I think I confused my goats!

[madcow]

Well, I have noticed the last several days when I go into the pen (it's really small by the way, about 20 x 15, but a much larger one is getting close to being ready) the last couple of evenings that the 2 does (who both have kids, one a buckling and the other a doeling) seem to start fighting with each other when I'm in there. I believe I have gotten them convinced that I'm the herd queen, so they don't really bother me while I'm in there. One doe is the mother of the other and she has always been the herd queen, but it seemed like they were in a power struggle between the 2 of them. Then it dawned on me that I have recently started milking the daughter first in the morning before the mother, and of course, she gets fed first before mom does. I think that between the 2 of them that by milking the daughter first I was telling daughter she was higher in the herd standing that the mother and she was trying to convince her mother! I figured this out yesterday and this morning I milked momma first and they seem calmer and less combative with each other today. It had gotten so bad between the 2 of them that the daughter drew blood at the base of mom's horn a couple of days ago. I never thought that I would have to be a goat psychologist, but I guess it comes with the job of raising them!

Anyone else have this sort of thing happen within their herd? Just curious.....

 

[Jewls819]

I am so very new to goats but I had to comment. This is so interesting! From a common sense sort of view I think you are right. I am so glad to have found this forum!

 

[JanetM]

I am new to the forum also but I have had experience with this. We had gotten a couple bottle babies-a little pymgy and a mini nubian wether(pets only). Horton(mini nubian) was about 10days older & bigger then Little Willie, and he was the leader and they got along great. Sadly(still very heartbreaking to this day) I lost my Horton boy at 6months. Well Little Willie was devastated also(they had been together since birth) we got a new goat-mate for Willie-another little pymgy close to his same age & supposedly handled daily. When we got there Ducky was only like 10wks old(Willie was 5 1/2months old) & not handled regular(we had to catch him to take him home) There was no way we was leaving him there and Little Willie was talking to him from the back of the truck When we got Ducky home he was very skittish & not friendly...and I felt I needed to show extra attention to Willie since his brother had just passed...Ducky was in a pen with 3 other much bigger goats & it became apparent he had to fight for anything he got- at feed time he would fight with Willie, at the water bowl he would fight with Willie, at the hay bin he would fight and o my if I brought treats out. It was awful. Anyway I started making sure Ducky rcvd his share of everything first...and for a couple of days Willie was ok with that....then bam Wille starts fighting to be 1st. I was shocked Little Willie had never been aggressive at all over anything. So I did some research & read some and realized I was taking the lead from Little Willie by give Ducky everything first. So, I gave Willie everthing 1st for a few days and he calmed back down....now I try to feed them at the same time no matter what it is

I just love my little goatie goats, and miss my Horton boy terribly still.