Chat
02-27-2014, 08:46 AM
I was just going to post that needle2square link, but Charlie Horse beat me to it!
I agree that while goats are social creatures, they can certainly learn to be happy with just people. Cuzco was very content to be an only goat, and it's taken him a lot of adjustment (and repeated application of a shock collar) to tolerate sharing Phil and I with others of his own species. He did NOT like being relegated to "livestock status" where he had to live in a pen away from the house, was not allowed to have the run of the porch, and had to regularly chase other goats out of "his" shed. Cuzco loved it when I took the others away to State Fair last fall. I'd forgotten how mellow and personable he could be. As soon as everyone came back, so did his cranky, confrontational attitude. He's had minor attitude problems his whole life, but it was never a constant battle and no downright menacing behavior until we got other goats. It's a good thing he's gotten too old to rear up any more! So yeah, a goat can definitely learn to thrive on being the only one. Just watch out if you decide to change that in his old age--he'll punish you for it!
I agree that while goats are social creatures, they can certainly learn to be happy with just people. Cuzco was very content to be an only goat, and it's taken him a lot of adjustment (and repeated application of a shock collar) to tolerate sharing Phil and I with others of his own species. He did NOT like being relegated to "livestock status" where he had to live in a pen away from the house, was not allowed to have the run of the porch, and had to regularly chase other goats out of "his" shed. Cuzco loved it when I took the others away to State Fair last fall. I'd forgotten how mellow and personable he could be. As soon as everyone came back, so did his cranky, confrontational attitude. He's had minor attitude problems his whole life, but it was never a constant battle and no downright menacing behavior until we got other goats. It's a good thing he's gotten too old to rear up any more! So yeah, a goat can definitely learn to thrive on being the only one. Just watch out if you decide to change that in his old age--he'll punish you for it!