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Just in the past couple days I've noticed the dominant goat in my 3 goat herd becoming more aggressive and wild. Not sure if it's a phase or something I should try to address. He's got them so submissive that they stand off from their feed dishes. He tries to hoard all three feed dishes by gesturing towards them and bucking and going nuts. I put 3 piles of fir boughs out from the last storm. I put them 30' or so apart and he was trying to keep them all for himself. If anyone is wondering. They are not starving or underfed. If anything they are a bit heavy. He acts like a horse that is "feeling his oats".
All I want for Christmas is a new hip.
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How old is he?
When you feed special feed, constrain ALL goats so you avoid all this posturing. For other food, make one more pile than goats in your herd (or groups that can amiably eat together).
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Sabine from Germany
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We have an older weather like 8 years. The problem goat and his brother will be 2 in march.
All I want for Christmas is a new hip.
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He tries to guard food that's 30 feet apart?? Dang! He's determined, isn't he!
I have sometimes tied Cuzco up during mealtime when he gets too possessive of everyone else's feed. Hay has to be well spread apart so he doesn't take all of it. As your goat is only two, hopefully this is just a phase he's going through. I hear they sometimes get pretty feisty during that adolescent stage, but they usually mellow out as they grow past it. You could try keeping him on a tether or a runner for a while so he has to stand apart and eat only his own hay. It might make him used to seeing the others eat without being able to do anything about it, and the others will learn the limits of his tether so they don't feel threatened by his posturing.
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Probably should get them out on the trail and take some of the spunk out of him by tiring him out.
Great suggestions. Thanks.
All I want for Christmas is a new hip.
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Well, he's coming into his own power now and is probably preparing to take over from the older wether in a year or two.
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Sabine from Germany
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(01-16-2014, 11:32 PM)Nanno Wrote: You could try keeping him on a tether or a runner for a while so he has to stand apart and eat only his own hay. It might make him used to seeing the others eat without being able to do anything about it, and the others will learn the limits of his tether so they don't feel threatened by his posturing.
My goats also seem to take this as a punishment, so you can wait until after he acts out and do this to make it clear that if he's a good boy, he doesn't get tied up.
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