healthy and firm.
Teats: Two, cylindrical, of uniform length and size, symmetrically placed, free of deformities or multiple orifices.
 
Height and cannon length (Purebred measurements):
  • Under 6 months
    Height:             Does: 47cm    Bucks: 47.5cm
    Cannon:           Does: 10cm    Bucks: 11cm
  • 6 to 12 months
    Height:             Does: 52cm    Bucks: 52.5cm
    Cannon:           Does: 11cm    Bucks: 11.5cm
  • 12 months and over
    Height:             Does: 57cm    Bucks: 60cm
    Cannon:           Does: 11.5cm    Bucks: 12cm

The National Pygmy Goat Association (NPGA) Breed Standard.
http://www.npga-pygmy.com/resources/conformation/NPGABreedStandard.pdf 

Picture
2-week-old 28% Pygmy doe kid (Rivergate James Dean [56.25% Pygmy] – Craiglea Mystery [50% Nigerian Dwarf]). Photo By Emma Edwards, Myall Forest Miniature Goat Stud

Picture
Weston Park Betty Boop 59% Pygmy doe kid (Trinity Hugh Hefner 81.25% - Weston Park Rosie Red 37.5%). Photo by Michelle Anderson

Pygmy goat
Mya-Ora Daphne Photo by Therese Purton

Picture
Petite Bleat Yetti (buck) (permission Leasa wallace)

Picture
Mya-Ora Shirley Temple 56.25% Pygmy (Trinity Ned Kelly 87.5% – Mya-Ora Miss Dottie 25%). Photo by Therese Purton

Picture
Mya-Ora Sammy Davis being shown by Lyndell Bentley ( 56.25% Pygmy )
Picture
Petite Bleat Tex (permission Leasa Wallace)

Registration

Animals with 12.5% or more Pygmy genetics are eligible to be registered and shown as Pygmies - their percentage of Pygmy genetics (based on pedigree information provided to the Registrar) will be recorded on their Registration certificate.

Animals with less than 12.5% Pygmy genetics (based on pedigree information) will still have their percentage of Pygmy genetics recorded on the Registration certificate.

The AABMGS does not require DNA testing to confirm parentage of Pygmies, but if breeders choose to have parentage DNA verified and the relevant paperwork is provided to the AABMGS Registrar, this information will be recorded on the Registration certificate.
 
Pygmy grades
Grade F: 12.5% or more, but less than 25% Pygmy genetics
Grade E: 25% or more, but less than 50% Pygmy genetics
Grade D: 50% or more, but less than 60% Pygmy genetics
Grade C: 60% or more, but less than 70% Pygmy genetics
Grade B: 70% or more, but less than 80% Pygmy genetics
Grade A: 80% or more, but less than 90% Pygmy genetics
Purebred: 90% or more Pygmy genetics.
​
Full Blood: 100% imported US Pygmy genetics (animals descended exclusively from imported lines).


Over height animals are ineligible for showing but their grade (including Purebred) is not affected.

Pygmy goat
Trinity Hugh Hefner 81.25% Pygmy (Trinity Drew Morphett – Trinity Spot Alot 62.5%). Photo by Samantha Dulfer
Picture
Bucko Silver Titan 50% Pygmy Photo provided by Kameron James

Australian All Breeds of Miniature Goat and Sheep Society Inc.