# new babies hate me!



## bowman252 (Jan 10, 2013)

Hi Guys! Ok, so I just got 2 goats, they are brothers and about 3 months old. They are extremely skittish towards me and don't want me to come anywhere near them. I have tried bread, corn chips, raisins, everything I can think of (and read about) and they aren't interested. Within the past week they have let me pet them a couple of times but only when they are in their house and have nowhere to go. I cant tell that they are eating any food or sweet feed but are drinking water and eating grass. 

What can I do to make them comfortable with me? I try to go out several times a day so they are used to me but so far nothing is working!

My family has always raised cattle, so this is my first try at goats. Please help!


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## quakingheart (Dec 14, 2012)

Patience is a virtue! 

When I got 2 of my goats they were really shy. It took about a month, but now both of them follow me around like puppies. (One is a buck btw.) Just spend a lot of time in their pen, & let them approach you 1st.


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

Tie them up to feed them a bit of grain. Don't let them have any free choice grain. After awhile, they will want to be
tied in order to get the grain. Goats are very food driven- once they figure out that you are their only source of 
treats, they will become much more friendly! Sometimes they have to be introduced to treats, especially if they 
never have had any before. They will come around!


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## honeymeadows (Nov 20, 2012)

Yes, be patient. 3 months old is definitely young enough for them to have a change of attitude! If they haven't had treats before, it can take them a little while to realize they are delicious.


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

Careful with grain -- wethers should have a VERY limited amount, if any. They should have lots of fresh grass hay.

Treats are your friend! Unfortunately this is common in goats that haven't been well socialized -- but once you earn their trust they'll warm up to you in no time.


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## clearwtrbeach (May 10, 2012)

Goats Rock said:


> Tie them up to feed them a bit of grain. Don't let them have any free choice grain. After awhile, they will want to be
> tied in order to get the grain. Goats are very food driven- once they figure out that you are their only source of
> treats, they will become much more friendly!
> I have one boy who is really skittish still- there's no way I could tie him.
> What I do with him is put his little grain bowl right at my feet so he has to come up to me to eat if he wants any.


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## Frosty (Feb 13, 2010)

If you have a place go in and set with them off and on thro the day. Don't reach for them let them come to you. I use to give a friends goat corn chips they loved them and every time they say me they expected some.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

You have to spend a LOT of time with them. Take a book and go read in their pen. Don't try to touch them, let them come up to you. Be very slow with your movements and gentle.


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## kiddoe (Oct 8, 2012)

When I got my Nubian doe, she was very shy. She was 7 months old. I sat still in the pen with her so she could sniff me out. Some days I would sit 30- 45 minutes, but most days would only allow me 10-15 minutes. Doing this on a daily basis helpd me out. You might want to dip some hay into a little corn syrup or molasses and set it on your knee for them to eat, they will eat it if it's the only hay in the area at that given time.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Buy a cheap camo jacket. They are curious critters and while you sit and read your book, they are soon over trying to eat the leaves off your jacket.


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## KarmakeeFarm (Jun 3, 2012)

what breed-i know fainters/mytonics are known to be skittish


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## bowman252 (Jan 10, 2013)

thanks guys! maybe im not patient enough! ive only had them about a week, how long does it normally take for them to come around?


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## gafarmgirl (Jan 2, 2013)

Find a treat they love then sit there with em. The more you stay with it the better it will get! Promise! Good luck


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## JaLyn (Oct 10, 2012)

Close them up in the barn with you if you can and just sit and let them come to you. I've found the less ou force them the quicker they will come around. It may take a couple weeks but you will see little by little they will be all over you..I had bought a 4 month old i couldn't touch..now i can'tkeep her off me..


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## bowman252 (Jan 10, 2013)

mnblonde said:


> what breed-i know fainters/mytonics are known to be skittish


they are fainters


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## LittleGoatGal (Jan 9, 2013)

Mine are the same way, I've had them for 4 days now! I don't give them free choice grain. I go in there with a can with grain and shake it so they know the sound and the first day they got about 5 feet away and one walked up and ate out of the can the other ones I had to throw grain on the ground near me so they would come up and I just talked to them. Day two I had 3/5 eating out of the can in my hand. Yesterday I had all of them but one eating out of my hand and scratching on the face with my fingers while they ate out of my hand. I just have sweet feed. The 3 girls are very pregnant and I'm hoping I will have them tamed down before they kid. Just be patient in time it will come. Good Luck!


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## Creations_Way_Farm (Dec 4, 2012)

Now THIS I am good at...lol

I would pen my wild ones in a pen with me, Id just sit on a milk crate....for hours and not attempt to touch them or approach them. Just letting them get used to me being there and see that I am in no way shape or form a threat. This next statement may not even be something that makes any difference, but I do it anyway. If anything that scares them or makes them uneasy, Id step in between the thing that scared them and them facing away from the goats towards the thing that scared them...showing I am protecting them....then Id go sit again. Eventually they would hide behind me or under my legs.... Then Id feed them with me at first putting the feed away from me, then slowly inching it closer every day until they were eating it out of the bucket in my lap. 

Trust is something earned

Just like everyone else said, it takes patience and we are all doing about the same thing...let them come to you.


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## WillowGem (Aug 3, 2011)

bowman252 said:


> thanks guys! maybe im not patient enough! ive only had them about a week, how long does it normally take for them to come around?


It takes a while, depending on how much time you spend with them.
I would spend hours just sitting in the pen with my goats.
I had one who had never been handled, so it took a while, now he is my "lap" goat. 
Like others have mentioned, let them approach you and basically ignore them...they hate that...LOL!!
Let them check you out, sniffing, etc.

My shy guy started rubbing his head against my leg, after a while of him doing that, I then put my hand on the spot where he liked to rub, still making no attempt to touch him, just letting him come to me.
Eventually I was able to start gently rubbing his head and under his chin, with very slow movements. 
Now he thinks scratches are the greatest thing in the world.
They do figure out, after a while, that we really aren't so scary after all. 
It just takes patience! :thumbup:


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Spend time with them, on a rope,with dog colar or something that will not choke them. Give them a scratch between the horn area, this is the favorite spot of melt down of all times, don't pet anywhere else, until they are comfortable with that. Give them treats and speak to them in a soft voice. After a while, in a small pen area, sit in a chair and have treats in hand or hay, something to entice them to come to you. Hold your hand out and pretend you are scratching them between the horns, they should remember this when they were on the rope. If they approach you, give them that scratch, they may back off at fist but cant resist that scratch, and with your hand held out they walk up to you, LOL, I think it works better than treats.  Give it a try and let us know if it works. Good luck


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## pixie (Dec 30, 2012)

Patience really is important. I got my goats in August. The doe and her kids were very shy and fearful. Of all things, the poppa buck was the friendliest of the group. I spent a lot of time out there, and still do, but it is paying off. One of the doelings now lets me pet her and stands between my legs at feeding time. The buckling used to run from me at the fence and now, when I am putting feed in the pan, he only moves his head a few inches from my hand. They all seem to be settling down and trusting me more as time goes by. But I really can't wait for the kids to come, so I can start handling them from day ONE to avoid all this wildness.


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## nubeegirl (Nov 9, 2012)

Yaaaa! Something I have experience with!! 
I got my two nannies last fall. They were six months old and wild. One was wilder than the other. I sat in their pen and just watched them. I bought some goat treat and would put some in my hand and lay my hand on my knee. After a few days they began to check me out and found the treats. Once they got friendly I broke them to lead. Now they follow me everywhere. I seldom use a lead now. It just takes time and dont rush them. They WILL come to you with time.


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## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

If you don't know if they are eating any grain. You have too much grain out. Take it all away for at least 24hrs. Then put out just a handful and no more until it is all gone. You gotta get them hungry. They are just freaked out right now. Get them hungry and they will figure out they need you. This is the first step to taming them.


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## HamiltonAcresBoers (May 9, 2012)

I just bought a year old doe who was very skittish. As of tomorrow I'll have had her for two weeks. She's now in your pocket and follows only me around. Feed your boys separately and work on getting them used to your presence. Then find a treat that they love. My girl is a sucker for horse carrot treats. After you find that special treat, you'll have to try to get them to stay away!!


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