# one goat un-related to herd



## Darby77 (Apr 23, 2016)

Hi all,

Just a quick question. I have 5 goats, 2 moms with their 8month old kids and one goat who is unrelated to the herd. Someone who breeds told me I should get another goat so I don't have just the one who is unrelated to the rest so that she isn't "left out". She does tend to separate herself from the rest of the group when they are playing. I was just wondering what you all think?


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

If they aren't bullying her then she should be fine. But this sounds like a great excuse for another goat


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## Goat_Scout (Mar 23, 2017)

That _is_ great excuse to get another goat, LOL!

All kidding aside, I don't think you truly _need _to get another goat to be her friend.
I had a Nubian doe, Matilda, that I got in late May along with her buckling. She was the loner in our herd too until we got another Nubian doe & doeling pair - Matilda and Vivian became great friends and I think it has helped Matilda some. I always feel sad for the goat that is "left out", but some do just fine that way. You will have to assess your situation and go from there.


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## kathy_ (Mar 10, 2017)

She may not bond with another goat you get. I started out with three, 2 Nubians and a Sannen well then two Nubians was thick a thieves and my Sannen looked so dejected so I talk my husband into getting him a buddy. We didn't get just one we got two. Brought them home those two stuck together and my other two hung together and my Sannen still stays by himself. My first ones were bottle babies and my Sannen was just a few days old and he became my baby. If he is with my husband or myself he is happy. He kisses on us and talks to us rides around with us in the golf cart. He is almost human


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

@kathy_

He is lovely. Is he a buckling or a wetherling?

The issue might have arisen because you brought home 2, not 1. You brought home an already connected pair. No, they did not have to be friends in the original herd. But once they were in strange environs....

Better "the devil you know...."


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

Goat_Scout said:


> That _is_ great excuse to get another goat, LOL!


Some excuses are better than other excuses. But all excuses are sufficient excuses.... yes?

LOL


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## Darby77 (Apr 23, 2016)

I had my boer originally, still a baby bc my adult nubian passed. I got two Saanens and they were all buddies until the two saanens had the kids (I wasn't aware they were bred). One of the kids tries to be pals with the boer but then her mom gets involved. It's goat insanity out there.


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

If only Goat Psychiatrist was an actual paid position...


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

You can choose one docile goat and put those 2 in a pen together for about a 2 weeks, they should bond, then you can reintroduce them back in with the others. She should have a buddy that way. 
Of course there will be pecking order again.


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## kathy_ (Mar 10, 2017)

mariarose said:


> @kathy_
> 
> He is lovely. Is he a buckling or a wetherling?
> 
> ...


He is a wetherling. All five of mine are wethers. The last two I got wasn't a connected pair but they were both Nubians, now I've got to get another Sannen. LOL


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

Hugs, BUT... there is an actual slippery slope my friend. It generally starts with "...I've got to get another...."

"Danger, Will Robinson. Danger"

I loved your story of him riding in the golf cart.


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

toth boer goats said:


> You can choose one docile goat and put those 2 in a pen together for about a 2 weeks, they should bond...She should have a buddy that way...


This is what I do, and it works really well. Thank you.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)




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## DonnaBelle66 (Mar 4, 2013)

I just went through this same situation. Went and bought her sister yesterday.


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## Oreosmom (Nov 19, 2016)

She looks like a white dear there grazing..very pretty. Get her her own buddy.


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## cathy page (Nov 16, 2017)

getting a new goat will only give you another bottom of pecking order(unless you just want a new baby), your odd girl out may always be shy of others, she will be ok


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## Calfee Farms (Oct 10, 2017)

I see an excuse to get another goat! LOL!!! Seriously, goats are a social animal and have a social hierarchy system. Adding an unrelated goat to the herd upsets this for only a short time in most cases. Goats have a pecking order and will eventually sort all this out amongst themselves without the need for human intervention unless we were talking bucks which tend to fight it out which can lead to injuries.


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## Lunaroso (Oct 22, 2017)

I'm kinda going through the same situation. Ultimately i decided to get another goat haha. I just wonder how much age makes a difference. Will a doeling kid bond with the one year old doe that is left out if penned together for a week like mentioned earlier? who know owning goats would be such a HUGE learning curve!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

It may or may not go well. It all depends on the older doe. Closer age groups can do the same thing, be mean or kind.

It is really frustrating to see how goats can gang up on a newbie or even a goat who was born on your property, all of a sudden get ganged up on and beat. 
I swear the doe getting picked on said something bad to or about the another doe.







No matter the age. All you can do is try it and see. Watch them and if they cannot get along and the younger doe is getting hit too hard ect, you will have to separate them. 
If I have younger kids, I make sure they have a creep feeder, to get to a safe place and eat.


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## keren (Oct 26, 2008)

Old thread I know ... but I wanted to add to the good advice that what I find works the best is breeding them and letting them have a daughter (or failing that a wether) to keep. Seems they will buddy up with one that's related to them more quickly than non-related goats, especially if they are on the outer of a tight-knit group. I have pretty much all related goats (mother-daughter-sisters-granddaughters etc) but a couple of 'outsiders', one has a daughter, the other two are totally on their own. One of those outsiders copes fine and is sort of half-friends with everyone and best friends with no one but is very happy that way. The other one is not friends with anyone and quite unhappy, I will let her keep a daughter this year as her buddy (I've only just got her a few months ago too so she's still trying to find her place but being bullied quite a bit, as they do)


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## Darby77 (Apr 23, 2016)

Though I would love a baby Boer from her, I don't really have room for anymore and don't feel I'm qualified to breed her. My other kids were unexpected because I bought two does I didn't know could be pregnant. She does play sometimes but a lot of the time she wanders alone.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Pen her up with a docile goat for 2 weeks, it may help her bond to someone. 
But the draw back is pecking order, that will have to be reestablished when you reintroduce them back to the herd. She needs someone, somehow.


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## Dorioakes (Nov 13, 2013)

No. You do not need to get another goat. It will actually delay them from bonding. Goats like people speak different languages or different dialects and need to have time to learn to understand each other. Eventually the unrelated goat will kid and her kids and the other goats kids will develop a dialect understandable to all the adults. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120216095032.htm


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## Lstein (Oct 2, 2014)

Dorioakes said:


> No. You do not need to get another goat. It will actually delay them from bonding. Goats like people speak different languages or different dialects and need to have time to learn to understand each other. Eventually the unrelated goat will kid and her kids and the other goats kids will develop a dialect understandable to all the adults. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120216095032.htm


That is both interesting and fascinating, would make sense too. I've never really considered that.


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## Darby77 (Apr 23, 2016)

toth boer goats said:


> Pen her up with a docile goat for 2 weeks, it may help her bond to someone.
> But the draw back is pecking order, that will have to be reestablished when you reintroduce them back to the herd. She needs someone, somehow.


She is stalled at night with the 1yr old doeling but the doeling follows her mom around all day.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

It must be 24/7 for a week or two in order for them to bond. 2 weeks or so, is better.

The other doe will always be attached to her mama. But we need to get the lonely kid to bond with someone to follow as well and be their buddy.


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## Darby77 (Apr 23, 2016)

toth boer goats said:


> It must be 24/7 for a week or two in order for them to bond. 2 weeks or so, is better.
> 
> The other doe will always be attached to her mama. But we need to get the lonely kid to bond with someone to follow as well and be their buddy.


Do Boer goats tend to be more passive or is it just my girl?


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I think it can happen with all breeds.


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## Darby77 (Apr 23, 2016)

Hi all. So I decided to take you advice and get another goat as a companion for my Boer. She kills me when she stands outside in the rain alone while the other 4 hide in she stalls. 
My new question is about keeping the new one with my Boer doe. Right now the Boer is stalled with my 1yr old doe because they get along fine. Do I put the yearling back with her mom so it's just the Boer and new kid or is it ok that the 3 are stalled together at night and just the Boer and new kid are penned together during the day?


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Play with it and see if they will or will not get along. If she gets beaten you know it is not going to work.

If you have a stall, that they can see each other, that will work for companionship if they cannot be stalled together. 
Do not over crowd.


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