# Goats sleeping alone...



## JanetM (Jul 3, 2013)

Does anyone have their goats sleep separately at night? I know they are herd animals and need to be with other goats but does this include during the night? They would be let out every morning to graze and hang out but in the evening they would be "tucked in" their own little areas(stall) with hay & water for sleeping. This area would be open all day for them to come & go as they wanted too. Does this sound reasonable? The goats in question have never been confined at night-they just sleep where ever they want although they do have a barn but only use it in the rain and on cold nights.


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## AshleyFishy (Jul 3, 2013)

Separating them at night could very well cause unnecessary anxiety.


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## ragdollcatlady (Jul 3, 2013)

I separated 3 of my girls last night away from the main herd, for the fair today and they were all stressed because of the separation...the 3  and the rest of the herd. They know they are supposed to be together and it stresses them to be apart. Is there a particular reason you want to separate them?


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## JanetM (Jul 3, 2013)

We are trying to introduce a new little guy(the 4th didnt work out so only 1) to our other 2 wethers and during the day they all do well-will graze within a ft of each other...but they won't let him sleep in the same space as them and wont let him in the barn when it rains(he has his own little area to sleep, eat and stay dry in) but its under our deck steps so it wont work come cold weather time which by then we hope they have accepted him. And he really wants to be in the same place as them.

I just didnt know if maybe separating them all for sleeping would help any so I thought I would ask  its the only way to learn.


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## Squirrelgirl88 (Jul 3, 2013)

I separated our bottle baby when she was first moved to the barn with the big girls. This was only for her protection. My older NG's were bullying her and shoving her around. I slowly allowed her with the herd more time each day - with supervision at first. Now they all sleep in the same space at night. It's taken months for them to accept her, be patient.


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## AshleyFishy (Jul 3, 2013)

Slowly moving the one that is being picked on into the herd is the best way. 

I had one angora doe that the herd just wouldn't take...I do not recommend doing this... I got so mad one day I grabbed the head doe and outcast.. had hubby hold the head doe and I rubbed that little doe allll over the head doe. Husband was laughing so much he cried. Those two goats afterwards looks so confused and dazed they ran off and pouted. At night feeding I didn't have any trouble and they finally let the outcast into the herd. 

Sad but true... :/

So you might try rubbing a towel all over each of your goats...then rubbing down your little outcast with said towel?


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## animalmom (Jul 3, 2013)

Ashley, that sounds like something I would do.  I can't abide a bully... very glad it worked out for your herd.

I do think you may be on to something with your suggestion of the towel rubbing on all the existing members and then rubbing the new baby.  If the baby smells like everyone else who is to know?  Right?


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## JanetM (Jul 3, 2013)

I will try the towel thing for sure. I know one of our wethers pretty much ignores him but the other one is a bully...when we 1st brought him home the bully actually chased him a couple of times but luckily each time my husband & I were there-once my husband took down the bully & once I did(of course neither of us hurt the bully just said NO very loudly and held him still until he calmed down)...we were just so mad at him- the little guy was trying to get away from him but he was going after him anyway. So far we have not had anymore chasing incidents the little guy is very good at getting/staying out of the way.

I love my goats very much...but I can honestly say this will be the last one I get-ours are just pets but I cant stand watching the "pecking order" being determined. I really think its because the new one is still smaller than them-if he was the same size I don't think it would be as hard to watch, there still has not been any additional chasing but I was under a mistaken impression that they would kinda just ignore him til they accepted him...that is what our oldest did when we brought the 2nd one home-but our oldest was really sad cause we had just lost his brother so maybe that made the difference...but I cant stand to see anything bullied.


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## JanetM (Jul 18, 2013)

JanetM said:
			
		

> I love my goats very much...but I can honestly say this will be the last one I get-ours are just pets but I cant stand watching the "pecking order" being determined.


Ok everyone I just wanted to let yall know I told an un-truth in the statement above :/ I did get another goat...we went back and got Clancy's buddy.   

And things seem much better now...since he isnt trying to fit in with Willie & Ducky any longer...Ducky still does the pecking order stuff but nothing like it was before and for some reason Ducky is no where near as aggressive with Oliver as it was/is with Clancy. We have watched and can see no reason why he would be as aggressive...unless its coz Ducky & Oliver are the same color goats  -no matter tho we are very happy with the way they are coming together now!

Clancy and Oliver seem very contect to be each others buddy too  

They all sleep in the barn together & eat in there together we just have 2 separate eating stations to accommodate each pair.


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