GOOD FENCES - Goats at Blessingbourne House

When I visited Blessingbourne House several months ago, I discovered 2 friendly goats.  The brown goat is called Lyton and he is a Golden Guernsey.

The black goat is called Crunchie named as such because he grinds his teeth and is a Pygmy goat.  He loves his ears scratched.

The Golden Guernsey is a rare breed of goat from the Bailiwick of Guernsey on the Channel Islands. They were first brought to Great Britain in 1965 and a sub-breed has evolved known as the British Guernsey.

The exact origin of these animals is uncertain but since goat bones have been found in dolmens (a type of Megalithic tomb) as old as 2000 B.C. on the islands, it is likely that the breed began to evolve into its current form about this time. The ancestors of the Golden Guernsey are believed to have been the Oberhasli and Syrian breeds.

The first documented reference to the Golden Guernsey in its current form dates from 1826 when reference to a "golden goat" was printed in a guide book. In 1965 the Golden Guernsey was exported to Great Britain and the English Golden Guernsey Club, later to become the Golden Guernsey Goat Society, was formed.

As its name suggests, the goat is golden in colour, with hues ranging from pale blond to deep bronze. They are smaller and more fine-boned than other British milking goats, and there is great variety in coat length. The males are sometimes horned but the vast majority are not. Their personalities have been described as "very docile, very friendly". The males have been said to be unusually smelly although I never had that experience with Lyton.

A pygmy goat is a breed of miniature domestic goat. Pygmy goats tend to be kept as pets primarily, though also work well as milk producers and working animals. The pygmy goat is quite hardy, an asset in a wide variety of settings, and can adapt to virtually all climates.

Pygmy goats originated in the Cameroon Valley of West Africa. They were imported into the United States from European zoos in the 1950s for use in zoos as well as research animals. They were eventually acquired by private breeders and quickly gained popularity as pets and exhibition animals due to their good-natured personalities, friendliness and hardy constitution. Today, they are a common sight as house pets and in petting zoos.

Pygmy goats are adaptable to most climates. Their primary diet consists of greens and grains. They enjoy having items to jump on and may be able to leap onto small vehicles. They are also in need of a shed and open area accessible at all times. They also need a companion, which doesn't necessarily have to be its own species and gets on well with Lyton.  

They are prey animals and should therefore be sheltered in a predator-proof area -especially at night. Goats require fresh water at all times or they won't drink it. Pygmy goats are often affectionate if they are treated with respect. They can also be trained, though it requires quite a bit of work.

It is important to make sure pygmy goats are comfortable and warm during the winter months.  Simple measures such as feeding pygmy goats lukewarm water and lukewarm food, as well as ensuring their living quarters are free from drafts, can make pygmy goats a lot happier during the winter.

The video can be accessed at

http://youtu.be/AmtjCb3Qfq0

If there is a black space below, click it and the video will appear.

I hope you enjoyed meeting Crunchie and Lyton from Blessingbourne House and learning about more about the breed.

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