Mini Horses

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia  
     Miniature horses are found all over the world and come in various colors and coat patterns. The designation of miniature horse is determined by the height of the animal, which, depending on the particular registry involved, is usually less than 34-38 inches (82-91 cm) as measured at the withers. While miniature horses are the size of a very small pony, many retain horse characteristics and are considered "horses" by their respective registries.

Miniature horses are friendly and interact well with people. For this reason they are often kept as family pets, though they still retain natural horse behavior and must be treated like an equine, even if they primarily serve as a companion animal. They are also trained as service animals, akin to guide dogs or assistance dogs for people with disabilities. While miniature horses can be trained to work indoors, they are still real horses and are healthier when allowed to live outdoors (with proper shelter and room to run) when not working with humans.

They are generally quite hardy, often living longer on average than some full-sized horse breeds; the average life span of miniature horses is from 25 to 35 years.



Pygmy Goats

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia  
       A pygmy goat is a small breed of domestic goat and a very suitable house pet. Females weigh about 23 to 34 kg (35 to 50 lbs) and males about 27 to 39 kg (40 to 60 lb). 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 and as a research animal. 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.

Although they produce a large amount of milk for their size, and can be eaten, pygmy goats are not typically used for milk or meat, unlike larger dairy and meat goat breeds. Pygmy goats tend to be more robust and breed more continually throughout the year than either dairy or meat goats. They have stomachs with four compartments: the rumen, the reticulum, the omasum, and the abomasum. As browsers, goats are similar to deer and enjoy variety in their diet, including woody plants.



Nigerian Dwarf Goats

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The Nigerian Dwarf goat is a miniature dairy goat breed of West African ancestry. Originally brought to the United States on ships as food for large cats such as lions, the survivors originally lived in zoos. Nigerian Dwarf goats are popular as hobby goats due to their easy maintenance and small stature.

Fully-grown animals range from 16-21 inches (40-56 cm) tall at the withers for does and 23.5 inches tall at the withers for bucks, and weigh 60-80 pounds (27-36 kg) – about the size of a Labrador retriever.

They come in many colors: white, black, red, cream and patterns such as buckskin (brown with a black cape over the head and neck along with other black markings) and chamoisee (similar to an Oberhasli goat) with or without white spots. Although most are naturally horned, most breeders dehorn them at a young age (usually 2 weeks of age). Some Nigerian Dwarfs have blue eyes, which is a dominant trait in goats.



Dogs (Domestic)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 
    The dog (Canis lupus familiaris) is most likely a domesticated subspecies of the wolf, a mammal of the Canidee family of the order Carnivora. The term encompasses both feral and pet varieties and is also sometimes used to describe wild canids of other subspeies or species. The domestic dog has been (and continues to be) one of the most widely-kept working and companion animals in human history, as well as being a food source in some cultures. Threre are estimated to be 400 million dogs in the world. The dog has developed into hundreds of varied breeds. Height measured to the withers ranges from a few inches in the Chihuahua to a few feet in the Great Dane; color varies from white through grays (usually called blue) to black, and browns from light (tan) to dark ("red" or "chocolate") in a wide variation of patterns; and, coats can be very short to many centimeters long, from coarse hair to something akin to wool, straight or curly, or smooth.