I was bum rushed!

[madcow]

Yesterday when I went to give the goats their evening feed they all escaped, all 4 of them, while I was trying to get into the gate. Little stinkers! ET always tries to push her way out the gate when I go in and I'm always prepared for that, but they all tried it at the same time this time. I had to call DH out of the house to help herd them back into the pen. I believe they just get so excited at the idea of getting fed that they all push together to get to me and I can't hold them back. Now I've decided to just put a feeding pan just on the other side of the fence several feet away from the gate and pour some feed into it through the fence before going into the pen. That should hopefully keep them from bum rushing me again! Rotten goaties!

 

[Fluffygal]

They do go nutty at feeding time.
Mine are at the gate to the back yard along with all the chickens and the Peafowl impatiently waiting for their rations.
Always have to toss a few handfuls of grain out away from the gate just so I can get through the mob.

 

[treeclimber233]

A foot to the shoulder area helps too. I think that makes them understand you are dominate over them. You don't need to kick them just shove them out of the way like another dominate goat would. That is what I have been doing to my doe that thinks nothing of running over me. She is getting a lot better now at the gate.

 

[madcow]

They do go nutty at feeding time.
Mine are at the gate to the back yard along with all the chickens and the Peafowl impatiently waiting for their rations.
Always have to toss a few handfuls of grain out away from the gate just so I can get through the mob.

Exactly, a mob is what I encountered! Guess I had better figure out crowd control tactics to keep the goats in! It's always something with them! LOL! I love them anyway!

 

[Fluffygal]

The gang at the gate:

Sometimes when I am too slow they send out a scout to find out what the hold up is:

 

[meme]

We have the same issue every evening with 3 goats, 23 chickens, 10 ducks, and a goose all STARVING, and willing to trample anyone or anything in their path to get to that food. I'm getting better at it though. Some days I am more beat up than others.

 

[Fluffygal]

Believe it or not, I actually look forward to the mob at the gate when I get home from work. They know the sound of my car and come running from where ever they were in the back of the property.

Madcow,

treat tossing usually works to get in. My girls tend to rush which ever feeder that I am trying to put food in no matter that the other ones are full of food. They are such piggies.

 

[newbiekat]

Believe it or not, I actually look forward to the mob at the gate when I get home from work. They know the sound of my car and come running from where ever they were in the back of the property.

Mine do that too. I love it!

 

[sandrachx]

do you open the gate toward you or toward them? i found that if i opened it toward them, i have better control.
if i open it toward myself, they all lean in and push their way through.
just a thought.

 

[madcow]

My gate opens in, but I solved the problem with keeping the food dish right next to the fence and just pouring the afternoon feed over the fence directly into the dish and they don't rush the gate any more. They are little piggies!