Chat
03-07-2017, 01:11 AM
Nanno gave some good advice. Horn are a big factor in this as well. Any goat can be a jerk but a horned goat thats a jerk is dangerous. Goats live by a pretty strict ranking system. They typically fall into place. A herd boss is chosen and life goes on. But a jerk goat can an issue at any rank higher then the bottom. Sometimes they are down right vicious and never fall into peaceful state within a herd. Whats worse is you will never be able to detect a jerk goat until you put someone he can bully in with him. Not likely to kill a subordinate, a jerk goat will tend to push them out of shelters, chase them away from feeders, take cheap shots at them when they get to close. Doing the later even when you are standing among them. Which in turn can make the subordinate goats shy away from any group interaction. This can also bleed over to the trail when the time comes. So there is a lot to consider when introducing new goats.
With all that said, it could turn out perfectly fine. Where the yearlings are more interested in and play with the younger goats. A good way to test this if you are going to introduce new and especially younger goats is to have them in a separate pen right next to each other. This way they are able to see, smell and interact with each other without worry. Then take them out together only when you are present to watch over and reprimand and bad activity from the older goats. Personally, I would never pen babies of any age with adults. Here we even keep the yearling dis budded does penned separate from the adults till they are 16-18 months old. Its not that we are worried they will get beat up (which they would) but they would be bullied out of shelters during say rain, wind and or snow and away from feeders. Hindering growth and comfort of life. Not to mention when it comes time to give out scratchers, the younger does would be chased away. Potentially causing them to be aloof.
So there is no for sure way to tell whats going to happen. But if you prepare for the worst now, you wont be scrabbling later to get shelters and pens built.
With all that said, it could turn out perfectly fine. Where the yearlings are more interested in and play with the younger goats. A good way to test this if you are going to introduce new and especially younger goats is to have them in a separate pen right next to each other. This way they are able to see, smell and interact with each other without worry. Then take them out together only when you are present to watch over and reprimand and bad activity from the older goats. Personally, I would never pen babies of any age with adults. Here we even keep the yearling dis budded does penned separate from the adults till they are 16-18 months old. Its not that we are worried they will get beat up (which they would) but they would be bullied out of shelters during say rain, wind and or snow and away from feeders. Hindering growth and comfort of life. Not to mention when it comes time to give out scratchers, the younger does would be chased away. Potentially causing them to be aloof.
So there is no for sure way to tell whats going to happen. But if you prepare for the worst now, you wont be scrabbling later to get shelters and pens built.