3yo wether butting moms 1 wk old babies

[Mainegirl]

Help! We are new goat owners. Initially we were buying a 5yr old doe and her 3 yo wether. Well it turned out that mom was pregnant and gave birth to twins last Thursday. We picked everyone up Monday night and had to keep son separate for the night because he was butting the babies. He seemed to settle down so we let him in with mom and babies on Tuesday. My DH stayed home from work to "goat sit" and make sure everything was ok. Last night when I went down to close them in the son was keeping mom from going in the barn where the babies were. Tonight he was doing the same thing. He has also been butting at the babies and tonight he was butting mom too. Is this normal behavior? He is very sweet to us but I don't want anything to happen to mom or the babies. Help!

 

[Latestarter]

Greetings @Mainegirl and welcome back 5+ years later ! Typically there will be some squabbling after a move to re-establish herd standing. If mom isn't protecting the babies, I'd move the wether out and keep him separate but within sight of the others if possible. My primary concern would be protecting mom and kids. @ragdollcatlady @babsbag @Goat Whisperer @OneFineAcre ? Your impressions?

 

[babsbag]

I would say that his behavior is not really abnormal for a goat, but that being said, he needs a time out pen. He can very easily kill those kids so until they are bigger he needs to be somewhere else. Does will butt kids that aren't theirs all of the time, they can be downright brutal. Know of a few kids that got broken stifle joints from a doe butting them.

 

[Goat Whisperer]

I would say that his behavior is not really abnormal for a goat, but that being said, he needs a time out pen. He can very easily kill those kids so until they are bigger he needs to be somewhere else. Does will butt kids that aren't theirs all of the time, they can be downright brutal. Know of a few kids that got broken stifle joints from a doe butting them.

x2

We haven't had any kids injured but I know folks that found a kid with a broken spine due to other goats butting them

 

[Mainegirl]

We are just starting to build our 12x16 barn. Right now they are being housed in my old chicken coop/ shed that is a 14x8 a frame. Should Remy stay outside and keep the girls all inside until they are older? And how old do they need to be until they can all be together? We'll be getting the barn done as quickly as possible so I can have separate areas for them inside. The night that Remy did stay outside he was at the door of the coop/shed all night just standing there.

 

[Latestarter]

I don't know your predator load, but leaving Remy outside might be asking for him to become some other animal's dinner. Is there a way that you can place a partition across and put him in first, close the partition then bring the doe and kids in? When you let them out, you could always stake him somewhere where he can't get tangled but also can't reach the others but see them. You'd need to make sure he had access to water of course...

 

[Goat Whisperer]

I would NOT tie him! That is trouble waiting to happen.

Could you use a cattle panel (you may have to net the bottom of the panel) and a few T posts to divide the shelter?

 

[Mainegirl]

We put a piece of fence to separate the shed. Remy has his side and the big door and mama(Jezie) and kids have their side and the old chicken door. We put up goat/sheep fencing around the old chicken fence. Jezie and the kids seemed happy but Remy was calling for them. Hopefully they'll all be ok in a few weeks or so. Thanks for the advice!