# Introducing new goats to our other goats



## deenak (Oct 10, 2007)

Any ideas for introducing the two new babies to the older three goats? The older ones are being really mean to the little ones so I have been seperating them at night. I know they have to establish a pecking order but I am afraid that they are going to get hurt by the older ones horns.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

night time is actually the time with when they are more accepting of new goats so I wouldn't separate at night unless you know it is going to storm


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## Di (Jan 29, 2008)

On another thread, someone said to take the collar (if there is one) off of the dominant doe and put it on the newcomer, guess in your case you'd have to switch them all. I put mine in adjacent pastures and introduced them that way. They still have to "do their thing" but the sooner you get it over the better. Unless one of the new ones wants to "assert herself", they usually just fall in line. Congrats on the newbies, pics?


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Its great that they have each other while they are getting adjusted! Supervised "visits" and plenty of hiding places are ideal for mine, I le them all check out the "newbies" and if one seems too agressive I have a squirt gun handy or if she's close enough to me a light flick on the nose changes her mind..lol Now they will have to get used to each other sooner or later but if you just brought these bbies from their mom I would put them in a separate area where they can see the others but theres no "pushing" around until the kids are more secure with their new home.


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## capriola-nd (Jul 6, 2008)

I like Di's idea of introducing them through the pasture fence. We do that quite often. We also introduce new goats at night when the goats are ready to sleep. They usually are much calmer then. . . . I would be very, very careful with the horned goats though. How big are your babies? Maybe if at all possible (if they are really small) you could wait until they are bigger before introducing them?


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## Sweet Gum Minis (Oct 6, 2007)

Depending on the amount of "picking on" is going on I turn my newbies loose during the day in the pasture with the other does. Need to get the dominance stuff out of the way. At night I stall. I do not think being stuck with a bunch of dominant does in the AM or at night before settling down would be good. All they would do is get repeatidly rammed. So I stall. After a week of this they do tend to settle in without any problems and if I notice that they aren't being picked on anymore in the pasture I will start leaving them with the group at night.

We do put our goats up at night so this is the reason for this. They wouldn't have a way to get away from the herd. But even if we didn't put them up the herd would keep them out of the barn and if it rained they would get wet so stalling at night works best for us.

Oh, forgot to mention. Our stalls are right next to the main doe hang out area and just cattle panel walls so they can all see one another. If they were full wood stalls then yes that could lead to more problems I think.


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## Sybil (Dec 21, 2007)

I have done the collar thing when I had a really difficult time introducing new animals to the herd and it has worked in the past. I have rubbed the bullies collar onto the new animals if the collar did not fit and put the collar on the weakest of the group. If you have a good size pasture I have taken the new animals out for a walk into the herd in the large pasture and be there to supervise so no one gets realluy hurt. Usually the new animal learns quickly who the one is to watch out for. The other thing I do in my herd is put a bell on the goat that tends to "ram" everyone. I want everyone to have a "heads up" when Helen is getting within "ramming" distance. Most the time they have to work it out on their own. It is always hard to watch them work it out, but you can't be there 24 hours a day as the guard. I have gotten rid of the timid animals in the past that did not fit into the herd as I am not set up to pamper. They have to be strong, healthy and outgoing to stay in the herd. Best of luck!
Sue


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## Sweet Gum Minis (Oct 6, 2007)

Yeah I've never had any truly severe aggression with new goats. If I get a very submissive doe to add then I have to be more gradual with her. Keeping her in a pen near the others. Since she won't stand up for herself which leads to more picking on. Girls who are willing to stand up for themselves tend not to be picked on as bad and work out the pecking order quickly.


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