# My Goats are Driving Me Crazy!



## Itchysmom (Apr 3, 2010)

Just a vent here...but any suggestions are welcome.

I am not milking any more, but the 3 month old kids are still on mom. She is doing the weaning. 

I take them out to browse, but now the food is getting scarce so they do more walking around than eating. Bring them back up and Bella takes off down the back lane. She wants this little weed that grows close to the ground. I put Sasha and kids away and go chase Bella back. They get alf pellets in the morning and grass hay at night. They all have the yard of grass to eat all day long. Are they satisfied? NOPE! Bella cries all day. If I go out they are all over me! Are they skinny? No. Are they starving? I do not think so. Kids keep getting through the electric fence and have eaten my nan-king cherry bush, the bottom part of my plum trees and the lilies! I caught them over in the corner where rhubarb, zucchini and horse rasdish grows. I am so surprised that they are not sick yet. I cannot figure out why the fence keeps shocking one day and not the next. :hair: Plus, everytime I walk down the street and they see me, they start crying out to me! :GAAH: I am surprised my neighbors aren't knocking at my door! Well, I am sure they drive my one neighbor bonkers, but I really do not care about what she thinks!I am about ready to just chuck it in and get rid of them! 

And the dogs are driving me crazy too! One is such a grouch and keeps growling at the others. Places herself in the hall way and when one of the others wants to go past her she attacks! Just attacked the puppy for wanting to come join me in the office as he had to pass by her. She got in a full on fight with one of my other dogs yesterday in the dog yard.. Of course this other dog and her are constantly vieing for Alpha position! Then we have the cats. Again ONE seems to think that he is starving! There is dry cat food out in the morning and evening and there are tons of little critters he can hunt down. I know this as I see the female cats with mice and such all the time. Guess he is just a lazy arse boy! 

Uggg... I am ready to just shot myself and be done with it all!


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## RMADairyGoats (Jun 20, 2011)

I'm sorry to hear you are having issues with your dogs and goats  Weaning kids is a pain in the butt. :GAAH: We have a dam raised kid and her dam and we are trying to wean them and about every tenth day Moja (the baby) jumps the door and nurses Mabel (her mom). :GAAH: That is why we are bottle raising all our kids now. No weaning from mom and no seperating and they don't scream AT ALL even when you take the bottle away for good.


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## Itchysmom (Apr 3, 2010)

Oh, I am not too concerned about the weaning, mom will do it eventually. It's just all the calling that is ragging on my last nerve. They make me feel like they are starving. I doubt they are!


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## Maggie (Nov 5, 2010)

I know how you feel some days. Our fields are still nice and rich and our fatties still scream at me everytime I go out the door. We have one dog that is supposed to be on rest as she may have torn her cruciate ligament. Shes walking around the house on three legs but sees the neighbor walking down the road this morning and does tearing down the driveway like a maniac barking at her :roll:


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## peggy (Aug 11, 2010)

I am sorry you are feeling bad about the goats and dogs. I think we all have those moments. My goats haven't been getting out for their walks as much as usual because I have been so busy with other things, and they call me all the time even though they have free access to hay. And they get grain twice a day. So they aren't starving. Have you changed their routine at all?? They are real creatures of habit and hate change. Also with breeding season upon us, I think that everyone is a little hormonal. 

As for the dogs, I have 4 dogs and although they get along 99% of the time, they do have the occasional fight, usually started by my only female. I do not tolerate fights or growling but when you have a pack there are bound to be fights, that is normal. As long as it is over quickly and no one is trying to kill the other. Fights usually sound a lot worse than they are, but it is stressful. If you have an extremely aggressive dog in the group, you could consider rehoming her to a family where she would be the only dog.


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## Itchysmom (Apr 3, 2010)

Thanks guys! it's nice to know that I am not alone!

The two dogs that fight don't do any real damage to each other. I notice it is alot more noise than bite. Plus the heeler can't get anything but hair off the Pry!


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## Randi (Apr 22, 2011)

One day my girls broke into the feed room and ate a whole bag of hay pellets. When I threw them out of the feed room they all came begging for food! What pigs!!

:laugh: We have lots and lots of trees and the girls are browsing and grazing all day. Don't you know the minute they hear my voice you would think they hadn't eaten in WEEKS. These little things are LIARS!! Don't listen!! They will eat you out of house and barn if you let them. They are like two year olds. In time they will find out that shrieking is not going to work and they will be content to yell only at meal times. :thumb:


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## PznIvyFarm (Jul 25, 2010)

Itchysmom said:


> Oh, I am not too concerned about the weaning, mom will do it eventually.


So you think. I am doing an experiment to see how long before they wean themselves. I was separating at night so i could get morning milk, but I stopped milking everyone recently in anticipation of breeding everyone (including the doelings) in October/November. I knew the "babies" were sneaking drinks during the day, but figured they would quit soon since they are 13 months old.

Today I was working on their fence, and watching them - they were all nursing at one time or another. Their mothers would let them nurse for 10-15 seconds, but still..............you'd think they would stop on their own, I was laughing last month about whether or not they would continue to nurse when they were pregnant and/or when they had their own babies.


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## Itchysmom (Apr 3, 2010)

Soooo, what you are saying is that mom is NOT going to wean completely????? Argggg!

What would happen if I bred mom and she kidded, would this years kids still try to sneak drinks?

Randi: I will try really hard to stop listening to them


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## Countryacre (Aug 24, 2011)

Itchysmom said:


> Soooo, what you are saying is that mom is NOT going to wean completely????? Argggg!
> 
> What would happen if I bred mom and she kidded, would this years kids still try to sneak drinks?
> 
> Randi: I will try really hard to stop listening to them


Yep, I am going through that and the doeling in question is 7 Months! Momma and baby might not wean like you think unfortunately :sigh: , next set of kids will be bottle raised over here! :wink:


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## RMADairyGoats (Jun 20, 2011)

Itchysmom said:


> Soooo, what you are saying is that mom is NOT going to wean completely????? Argggg!


Nope, the moms will never let their kids stop nursing completely. I have seen pics of two year old kids nursing their mom. They can't say no! It is such a pain in the butt! :hair: :GAAH:


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## GotmygoatMTJ (Apr 25, 2009)

Nope, momma's will let the kid nurse forever and ever and EVVAAAARRRHHH. Hehe. 

Sorry you are having a tough time. I know how you feel. :hug:


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## Itchysmom (Apr 3, 2010)

Great picture, but bad info for me! I guess in order to wean these kids so mom will only feed new kids is to seperate them? For how long?

I weaned my foal at 8 months. Moved here and put mom and filly in the same pasture. Apparently mare eithr came back in milk or filly had been sneaking drinks through the panel back in CA. Mare got mastitis because filly started suckling off her again and the silly mare let her.

Sooooo, What do I have to do to make sure these kids don't go back on mom when she freshens again next year?


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## Steve (Mar 12, 2011)

Pen the babies up until the does dry up,once they get no milk they will understand its time to quit and will move on and get over it,2 weeks should do but could be longer.If your goats are crying everytime they see you its because they associate you with food or attention,cant really do much but block their view so they cant see you.They will still do it when they hear you though.You could try to trick them to make them understand, by going out many times a day but dont feed them until its time.Go all the way into the pen and clean up or just walk back out and go to the house.Do this many times as often as you can and do it a few times in a row. They might understand that just because they see you dont mean they get feed.

With your dogs,you should let them know you are the alpha not any of the dogs and will not tolerate any growls or fights.I do this with loud noises,feet stomps while im rushing toward them clapping my hands hard a few times in a row or just yelling hey hey hey.The neighbors might think im crazy but i get the dogs attention too.A whistle might work as well,but you need to catch them before the fight breaks out.If you hear a growl go at them like your a lunatic,dont hit them just let them know you are not happy.

The dog in the hall way should not be allowed to block the hallway,everytime she lays down make her move to a more neutral location.Keep working with your animals and they will eventually learn what you want from them.


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## Randi (Apr 22, 2011)

> ]your goats are crying everytime they see you its because they associate you with food or attention


They consider you their herd queen.

My goats call every time they hear my voice. Sometimes I call back to them (in goat), sometimes I go and visit a few minutes. Sometimes I simply ignore them. They are often placated if I simply walk down to the barn and give out a few pets. In time things will become organized and routine. Life is a lesson in patience.


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## Itchysmom (Apr 3, 2010)

Herd quenn huh? That's cool...I guess!

Steve: all the things you said to do with the dogs, I do. Believe me! But, when you have 4 unfixed females in the same house, there is bound to be fighting. Usually it is the heeler and the pry as they are a year apart in age, grew up together and for their own reasons need to assert their dominance. The Pry is the alpha, well, under me that is. She definitely knows I am boss and when she tests that theory...well, she regrets it!


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## Di (Jan 29, 2008)

When mine act all starving (even with a mouthful of alfalfa) I start something they don't like, I'll get the nippers out and start doing hoofs, that'll shut them up! lol

(Please do not say you will shoot anybody, especially in jest. We can't tell in this forum who is serious, and who is not. Imagine if that happened and people thought "well she told those goat people, why didn't they do something?" "They were supposed to be her friends".) :scratch:


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

OMG we are having a time with our new buck! He is the loudest animal I have EVER heard in my life! He cries and cries and is LOUD. Drives me up a wall! He does this anytime he sees anyone, including people next door at the restaurant. I don't mind animals making noise, but OMG! 
This morning he was making a big fuss - I feed him, my pregnant doe and another young doe - all seperate as they get certain amounts. 
Well I decided he wasn't getting his until he SHUT UP. I fed the girls, and waited. Finally he was quiet and I took him back to what will eventually be his pen where I feed him. He's done and now he's hollering like he is dying. 
I like the guy, he's really sweet, and he's just a big baby <5 1/2 months>, but he's making me crazy! We had some sales people stop by the other day and they were literately rolling on the ground laughing because he sounded sooooo pathetic!

We're just ignoring him, not giving extra attention and no talking to him especially when he starts his screaming. He does seem to quiet down a little faster these days <we've had him 3 weeks this Thurs>. I keep telling myself he'll grow out of it, especially when he gains some respect from the girls.

He will stand at the gate and stare at the house when he does this too, and other times he just stares at the house...kinda freaks me out and makes me want to close the curtains -- STALKER/PEEPING TOM LOL Just kidding!

He doesn't do this at night that I notice, so that's a relief, but it's an on and off thing ALL day long. I am thinking we need to find every excuse to be outside 'ignoring' him so he gets the idea that we're not coming out just to feed him, and that his hollering won't gain any attention. 
My girls are generally quiet, so none of us are used to the noise. Even when they hollar at us, they aren't that loud or annoying. It's more like they are saying 'hello.' He is more or less going on and on 'HELP ME I"M DYING HELP ME!!!!!! OMG!!! OMG!!!' LOL

I know he'll grow out of it.....er uh...I hope he does!


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## mrs. lam (Apr 20, 2010)

Mine tore up one of the sheds leaving a wooden run in, a metal run in (whats left of it) a large metal dog house and a large plastic dog house. So, last night it rains. My 3 large goats, Romeo, Murray and Hershey decide they won't let anyone in the metal shed. No one likes the wooden shed and for some reason no one wanted to get in the large metal dog house. The sheep gave up and slept together on the ground. (they don't mind rain) The rest of the goats stood outside the metal shed and cried wanting in. 12:02 am, 1:15am, 2:08am, 4:00am. I got up and feed everone at 5am and went to sleep on the couch. They loved the shed they tore down and we've put it back together 3 times. It's a large rubbermaid shed. Romeo loves to whack goats through the walls. :sigh: Now they whack each other through the metal shed. I can't wait to move and have a real barn. We are re-enforcing the goat side. Trouble makers will go into goat time out. I hope I can get some sleep tonight. yawn.


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## Itchysmom (Apr 3, 2010)

Glad I am not the only one with silly loud goats!

Yesterday they drove me so crazy thet I just locked them in their pen. They can't see me, but can hear me go out the dorr...then call! Well, I went out to feed them about an hour later and heard this manic crying! Seems the doeling decided she would try to get out of the pen. So, she pushed on the gate and got herself stuck! There is a small space between the gates where she was and couldn't get out! Of course I have no idea how long she had been in this perdicament! I walked by her to get the hay and she looks at me crying her head off. I just told her she was gonna have to wait til I got back with the hay! I know she didn't like that as the crying went up an octave! Ah well!


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## mrs. lam (Apr 20, 2010)

Ran home at 5 yesterday between storms and to feed before the next one rolled in then went back to the shop to pick up hubby for church. (we go Tuesday nights) We get home about 8:30 and the brats try to con me! They said I never fed them I just fed the donkey. Taylor the donkey said I fed everybody. I trusted the donkey and went in to take a shower. Goats will lie. Donkeys are truthful. That's one reason she carries Jesus' cross. :greengrin: 

Gina


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## primal woman (Sep 17, 2011)

Itchysmom said:


> They get alf pellets in the morning and grass hay at night.
> . Are they starving?
> I cannot figure out why the fence keeps shocking one day and not the next.
> everytime I walk down the street and they see me, they start crying out to me!
> I am surprised my neighbors aren't knocking at my door! !


Goats are just selfish. Nothing like a mother hen who is so giving to her chicks. Goats are all 'me, me, me'. Since you do feed them, they expect more. 
No not starving, but controlling. 
Fence is frustrating. Try wetting the ground rods if ground is dry. And of course you know to check to make sure nothing is grounding it out like wire touching posts or tree limbs. 
Goats crying to you? Sigh. Frustrating, but try to think of the lie that they love you!! Ha

If neighbors knock on your door, offer a cup of goat milk before they can start griping!!


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## primal woman (Sep 17, 2011)

Lost Prairie said:


> That is why we are bottle raising all our kids now. No weaning from mom and no seperating and they don't scream AT ALL even when you take the bottle away for good.


Great idea and what I was thinking of doing. However I want to go right to a bucket like I used to do on a dairy farm with calves. Seems like work. But weaning and feeding and cleaning out stalls with babies peeing everywhere....is WORK!

So if I simply don't let them nurse/bond to begin with; I am the one to feed them when they don't poop or pee much and when they get to be weaning age, let them out and off we go! No more work...smirk...well uh...


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## primal woman (Sep 17, 2011)

PznIvyFarm said:


> Itchysmom said:
> 
> 
> > Oh, I am not too concerned about the weaning, mom will do it eventually.
> ...


WOW, I had no idea. "Big babies" Perhaps we could make them feel inferior by calling them names! Then they will be ashamed to nurse when they are old enough to vote.


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## primal woman (Sep 17, 2011)

GotmygoatMTJ said:


> Nope, momma's will let the kid nurse forever and ever and EVVAAAARRRHHH. Hehe.
> 
> :


I am guessing that in a 'wild' situation, there are normal, natural ways that they wean much earlier and of course; on their own. Such is with wild horses; the stallions chase off their daughters at weaning/breeding age times. It is innate somehow. But our situations are much different. Being domesticated and 'kept up' in pastures and corrals and such causes maladaptive behaviors so to speak. Like a parrot who is in a cage and says to himself; "I don't like the blue paint on the walls....so I guess I'll pick all my feathers out." Dumb, but animals don't reason well..unless of course you are carrying your bridle out to pasture with you and your horse sees you coming and runs the other way. I call that....reasoning!!


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## primal woman (Sep 17, 2011)

Steve said:


> You could try to trick them to make them understand, by going out many times a day but dont feed them until its time.Go all the way into the pen and clean up or just walk back out and go to the house.Do this many times as often as you can and do it a few times in a row.
> 
> With your dogs,you should let them know you are the alpha not any of the dogs and will not tolerate any growls or fights.
> you need to catch them before the fight breaks out.If you hear a growl go at them like your a lunatic,
> The dog in the hall way should not be allowed to block the hallway,.


I concur

I concur

I concur.

I like the way you think and manage. :hi5:


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## primal woman (Sep 17, 2011)

Di said:


> When mine act all starving (even with a mouthful of alfalfa) I start something they don't like, I'll get the nippers out and start doing hoofs, that'll shut them up! lol


Good one. That will work.


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## Itchysmom (Apr 3, 2010)

Don't tell the goats that the donkey is smarter than them...they may rebel  

I thought that animals would naturally wean their young, especially if another baby was on the way. I had a mare who I weaned baby and after 3 months apart, foal started suckling on mom again..and she let her! I also had a horse who even after 5 years without a foal (only had two in her life time) would let any weanling come up to her and suckle. You can still get a watery milk out of her when a foal is neaer by. This is after 15 years of not having her own foal!

It is about to get even noisier around here in a few days as I am going to wean the kids. I am making a goat bra for Sasha and then kids get no more milk! :greengrin: Yep, my neighbors are gonna love me! Even tho the ranchers cows are a good 1/2 mile away, when he weans the calves you can hear the bawling all day and night for about 3 days!


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## primal woman (Sep 17, 2011)

I have not always believed in signs of the moon to do stuff, but on the other hand I've seen it work. Maybe we should watch the moon signs more and wean when it is the right time. Less stressful to everyone. Especially the moon; that is working to help us! :shrug:


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## Steve (Mar 12, 2011)

If you dont believe in moon signs,try setting fence posts when the signs says not to,then do it when it says to set fence posts.The amount of dirt left over will be surprising,some time you wont have enough, sometime youll have too much.Im talking about setting a wooden post of course.


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## Itchysmom (Apr 3, 2010)

So do you wean on a waxing or waning moon?


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## Randi (Apr 22, 2011)

Yoda is 5 months old and Mack has FINALLY decided to wean her! When she tries to nurse, Mack just steps on her head and walks away :laugh:


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## Itchysmom (Apr 3, 2010)

Good for Mack..that'll wean the bugger!


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## Steve (Mar 12, 2011)

im not sure which it is,but look in the almanac it will be listed


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## primal woman (Sep 17, 2011)

Itchysmom said:


> So do you wean on a waxing or waning moon?


Holy smokes....do it now, today or tomorrow! :ROFL:

I found this site that gives some dates. I don't know enough about these moon signs to give you more info. But maybe it will help to go by one of the dates listed.

http://www.farmersalmanac.com/calendar/ ... ting/wean/


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## Itchysmom (Apr 3, 2010)

AHA! I can wean on my birthday!


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