# How to tame new show Goats??



## warren05 (Feb 1, 2012)

We just got 3 new goats 2 does are 4 months old and the other a younger male. The male is manageable, but the does are crazy acting. These are my kids show goats and they have 3 months to get them ready. We have to chase the 2 does and then hold them with a lead until they are out of breath and calm down.... :hair: My children are losing interest because they are not coming along as quickly as I had hoped. Is there anything we can do to help them feel more comfortable around us and how to train effectively?? I hate having to chase them- to me that teaches them fear but we have no choice to get them. Hope I didnt ramble to much- any help appreciated


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## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

What kind of goats are they?
If they were mine, I wouldn't feed them unless they were caught.
Grain that is. I'd just be very patient, but firm with them. Catch them and hold them still while gently stroking them and offering them grain. If they refuse, let them get a little hungry. Animals seem to get smarter as they get hungrier. You can go ahead and start leading them a little at a time. They might stay hard to catch, yet learn to lead fairly fast once the are caught. They are all different. I have one that I have spent a fair amount of time with that still will put all four heels into the dirt and take a dragging. She's totally different with a pronged collar on.


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## warren05 (Feb 1, 2012)

They are boer goats. We hold them on the lead and constantly stroke them and talk to them for at least an hour a day. We have not withheld food... maybe thats a thought. Thanks for the advice  :wave:


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## peggy (Aug 11, 2010)

That's a tough one, first of all chasing them is a bad idea, like you said, it teaches them to fear you even more. Goats are easily stressed by chasing them and that could affect their health. I don't want to discourage you but I have 2 girls that I have had over a year that were not tame when I got them at 3 months and they are still not as tame as I would like them to be. That is with hours and hours of work. They let me pet them now and come to me for grain but they are not as nice as the bottle babies that I bought. I would not buy goats again that are not tame. It is a lot of work to bring them around and takes a lot of time. I just kept coaxing mine with grain to keep coming closer and closer to touch them, but wouldn't give them the grain unless I was touching them. Good luck, hopefully someone else has some ideas. Let us know how it goes.


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## Jessaba (May 13, 2010)

Treats help tremendously!!!!!!! I got 3 month old does when I first started and they were no where near tame! Took a month and they were running to the fence when they saw me...lots of treats and just sitting in the pasture/goat pen. Just sit there..they will get curious and eventually come up to you. Let them get use to taking food from your hand first. Then introduce petting....good luck..unfortunately it does take time!


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

I'm so sorry, this is one reason I am leary about buying a goat that is not tame. We bought a doe who was about a year old and wasn't tame, so we had to work with her. She never did fully trust us and we'd have to get her in the barn and grab a leg to catch her - but once she was caught she was fine, she'd walk on a leash, etc. They are all different though. 

I'd definitely use treats, and one thing that helped with the doe when we got her was, she didn't eat unless she was eating from a bucket I was holding. I'd attempt to touch her and she'd bolt away, but she always came back wanting her food, and after working with her she started to allow me to touch her. 
She ended up being pretty friendly, but never could gain her full trust. The only reason I sold her was she wasn't growing and putting on weight like I wanted, mostly because my other does were very mean to her, and I was promised papers and never got them.

Good Luck! And BTW, if your kids get discouraged or act upset, they can sense it. They need to be patient.
We went through leash training issues with tame goats!


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

Small pens and by themselves. Keep them in a small enough pen that there is minimal chasing to catching them. If they have no space to run, it's easier to catch them. If you have space, keep the pens out of sight of other goats or put barriers where they can't see each other. if they only have your kids to interact with, they will warm up quicker. Goats LIKE company. Only feed AND water when you are there. This is an old trick used with horses too. Sounds cruel, but they learn that to depend on you for everything.


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## Bit of Everything (Jan 28, 2011)

We bought a couple of yearling does last year that weren't handled. What we did was put them in a smaller pen and they had to get caught and tied before they got fed. Then while tied we'd pet and love on them. By about week 2 we could walk up to them and walk them to their spot. We lost the one but the one doe is still easy to catch when we need to. But all the suggestions are good ones you've received. Good luck with them consistence is the key.


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## TheMixedBag (Oct 16, 2010)

My buck was completely wild when we got him, and the only trick that worked was licking him in a little pen with a little bit of room for him to move away from me if he wanted, and lots of raisins. I've never had raisins not work on a les than friendly goat, but even then it took hours a day situ ng with him and getting used to the idea of being handled. Now hes a in-your-pocket pest, but he leads and handles better than any goat I've ever had.


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## naturalgoats (Jan 3, 2011)

I'd agree with the suggestions above. Also try just going into the pen and sitting. take homework of a book to read and ignore them... after a few times they might be more interested in talking to you....
Good luck!
M.


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## Itchysmom (Apr 3, 2010)

I have an adult doe who was never handled. it took me quite a while to earn her trust and just be able to walk up to her to put the lease on. But, i wasn't in a hurry! I have found that once I started to take treats out several times a day, not trying to touch her at all, she wound up coming to me everytime I went outside! treats are wonderful! Just have your kids go out several times a day and feed them a few treats. Don't try to catch or touch them during this time. Just feed the treats and walk away. i bet in no time they will associate treats with seeing Your kids and will come running!


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## MAW (Oct 13, 2011)

I agree raisins works wonders :thumbup:


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## JackMilliken (Jul 29, 2011)

I agree with everyone about chasing, it is a really bad idea, and will just make them even more afraid of you. I just finished taming a goat that we got at 5 months old that was crazy wild when we got her. I started out by sitting around in the pen and getting her comfortable with me being around, and then I started putting a bit of grain in my hand and waiting for the goat to come over and eat it, then very slowly I would start petting her while she ate grain out of my hand. It took about 2 weeks but now she is just as friendly as my bottle fed goat. I think one of the biggest things is to let the goats come to you with their own freewill.


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## warren05 (Feb 1, 2012)

wow!! Thanks for the wonderful advice. I am going to seperate- that makes sense and the will be easier to put our hands on :leap: 
What types of treats do they like? I read in some posts raisins- I had no idea- will be getting some  Thank you so much for all the help!!!! :stars:


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## Squires (Sep 14, 2010)

I keep plastic garden chairs in some of my pens or take them with me, and just park myself in a pen and sit there. Critters will get curious and come up to see what you are doing. You and your children should spend some time every day just doing that. Careful with books and homework -- if the goats get too friendly, they may try to digest some reading (joke! Not as funny when your child says "my goat ate my homework!" and it is true!). Tell your children to just go sit and watch the behavior of animals in the pens. Sit in the pen with the least friendly animals and ignore them.

Raisins are the best. A single raisin is a small treat -- very tasty but also very small and gone in a quick gulp, so that they become hungry for more. 

In days before electricity and running water, animals were walked to the pond or creek twice a day for water. You can withhold water and food -- just make sure you make the time to sit with them and feed and water twice a day (more often if you want to). Let them learn to depend on you for their feed, water and treats. And as several people have said - let them come to you.

You can cut down cattle panels to 4 ft lengths, clip them together or tie together to make little pens. They can't run far in a 4X4 ft pen. Put a chair in there and sit with them -- they have to come around sooner or later if they want dinner. It will work.

Best wishes! Tell us how it all works out!
Chris


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

> I keep plastic garden chairs in some of my pens or take them with me, and just park myself in a pen and sit there. Critters will get curious and come up to see what you are doing. You and your children should spend some time every day just doing that. Careful with books and homework -- if the goats get too friendly, they may try to digest some reading (joke! Not as funny when your child says "my goat ate my homework!" and it is true!). Tell your children to just go sit and watch the behavior of animals in the pens. Sit in the pen with the least friendly animals and ignore them.
> 
> Raisins are the best. A single raisin is a small treat -- very tasty but also very small and gone in a quick gulp, so that they become hungry for more.
> 
> ...


Yep ..that is what I do.... then.. after some time and days doing this ..they are close enough.. I put my hand out to them and when they get close enough... I give them a scratch between the horns ...or horn area.. if they do not have horns...they will back up but... begin to walk towards you again..they seem to love that spot being scratched and will come back wanting another...so ...I give it to them but.. they are very cautious about it..which is OK ..then.. at a certain point ..they will stand there and allow you to do it.... when you get to this stage...they are starting to trust you...then.... I try for the neck area... eventually ..they are very calm and a normal goat... With time and patience it can be done :greengrin: :thumb:


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