# First time I've ever hade a goat run away!



## TexasRanger (Feb 2, 2010)

Oreo (one of two goats I was recently given) decided to head for the hills today (most likely literally). 

My 5ft fence has contained goats for over 6yrs with no issues (other than a tree that got cut down to stop the "up and over" routine). When I went out to feed this morning all was normal, when I went out to check on Mystery (she has started to bag up a little and is in the maternity ward just in case) at noon, no Oreo. 
I checked the whole 3 acre pasture, nothing. Checked the grazing pasture, nothing. I did find some hair on the fence that separates me from my neighbors (no one has goats or anywhere to PUT a goat, besides inside their house or trailer (I live in a zoned for livestock glorified trailer park if that makes sense)). We are in a valley surrounded by 50+ acres of wood land and a lake. 
None of the neighbors (mostly druggies and alcoholics) saw anything even resembling a goat. 
The Sheriff knows, our poor excuse for AC knows, and I've put flyers everywhere.


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## canyontrailgoats (Jan 4, 2014)

Oh gosh, that's not good! Will she come to the shake of a grain can? If so I'd go out and try calling her home. Maybe bring a goat friend on a leash to entice her to come back.

If she's skittish of people you'll have a much harder time finding her...you'll need to figure out her general location before anything else. Hopefully that general location isn't miles from where you are!


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## top_goat (Sep 16, 2014)

I'm so sorry! I hope you find her!


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

canyontrailgoats said:


> Oh gosh, that's not good! Will she come to the shake of a grain can? If so I'd go out and try calling her home. Maybe bring a goat friend on a leash to entice her to come back.


 ^This. Sure hope you find her!


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## TexasRanger (Feb 2, 2010)

canyontrailgoats said:


> Oh gosh, that's not good! Will she come to the shake of a grain can? If so I'd go out and try calling her home. Maybe bring a goat friend on a leash to entice her to come back.
> 
> If she's skittish of people you'll have a much harder time finding her...you'll need to figure out her general location before anything else. Hopefully that general location isn't miles from where you are!


I walked around for over an hour shaking the grain scoop (she will practically climb up you if she thinks you have food) and nope, nada, zilch. 
She is super friendly and would make a good petting zoo goat, if she didn't have the horns and attitude. I took the whole herd (besides Mystery) and no one even baa'd.

I'd love to know WHY she did this. The pasture is full of green grass, hay, water, minerals and friends. There are no other goats for over 20 miles, why the heck would she take off!?


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

I really sorry  
I hate to be the bad person here……but do you feel someone could have taken her ? They normally won't go very far or out of sight of another goat or even their herd……its strange. 

Look in places you wouldn't think she would be , check everywhere possible. Look under things she might have went to hide.

Again , I'm so sorry and i hope you find her real soon :hug:


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## TexasRanger (Feb 2, 2010)

Trickyroo said:


> I really sorry
> I hate to be the bad person here&#8230;&#8230;but do you feel someone could have taken her ? They normally won't go very far or out of sight of another goat or even their herd&#8230;&#8230;its strange.
> 
> Look in places you wouldn't think she would be , check everywhere possible. Look under things she might have went to hide.
> ...


I doubt it, she is, to put it nicely "ratty looking". Torn ears, nasty looking feet, terrible coat. I didn't even think of that, I sure hope not.

I checked every nook and cranny (shed, dog house, garage, under our house, in the woods, in the brush pile,etc.)
I hope she comes back. :sigh:


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

Trickyroo said:


> I really sorry
> 
> I hate to be the bad person here&#8230;&#8230;but do you feel someone could have taken her ? They normally won't go very far or out of sight of another goat or even their herd&#8230;&#8230;its strange.
> 
> ...


I'm hoping I'm wrong on this but I agree with Trickyroo... Usually when mine escape they don't go far at all...., and with drug addicts and alcoholics around "ANYTHING" is possible..;( Do you have predators there? I'm guessing she didn't just up and take off on her own... I am so sorry you are going through this... I really hope you find her..!


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## TexasRanger (Feb 2, 2010)

janeen128 said:


> I'm hoping I'm wrong on this but I agree with Trickyroo... Usually when mine escape they don't go far at all...., and with drug addicts and alcoholics around "ANYTHING" is possible..;( Do you have predators there? I'm guessing she didn't just up and take off on her own... I am so sorry you are going through this... I really hope you find her..!


We do have predators (mountain lions, coyotes,loose dogs), but there was no sign of a struggle and the herd was not disturbed.


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

I hate to this , but it could have happened so fast especially with a lion. 
I'm still praying you will find her honey. I'm soooo sorry 
By to be perfectly honest they don't run away , and won't leave their herd and go out of site of them. There is the odd goat that would , but normally they stick together or with their buddy.


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

Then, I'm guessing the human kind...;( For a goat to run off like that is highly unlikely.... Just because she wasn't in tip top shape doesn't mean anything to someone who knows nothing about goats, or to someone looking to steal a goat... If she was a friendly goat.... I've had some weird like ridiculously weird stuff go on here, and if course a common denominator was drugs.... 

I'm not meaning to scare you, but a single goat running away like that is just highly unlikely, and if it were me I'd be keeping a close eye on the rest if your heard....


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## TexasRanger (Feb 2, 2010)

Trickyroo said:


> I hate to this , but it could have happened so fast especially with a lion.
> I'm still praying you will find her honey. I'm soooo sorry
> By to be perfectly honest they don't run away , and won't leave their herd and go out of site of them. There is the odd goat that would , but normally they stick together or with their buddy.


Since Mystery was "gone" (in the pen), I'm wondering, could she have gone to try and find her old owner?


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## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

As was mentioned before, goats do not usually wander off alone. Herd animals have a fear of being alone and just don't go on a walkabout without others. I can't imagine a goat going in search of a former owner either, they just don't think that way, unlike a dog.

I'd be more inclined to think someone or something took her. Sorry.


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## TexasRanger (Feb 2, 2010)

She has been found!
She is at a neighbors house several streets away, no idea why she went there.


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

Yay!!!  I'd sure keep an eye on that neighbor... Seriously, if she was with other goats, she wouldn't have just wondered off by herself.... I know her buddy was in the kidding pen, at the very least she would of hung out in that area...


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Could a child have found her and been playing with her, not meaning any harm?


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

Oh good! So glad she has been found! Do you own a trail camera? It's a motion activated camera that saves photos on a memory card and it's made for hunters. But you may want to put one up so you know if this was goat or human instigated and where she is getting out!


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## TexasRanger (Feb 2, 2010)

janeen128 said:


> Yay!!!  I'd sure keep an eye on that neighbor... Seriously, if she was with other goats, she wouldn't have just wondered off by herself.... I know her buddy was in the kidding pen, at the very least she would of hung out in that area...


They didn't steal her, she wandered over to their place when they weren't home. When they came home and saw the goat on their front porch they called our good for nothing landlord who didn't bother to get off his lazy *** and CALL US.:hair: We are the only people he rents to with goats! He called at 5:30 this afternoon saying, "Oh yeah, someone mentioned they found a goat yesterday and I forgot to call you."



SalteyLove said:


> Oh good! So glad she has been found! Do you own a trail camera? It's a motion activated camera that saves photos on a memory card and it's made for hunters. But you may want to put one up so you know if this was goat or human instigated and where she is getting out!


I have a trail cam and will put it up. I also reenforced the fence with hot wire and so far she is staying away. When I put her back in she ran up to the spot where the hair was and got zapped and is not keeping a wide berth of the fence. :dance:


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## ariella42 (May 22, 2014)

I'm SO glad you found her!!! I feared the worst when I first read this.


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

TexasRanger said:


> They didn't steal her, she wandered over to their place when they weren't home. When they came home and saw the goat on their front porch they called our good for nothing landlord who didn't bother to get off his lazy *** and CALL US.:hair: We are the only people he rents to with goats! He called at 5:30 this afternoon saying, "Oh yeah, someone mentioned they found a goat yesterday and I forgot to call you."
> 
> I have a trail cam and will put it up. I also reenforced the fence with hot wire and so far she is staying away. When I put her back in she ran up to the spot where the hair was and got zapped and is not keeping a wide berth of the fence. :dance:


I am sure glad to hear this... I wonder if there was something too tempting on their porch LOL? Glad everything is okay now...


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## TexasRanger (Feb 2, 2010)

janeen128 said:


> I am sure glad to hear this... I wonder if there was something too tempting on their porch LOL? Glad everything is okay now...


Besides the smell of people? This goat will follow you EVERYWHERE, including into houses full of dogs.:crazy: You have to look behind you before you close the door now.

She would make a good therapy goat, I can tell you that. She LOVES kids and will stand patiently as they pet her, she really likes the under 5 crowd. This little came up to her (dad right behind her) and the girl was so excited I thought she was going to have a stroke! Once she learned Oreo's name she called her an "Oreo Goat" and kept saying she's the "cutest goat in the world!". 
Sort of like in Despicable Me when Agnes wins the unicorn: "Its so fuffy, I'm going to die!"


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

so glad she is home...I was nervous reading this!!


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

I am so relieved she was found !!!!! Thank goodness !!!!
So now we all want a picture of this lonesome traveler


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## TexasRanger (Feb 2, 2010)

Trickyroo said:


> I am so relieved she was found !!!!! Thank goodness !!!!
> So now we all want a picture of this lonesome traveler


Ta da!









This is from the day I got her, her hooves are doing much better now.

Some more pics here:http://www.thegoatspot.net/forum/f194/since-my-camera-decided-work-177526/#post1878674


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

Awww , she is adorable  She looks like a explorer to me , lol 
Tell her to stay put or else ! Put a little fear into her and maybe it will help her say no to any more urges to go on walkabout or being tempted to "visit" the neighbors , lol.. 
Im so glad this had a happy ending !


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## TexasRanger (Feb 2, 2010)

Trickyroo said:


> Awww , she is adorable  She looks like a explorer to me , lol
> Tell her to stay put or else ! Put a little fear into her and maybe it will help her say no to any more urges to go on walkabout or being tempted to "visit" the neighbors , lol..
> Im so glad this had a happy ending !


I'm going to start taking her for walks around the time the neighborhood kids are home from school, that should cure some of it. She is an extroverted goat that LOVES people and is so-so about other goats (I have a feeling she was a bottle baby and got to spend time as an "only" goat with someone). The hot wire is her "fear", I literally cannot get her to go near it.


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

You know , i have to admit that when i first read the title of this thread , i laughed because i couldnt see it happening and i thought it was a joke or a funny story.
But yep , if you don't believe it could happen , you never owned a goat i guess , lol..
Learn something new everyday


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

You might make her decide to go on more walkabouts , you never know , she's a goat after all , lol..And they are too dang smart sometimes. She'll figure out were her goodies are and decide to "revisit" the neighbors , lol.. 

Im glad the hot wire will keep her contained  For everyones piece of mind !


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## Greybird (May 14, 2014)

I just saw this thread and I'm SO glad to see it has a happy ending!

My goats are almost as bad. The neighborhood children have been petting them and giving them treats since they were first old enough to eat solid food so they have grown up believing that all children carry goodies with them _all of the time!_ Grownups too, but especially children. They've never met a stranger.
If they ever manage to escape I wouldn't be surprised if they somehow ended up on the neighbor's porch, although I would expect all of them to still be together.

The idea of one setting off all on it's own is very odd. 
Your Oreo is definitely a real individual - and she has a perfect name, too!


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## TexasRanger (Feb 2, 2010)

Greybird said:


> I just saw this thread and I'm SO glad to see it has a happy ending!
> 
> My goats are almost as bad. The neighborhood children have been petting them and giving them treats since they were first old enough to eat solid food so they have grown up believing that all children carry goodies with them _all of the time!_ Grownups too, but especially children. They've never met a stranger.
> If they ever manage to escape I wouldn't be surprised if they somehow ended up on the neighbor's porch, although I would expect all of them to still be together.
> ...


She sure is! 
Instead of sleeping with the herd, she sleeps by the gate, facing our door. She has this obsession with coming inside the house.


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