# Goats Freaked!!



## nubeegirl (Nov 9, 2012)

I bought two sweet little 6 month old nannies last fall. They are wonderful. They follow me like puppies, are gentle, and I handle them daily. Christmas Day my grand kids came to visit and we went to see the goats. They freaked out!! You would have thought the children 2 and 3 were green eyed monsters! The children were quite and walked slowly to the pen but the goats went crazy! I couldn't even hold them by their collars. 
I hope in the spring the children can come back and sit in the pasture with me till they get used to little people. 
I bought them from the guy who raised them but don't know if he exposed them to children. I am sure they were never mistreated by children.
I just never saw anything like it!


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

If you are the only one who handles the goats on a daily basis, then they are going to be afraid of everyone else. Unless you expose them to other people on some sort of regular basis, they will be afraid.


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## nubeegirl (Nov 9, 2012)

My husband and I are the only ones around. We seldom have any company. Hopefully in the summer the grand kids will visit for a while and I can let them get used to them being around. 
Would have never imagined! I'm sure time and treats will help!!


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## FunnyRiverFarm (Sep 13, 2008)

Mine, too, are weary of young children because they haven't been around them much. Little kids are loud with high-pitched voices and move differently than adults so they goats don't realize that they are just small humans...LOL...VERY TERRIFYING! One of my does almost ripped my arm off trying to get away from a TODDLER. After that I decided to just let the goats handle things on their own terms...eventually they will get curious and approach....then realize they freaked out over NOTHING


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## Terra Mia (Dec 21, 2011)

We have goat parties at the school (I am a teacher), the kids love it.










Here is a fav pic of a friend who was visiting (this is her daughter)


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## Sundancer (Jan 21, 2012)

For ours it seems to be a boy/girl thing. When the grandsons are around they stay as far from them as they can get but when the granddaughters are here they flock to the fence for attention...go figure


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

Goats get nervous around unfamiliar things. Have the kids take them some treats next time and sit in the pen with them. Make sure they don't chase.


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## Jodi_berg (Oct 29, 2012)

We have a 2 & 3 year old, oh my poor goats are saints. They just take the abuse'


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## WhisperingWillowNDG (Jul 20, 2011)

We have 6 children ages 12 to 2, so our goats are very kid- friendly. We sold the only one that refused to allow the children near her (she is VERY happy at her new home sans kiddos of the human variety). We recently purchased a new doe that is skittish with everyone- she will have 1 yr "probation" to get used to people or will be sold as a brush goat. Most of the goat breeders I know say that their goats don't care for human kids, but it's a requirement around here ;-) 

My kids help feed the goats and clean up the shelters daily (even the 2 yr old), so even the ones that came to us as adults have come to love the children (dwarf human = treats lol). I agree with the other replies. Have the kids start with treats on the OUTSIDE of the pasture and let the goats eat the treats from "safety" for a day or 2, then go with the kids INTO the pasture (with more treats) for a day or 2, then the goats will equate the children with treats and they should eat out of their hands


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

I remember years ago, we had one car, and I was working. My husband worked days, but occassionally worked into the night helping with nightwatch <he works with horses> and foaling. He'd carpool with his brother/cousins who worked there.
But on the nights he worked late, I'd go pick him up, and my oldest 2 kids were little, probably 2 & 4yrs? If we had to wait we'd go visit horses in the paddock. 
A group of young yearling fillies were put up behind the barn, so we went to see them.
They were used to being handled every day so they were friendly, but as soon as they saw my kids you'd have thought they were wild horses who'd never seen people before. It was actually quite funny watching them dart away, but they were so curious they always came back, snorting and making it known they were unsure about the 'little humans.'

So I could definitely see goats who aren't used to kids being the same way.
Treats and bringing them around to sit in the pen quietly interacting would be a great way to get them used to the kids 
My kids are 6-14 yrs old, and occassionally family comes to visit, then kids and parents from the restaurant next door come over to see them. So we try to get them to interact with people as much as possible. They are a curious bunch, they may not let strangers pet them, but they don't get upset, or runaway.


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## TwistedKat (Dec 28, 2012)

Funny stories! 

I have a farm sitter who is a single mom. She loves farm sitting for the local mini farms around and brings her daughter with. My goats love her and her daughter and have no problem with little people.

One weekend she decided to show up to do farm chores in play dress-up clothes. Both of them were dressed in Elizabethan style gowns with glitter and wigs. The goats were so freaked out they butted the door shut with their heads and held it shut with their bodies so she couldn't get in.

I never laughed so hard in my life!


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## WillowGem (Aug 3, 2011)

nubeegirl, my goats are the same way.
We rarely have company, so I'm the only one they're exposed to on a daily basis.
They're even skittish with my hubby, they usually only see him on the weekends, they're put to bed by the time he gets home from work.
When we do have the occasional visitor, they freak out.


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## nubeegirl (Nov 9, 2012)

I hope my grand kids will be back in the summer and can spend some time here with the goats. That is if the children get over being scared by the goats! They were 12 feet from the pen and were very startled by the goats behavior. The children are very reserved so I'm not sure who scared who the most! My girls are very sweet so I am sure everyone will become friends with time.


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