# Bullying the baby goat!



## WillowGem (Aug 3, 2011)

I know there's a pecking order, but I feel so bad for Patrick.

Arthur and Merlin are picking on the poor little guy, especially Merlin, as he's the King of the pen.

As long as there is no food in the pen (hay, grass, branches and leaves, etc.) they are fine. 
As soon as I give them anything, Merlin will charge Patrick no matter where the little guy is or what he's doing. 

Patrick is almost 9 weeks old, and both Arthur and Merlin are a year old.
How soon do they sort it all out?
Patrick has only been here since Sunday, so I know there is an adjustment period, but I really feel for him.


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

As long as he is not hurting him or sending him flying off his feet , he should be OK . I think Merlin is trying to teach the baby where his place is during feeding. Keep a close eye on him and if you see things getting out of hand , you may need to step in. I think if you remove him now if they arent being too rough with him , it will only make it worse for him when you put him back. IDK , its all a learning experience for me too
Does the baby have a escape route where he can only go to get away from them ? Its hard , I know because they are a small breed.
But if there is a dog carrier or something he can get into to escape he can get a rest. IDK ....
I would put hay in a few areas so at least they all get their meals.
Just a thought. Patrick is so cute , I just love him 
But Arthur will always be my fav 
Happy Fourth :july:


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

Make sure there are plenty of feeding stations for everyone. This will sort out. I know that if I saw any bullying of babies, I yanked the purpertrator on their ear. Just no need to be that rough, it's usually the boys who are full of themselves and have the king of the mountain mentality. :laugh: Mine settled fairly quickly.


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## Catahoula (Feb 12, 2013)

I also just got couple new baby goats Sunday and I have three yearlings already. I have made a creep feeding area just for the kids. It works well and the kids have a safe place to hide if they need to. My Boers are really bad when it comes to hogging up the feeding stations. It doesn't matter how many I have, they just go around pushing the others out. Another option is to separate the aggressor by himself to eat. I had to rehome one of my goats because she just get pick on all the time.


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## julieq (Feb 25, 2013)

We have multiple separate pens and in the larger pens there are two or three feeding stations in every pen. If one is getting bullied too badly, we tend to rearrange goats instead of just leaving them. Especially in this record breaking heat.


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## WillowGem (Aug 3, 2011)

Trickyroo said:


> Patrick is so cute , I just love him
> But Arthur will always be my fav


Mine too....Shhhhh, don't tell Merlin and Patrick. 

We did make a 8'x10' fenced off area in the goat pen, just in case we needed to separate Patrick from the other two.
But when he's in there all he does is stand on top of the Igloo dog house we put in there, screaming his little goatie lungs out, while the other two stand at the gate staring in at him.  *sigh*

Patrick's in a dog crate in the barn when I lock them all up for the night, and he seems happy enough to be in there.
The other two lay next to it when he's in there, so I know they like him...at least I hope that's what it means...LOL!! 

I need to get a new feeding system in to place.
It was so easy with just Arthur and Merlin, as they grew up together and we had our routine down pat.
This new baby has thrown a wrench into it, but we'll figure it out.
I just want them all to get along...right now!!


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## Catahoula (Feb 12, 2013)

WillowGem said:


> Mine too....Shhhhh, don't tell Merlin and Patrick.
> 
> We did make a 8'x10' fenced off area in the goat pen, just in case we needed to separate Patrick from the other two.
> But when he's in there all he does is stand on top of the Igloo dog house we put in there, screaming his little goatie lungs out, while the other two stand at the gate staring in at him.  *sigh*
> ...


Unfortunately my favorite goat Walter is also the bully. Life would be much easier if he was rehomed. Since at the time I have all wethers and only one doe, I decided to rehome the doe because she is more valuable and would stand a better life. She is an Alpine with great milking line. Rehoming Walter will probably mean a death sentence to him... Anyway, sounds like you'll need a creep feeding area only Patrick can crawl in. My two new kids knows to run into their creep area to eat/drink/sleep. Most of the time, they are all together and the kids knows to stay out of the big guys way. I now have all wethers...feeding time will probably always be a challenge knowing Walter.... I'll just have to keep trying...especially during winter time when we have a lot of snow. Good Luck.


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## nchen7 (Feb 25, 2013)

poor Patrick!!! 

well, i'm sure they'll figure it out soon, AND....looks like Patrick will be the same size, if not bigger, than the other guys, so i'm sure he'll be able to stand on his own soon.

btw - my fav is Arthur too. he's just SOOO CUTE!!!! I want to smush his face!


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## JanetM (Mar 13, 2013)

We just got a new little guy 2wks ago today-Clancy(4months) and I can see some improvement from our 2 older boys-Willie & Ducky(16months & 11months) already.

I hope your boys work it out soon...I know I cant stand seeing them pick on Clancy. We have set Clancy up a little space of his own for sleeping, eating & watering. And since Clancy gets more grain than they do right now we feed that separately as well. Im thinking when he is old enough Im going to cut the grain out completely and let it just be a treat for hoof trimming time.


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## WillowGem (Aug 3, 2011)

I see an improvement today.

I set up four feeding areas in the pen, and it's working well.
Patrick seems more relaxed, he even let me rub his face and scratch his head this morning. 

JanetM and Catahoula, I love your boy's names...Clancy and Walter!! 
nchen7, Arthur would love to have you smush his face, he's such a cuddler.


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## JanetM (Mar 13, 2013)

WillowGem said:


> Patrick's in a dog crate in the barn


We borrowed your idea...hope you don't mind its been raining forever here is seems like & little Clancy had his space under the steps...but we took a large kennel & have put him in the barn with Wiliie & Ducky...its large enough he has his own water & hay. They are not laying beside him but they are not trying to butt him thru the kennel either(which they couldn't anyway). Maybe it will help them get use to him being here.


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## JanetM (Mar 13, 2013)

WillowGem said:


> I know there's a pecking order, but I feel so bad for Patrick.
> 
> Arthur and Merlin are picking on the poor little guy, especially Merlin, as he's the King of the pen.


Just curious how are things going for Patrick?


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## WillowGem (Aug 3, 2011)

He's still getting picked on, but it seems to be lessening, which makes me happy.

He also came up to me this morning for rubs and scratches, but just for a minute...LOL!!  
And the other two "allowed" it, usually they come running and butt him away. 

I hope the dog crate works for Clancy...it's turned in to Patrick's "safe" area.
But now the other two think it's "The Place to Be".  
They both try to cram themselves in there together...and the water in the bucket in there must taste much better too, they drink it dry.


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## tmparent1 (Dec 5, 2012)

I had that same problem with a doeling I put in with 2 - 1 y.o. does. I thought they would never stop bullying. I fed her away from them but just put hay out in separate piles. Although they would push her around for a while eventually they would settle down and just eat. It took them about 3 weeks to a month until they actually just accepted her. She is 4 mos. old now and the only time they butt her is when she won't shut up and they are sick of it. She is actually an acute cry baby also and I may have to get rid of her because of it. It is driving my elderly parents, husband and probably the neighbors nutty!


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## OakHollowRanch (Jun 6, 2013)

Our Alpine doe is brutal to poor Oreo, who just turned 4 months. She won't stop slamming her and chasing her until we separate them again. I understand the importance of working out a pecking order, but she is just a real bully. So, Oreo is now living with her mom until she is big enough to defend herself. Goats can be so mean.


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## tmparent1 (Dec 5, 2012)

True that! They remind me of the kids in elementary school!


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## WillowGem (Aug 3, 2011)

Patrick is four months old today, and things are a little better.
He and Arthur are buddies, but Merlin is still slamming the poor little guy every chance he gets. 

I was hoping I could get rid of the dog crate soon and leave Patrick loose in the barn at night, as the nights are starting to get chilly here.

Am I being overprotective and should I give it a try?
I would just hate to find Patrick hurt when I open the barn in the morning. 

Also, the times I've taken the crate out to clean it, Patrick will stand in the spot where it was and cry non-stop. What is that about?


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## WillowGem (Aug 3, 2011)

So I decided to tough it out, and left Patrick's crate door open last night.
He was still alive and unscathed this morning...Phew!!!


He seems to be butting Arthur and Merlin around a little more, looks like there might be a new King of the goat pen soon.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Glad things are working out. I would leave his crate in there for a while to give him his security blanket until he is used to being out all the time.


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## nchen7 (Feb 25, 2013)

big boys have to stand up for themselves! 

he's so cute!!! glad things are working out well.


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