Goats charging

[Lil goat farmer]

I am new to goats. We got 2 ND mamas and their 2 month old babies last week that have always been together. Then we got 2 ND goats that are supposed to be 3 months pregnant. My issue is the 2 pregnant goats keep charging and ramming the other goats including the babies. How can I get them to stop this? I am afraid they are going to hurt the other goats

 

[SA Farm]

I hope you have them in separate enclosures! Goats can be tough to integrate. It takes time. If you can have them in separate enclosures where they can still see and sniff each other for a while, that would be best. Let them get to know each other before establishing a pecking order. They will posture and ram each other until they have order established. It's usually worst if you are trying to integrate two herd queens!

 

[elevan]

Well said SA Farm. Introduction through a fence line for a few weeks would be the best option if you could do it. They are not going to stop charging / ramming until a new herd order is worked out and that can take weeks and could potentially cost lives of babies (not absolute but yours are so young...). Whenever you introduce new goats to each other you're going to get some level of hierarchy changes to work out. In your case it's a bit more extreme because they're working out herd queens, second in charge and all lower levels...can't be helped since you're bringing 2 female groups together. They really need to get to know each other with some sort of barrier separating them that still allows them to see and smell each other AND head butt each other but where all can get safely away when it is needed.

eta:
I just noticed this is your first post...Welcome to BYH @Lil goat farmer !

 

[taylorm17]

I hope you have them in separate enclosures! Goats can be tough to integrate. It takes time. If you can have them in separate enclosures where they can still see and sniff each other for a while, that would be best. Let them get to know each other before establishing a pecking order. They will posture and ram each other until they have order established. It's usually worst if you are trying to integrate two herd queens!

Well said SA Farm. Introduction through a fence line for a few weeks would be the best option if you could do it. They are not going to stop charging / ramming until a new herd order is worked out and that can take weeks and could potentially cost lives of babies (not absolute but yours are so young...). Whenever you introduce new goats to each other you're going to get some level of hierarchy changes to work out. In your case it's a bit more extreme because they're working out herd queens, second in charge and all lower levels...can't be helped since you're bringing 2 female groups together. They really need to get to know each other with some sort of barrier separating them that still allows them to see and smell each other AND head butt each other but where all can get safely away when it is needed.

eta:
I just noticed this is your first post...Welcome to BYH @Lil goat farmer !

X2

 

[Goat Whisperer]

X2

x3

 

[Petty]

Separate them.

 

[Lil goat farmer]

Thanks for the help. We have separated them and they are doing good

 

[taylorm17]

Cool. Let us know the outcome.