# Kid crying and pacing



## ThingsGoatSerious (Mar 14, 2016)

Hey all

Every time I put Kuta out in his pen he cries and paces usually for around 30 mins sometimes longer, sometimes shorter ( see vid below)






He usually calms down but if he hears people it sets him off again-and usually late afternoon he starts crying again

Now the weather is warming up our neighbours will be outside more and will probably be able to hear him (we have big blocks but he can be pretty loud) and I'm worried because I don't want to annoy them.

I've tried putting different bits of food, tree branches etc to try keep him entertained. I know the poor kid must be bored, but unfortunately he's just way too small to be out alone with Gumpy for now.

What kind of toys/things can I do for him to help keep him entrained and a little happier? I've watched and he tends to pace a lot


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## catharina (Mar 17, 2016)

What happens if you put him in with Gumpy? Do you think he'd be safer if you covered her horn tips with taped on tennis balls or garden hose? Another idea some people use is to provide small goats with a little retreat that the larger goat can't fit into. Being alone is about the most upsetting thing a goat can experience. He seems extremely distressed in the video. I take it that he & Gumpy don't share a fence line? Even being able to touch noses with her through a fence might help.


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## ThingsGoatSerious (Mar 14, 2016)

They both share a fence line but she will corner him and headbutt him if we leave them alone

She mostly ignores him other than that. I'm not sure if he'd be safer because when she does butt him she seems to just press and hold him down if that makes sense

Here's a link of her this afternoon


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Just keep working with them. I noticed he is starting to head butt with her. You just have to be strong and leave him out there.


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## ThingsGoatSerious (Mar 14, 2016)

But he's still so little  standing right next to her he only reaches her tummy


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## sassykat6181 (Nov 28, 2012)

He's cute! Looks like he's starting to stand up for himself.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

If she is too much of a bully you need to keep them separate unless you can supervise. Also give him places to hide from her.


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## ShireRidgeFarm (Sep 24, 2015)

Kuta looks very lonely in that video. He seems to be trying to find a way to get out and find a friend. 

Goats are going to have to fight a little before they'll get along. I learned this very clearly when I purchased a new buck last year. My original buck was 2 years old and my new buck 4 years, one with horns and the other polled. They fought constantly whenever they were together, so I kept separating them - I was afraid the horned goat would hurt the polled goat. I did this for a week - they would see each other, fight like crazy, and I would separate them. They were not making any progress, so I finally just left them together. They fought for almost a day - with plenty of space for one to get away from the other, if he wanted. After that day they became best buddies! They now get along very well, even snuggling up together at night.


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## ThingsGoatSerious (Mar 14, 2016)

I think they will be ok together once he is bigger as she isn't overly aggressive, and he's confident enough it's just the size difference that worries. He's only about 4 months and still being weaned off the bottle. Maybe I am worrying too much but he is so little. He does settle down from his crying but yes I do feel bad. When the chooks were in there he was much happier but unfortunately all but 1 have passed away  and he's too rough to leave just the 1 in there


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## ThingsGoatSerious (Mar 14, 2016)

Just an update. I've been letting him out when I'm home and spending as much time as possible with them to make sure he doesn't get hurt. They are improving so much-although Kuta did get his head stuck in s tree today so lucky I was there to help  but progress is good so hopefully they can be together on their own very soon! Kuta will be much happier


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Glad things are progressing.


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

That's awesome!


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## catharina (Mar 17, 2016)

My goats play every morning by butting with each other in a sort of ritualized looking way. It's very sweet to see the buck butt with the does very gently--he knows he's bigger & has bigger horns too, so he's careful. It's even cuter to see the adult goats just holding their heads down in the butting position so the kids can butt. The adults don't move their heads at all! Some goats I had before play butted several times a day. 

I can see that the wether is butting Gumpy back through the fence also & is a willing participant, at least with the fence there! So, I just wanted to let you know that all butting isn't attacks--some is play. Some butting may be to test or maintain the pecking order & is also sort of a ritual--they're just checking to see that everyone still knows their place, or to see if there's a chance for social advancement. After my boss doe returned from maternity leave, her underling initiated a few head butts trying to see how much the twins had taken out of her--probably hoping for a fairer share of grain! The boss doe didn't punish her for trying, & it was clear no one was really out for blood!

So--that got kind of long but since you're new to goats I wanted to tell you that it may help to see butting is SOMETIMES play or a sort of communication.


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## ThingsGoatSerious (Mar 14, 2016)

She is really good with him sometimes, gentle and just playing. Others she knocks him over and goes for his belly.  but they are getting better and hopefully he's big enough to stand his ground soon and take the beating that's coming :s


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Goats can be mean.


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## catharina (Mar 17, 2016)

ThingsGoatSerious said:


> She is really good with him sometimes, gentle and just playing. Others she knocks him over and goes for his belly.  but they are getting better and hopefully he's big enough to stand his ground soon and take the beating that's coming :s


_I'd be scared seeing her going for his belly with her horns too! I surely didn't mean to imply that ALL butting is harmless--I've had to separate dad from his own children more than once! I just wanted to let you know that butting can mean different things to goats. They're not really like chickens, are they? I often forget how nasty chickens can be until I try adding new birds--& they WILL kill each other! I've never seen "play" pecking! Have you even seen chicks having contests over who is taller? They try to cheat by kind of hopping! Too funny. I wish the adults could still work it out like that.
_


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## ThingsGoatSerious (Mar 14, 2016)

That's ok Catharina I knew what you meant. We spend heaps of time with him out of the pen now. He's been very good the last few days no crying


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## ThingsGoatSerious (Mar 14, 2016)

Well the last few days Gumpy has been a real meanie the last few days. Chasing down our poor boy and making him squeal. He's learnt to avoid her, so now she gets into moods where she will chase and eventually corner him.  I get the feeling she is jealous as all the animals come inside but her (and she's started to try barge her way in too) I'm thinking of giving her some treats to help make her feel special


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