# Socializing baby goats



## GoatMama614 (Dec 27, 2018)

We just got two baby Nigerian dwarf/Pygmy goats that are about 13 weeks old. One boy and one girl. They were raised with their moms and weaned almost entirely by the time we got them two weeks ago. We are new to all of this, keep that in mind lol. But they are literally scared to death of us. They run away when we come in the barn, will not get any where near us, and we have to put great effort into catching them. Once we're holding them they will calm down but as soon as you put them down they run scared again. They are breaking my heart. We tried treats (store bought goat treats, their food - which they are eating well- cheerios, celery, lettuce and carrots) but they have been interested in none of it. We tried holding them and just being present in the barn with them. it's been almost two weeks and I feel we are no better off than when we started. What do I do??


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## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

Are they being bottle fed? Do they have hay available to eat? Is the boy castrated? How big is their pen?
Do you have any other animals? 

(Sorry for all the questions, trying to get a picture of your situation)


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## Dwarf Dad (Aug 27, 2017)

Welcome to the forum!
Do not chase them, just sit down and talk to them. Hold out a treat you have noticed them eating a lot of, then lay it down. Lay treat a little closer to you every time until they will come to you. Sit in the stall, or lay in the stall reading aloud as if it were to a child. They will get used to you and be climbing all over you in just a few days.
When you chase them you are reinforcing the fright and flight reflex. They are prey to other animals and running is their defense.


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

I would recommend you stop catching them (unless necessary for medication). You mentioned "food" they are eating well. I would guess this is some type of grain. If so, make it so you are always there when the grain is set out for them. Even if you have to be 12 feet away or more, just be in the pen so the yummy grain is only there when humans are there! 

It's not unusual for goat kids not to be ready for New treats/ food at that age. But try raisins tossed in a pan with you in the pen.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Time, time and then more time. You have to spend a ton of time out there with. Just being with them. Set up a chair and read. Set the food bowls next to you. Initially don't touch them. Let them come to you and sniff you without being touched.


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## GoatMama614 (Dec 27, 2018)

21goaties said:


> Are they being bottle fed? Do they have hay available to eat? Is the boy castrated? How big is their pen?
> Do you have any other animals?
> 
> (Sorry for all the questions, trying to get a picture of your situation)


No worries! Yes they have hay and are eating it well. We just banded the boy 5 days ago, they are not bottle fed and were never, they are currently in the barn which is 12x16 but their lot is about a half acre or so. We have lgd that we have not introduced to them yet because they have been so scared. We were hoping they would be more comfortable with us before we introduced him. Our lgd is a 9 month old Anatolian Shepard.


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## GoatMama614 (Dec 27, 2018)

ksalvagno said:


> Time, time and then more time. You have to spend a ton of time out there with. Just being with them. Set up a chair and read. Set the food bowls next to you. Initially don't touch them. Let them come to you and sniff you without being touched.


I get the time thing, and I've tried the sitting in there with them essentially ignoring them trying to make them interested in me. I've read books, sat quietly, takes to them, all the things. They won't even get close to sniff. They stay cowering the corner for as long as we are down there...


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## GoatMama614 (Dec 27, 2018)

Dwarf Dad said:


> Welcome to the forum!
> Do not chase them, just sit down and talk to them. Hold out a treat you have noticed them eating a lot of, then lay it down. Lay treat a little closer to you every time until they will come to you. Sit in the stall, or lay in the stall reading aloud as if it were to a child. They will get used to you and be climbing all over you in just a few days.
> When you chase them you are reinforcing the fright and flight reflex. They are prey to other animals and running is their defense.


I have heard trying both... chase and force them to be held and just sit in here with them and being present. Wve tried both. I did try sitting and reading to them for about 3 days and they wouldn't come anywhere near me. Spread some cheerios out around me and sat on the ground reading a book. Next day sat with their food around me and did the same. They stay cowering in the corner. Everyone says a "few days" it's been 2 weeks. Everyday my husband and I go down 1-2 times and spend about an hour each time. I'm willing to try to just sit and read again but I just feel like I wasn't getting anywhere.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

It isn't a few days. It can take weeks. Different personalities, different time frames. Unfortunately they may never be the buddies you are hoping for but in time they should come around a little.


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## Dwarf Dad (Aug 27, 2017)

All but one of mine were bottle babies. That one is a very, very independent goat. He weaned himself off of his dam at six weeks, he wanted to eat 'big' goat food and followed the breeder through the different pastures to eat out of nig goat food bowls. He was going through the four inch welded wire panels to follow him. Anyway, that goat will come to me to get fed his evening alfalfa pellets and he will come to me when I sit down for a few minutes. Any other time, hang it up.
We have had him since the middle of august.


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## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

@GoatMama614 It will take time and helping them learn to associate you with yummy food. All goats have different personalities. We had twin does born a couple of years ago. They were dam raised in the pasture. One of them was very people friendly from the moment she was born (and still is). Her twin sister acted like we were demons and she was a wild deer for about a year and a half. We had to catch. grab, and hold her down (while she fought for all she was worth) to give medication, etc. Just during the past few months she has started coming up to us for treats.

I would say to try this. Become a goat, walk up to them and make friends. 

But seriously. Every day go out to the barn and sit in the pen with them. Be perfectly silent and remember to NOT chase them. Goats are super curious, they WILL come up to you after a while.

Get these treats: https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/dumor-horse-treats-molasses-flavored-treats-4-lb and break them up into smaller pieces with a hammer (they are too big for goats to chew). We have used them and once a goat gets one taste they will want more.

Lay or crouch on the ground and put pieces of treats on your head or your back, in your hands etc. If you keep at it every day they will come over to see what is going on. Once they get a treat and successfully chew it, they will realize what you have and keep coming back. Make sure not to try and grab them during this. Channel your inner goat. Do it until your legs fall asleep. Lay on the ground and pretend you died and see what they do. Trust me, they will come around eventually. It will be a slow process but worth it in the end for them to run up to you.

One warning, if you have to catch them to medicate them it will set them back a lot in terms of trusting you. Goats hold serious grudges. The boy is probably still wary of you after the banding and has told his friend to beware the scary people. So if you have to do that, try and get someone else to do it. Then maybe they won't associate you with the "bad thing".

But if you doing it is the only option, just get it over with and keep trying. Sometimes it just takes time.


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## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

I'm in the "catch 'em and hold 'em whether they like it or not" camp. However, it is very important that you do not chase them in order to catch them. This makes them panic and it reinforces their fear of you. My suggestion would be to build a makeshift little catch pen inside the barn. 12' x 16' is way too big to be able to catch them without chasing. Build a little enclosure about 5' x 5' or so and feed them in there. 

Any time you bring goodies, carry them in a bucket which you can shake as you walk towards them. They'll soon associate the sound of the bucket rattling with good things to eat and they'll start getting excited about the food instead of paying attention the the "monster" bringing it. Close the gate to the catch pen while they are eating so they get used to being contained. At some point when they are eating happily inside their little catch pen, slip in there and sit down next to them with the gate closed so they can't escape. They'll shy away at first but they won't be able to run off and hide like they could in the larger barn area. Pick up the bucket of feed and rattle it at them. By now they should associate the rattle with food, so they'll have a hard time resisting the temptation to come put their heads in the bucket even if you are holding it. Build up their confidence from there until you can start picking them up. 

One of the things my husband and I like to do with baby goats is bring them in the house and watch movies with them on the couch every evening. If you and your husband each take a baby goat to hold during the movie, that's about 2 hours of pure bonding/socialization. Usually they'll fall asleep in your lap at some point and that's when you know you're gaining their trust.


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## SandyNubians (Feb 18, 2017)

With babies, I normally catch and hold. I don't chase them, that makes it worse. I would make a small area (as damfino said) so they cannot run away they can hide in the corners but they can't get away from you. Grab them, and as you said, they calm down when you have them. I love reading books, but when I am holding a goat I prefer movies, I put Hulu or Netflix on my phone and either watch a good movie or tv show. Hold the one that seems most scared of you, and allow the other one to watch. Eventually, they will start to come around. As it has been said though, it can take days, weeks, months. Sometimes they may not ever fully trust people. Another method I used for a couple kids, this is going to sound bad, but I don't feed them as much, I give them enough hay that they can eat, but not enough to make them stuffed. That way they are hungry (not staved but hungry) then when they see food, they forget all about the horrible creature that's carrying it all they want is to eat. Since they will be hungry they probably won't care if you stand around. This should only be done if they are in good body condition! I did this with kids that were to be sold as pets, that I forgot to socialize. They were 12 weeks but had a good BCS. I pulled them to half the amount of hay and no grain. I fed them only once a day. I sat by the flake of hay/grain and didn't move, I would sit and just watch a tv show. Eventually, they walked right up to start eating. It's tempting to touch them but try not too. However, if I have no progress in 3-5 days I would put them back on their normal hay ration and grain, as I wouldn't want to risk their well being. This is just what I have used. Can't say it works for sure though. Maybe if your up for another goat, try and get a tamed goat, or bottle kid. A tamed adult would probably work best, they will naturally follow him/her around (most of the time) and if that goat is tamed they will eventually realize your not there to hurt them.


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## Trollmor (Aug 19, 2011)

I wonder what experiences they have from their previous owner? Maybe they never learnt that humans can be very nice? And now, lost their mother (way too early in my opinion), in a new place, of course they panic!

Banding, does that mean to put a strong rubber ring around the testicle bag? That hurts, ask your husband!

In my experience, the best way of taming a goat or a sheep is to handle it very much during its first 24 hours in life. To really brain wash them into believing that humans are very nice. This is probably not done, and this lack is very difficult to repair. I would try the small feeding pen, and very gradually get closer to the frightened poor things.

Good luck! And, almost forgot: WELCOME!


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

I was going to mention a small pen, also. Make it small, and only feed them in it. If they want to eat, they will have to be near you. It does take time. 

Once they are your friends and they start interacting with you, don't let them do anything now, behavior wise, that you do not want an adult goat doing, i.e. Jumping on you, ramming you, head butting, etc. (don't play head push, that is an invitation in goatese, to ram heads!) 

You will have good goat buddies, soon. It just takes patience and consistency. They thrive on routine.


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## wifeof1 (Mar 18, 2016)

I'm a forced friendship also. You want goodies go in the small pen. Then I grab one by the collar and hand feed the goodies. Then when he/she settles down, I take the other one and do the same. This has worked for me every time. 
EXCEPT with untamed sheep.


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## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

SO funny, here I am with my methods of laying in a giant field with them for 10000 hours (which has worked before) and you guys are like "but. . . a small pen will work".(embarrassed) (rofl) Oh yeah. . how did I not think of that before? (doh)


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## MadCatX (Jan 16, 2018)

dont get discouraged goats are stubborn tons of good advice already. We use tortilla chips and fritos for bonnie and clyde.sit with them and al the food bucket idea is great Give it time they'll come around.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Sometimes, I do force it, put a rope and collar on the goat.
Tie up the goat.
I will pet and brush the goat, talk softly, scratch in between the horn area, which they love. 
Eventually, try to give treats, 15 minutes a day, leave on a good note.
When they are tied up, watch them close and at the same time, they are teaching themselves that resistance to the rope is not comfortable, so they learn to relieve the tension. After they are comfortable with that, you can move onto leading them with the same concept. 
If they pull against the rope, so you are playing tug of war, but just keep that tension there, then, after a little time will relieve that pressure and take a step or two, reward and praise, walk the goat to area's that are grassy or have edible safe trees, shrubs ect, make it fun for them.


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