She is a WITCH!!!!!!!!!!

[terrilhb]

I have 3 does. 1st we got Sara she is 1 yrs. old. Than there is Patches. She is 10 months old. Than Speckles. She is almost 4 months. She is Sara's 1st baby. Anyway the 2 older does used to get along really great. But every scince she had her baby she is a you know what to Patches. Won't let her eat unless I am standing right there to guard Patches food. Sara does not want Patches to eat hay either. Sara will ram Patches and than Patches runs. I don't know what to do. Patches is starting to stand up to her a little but what do I do to help this? I am afraid she will starve to death with the older one stealing her food. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Stacykins]

She turned me into a newt!

j/k, wish I had advise for you.

 

[elevan]

Separate or tie them at feeding time.

 

[terrilhb]

She turned me into a newt!

j/k, wish I had advise for you.

elevan, thanks I will do that. It is driving me nuts. I don't understand why she is being this way now. They used to eat together. My 2 bucks eat together and are fine. Will I ever understand Goats?

 

[elevan]

Is she in heat or pregnant? Hormones can certainly change attitudes.

 

[terrilhb]

Nope. Ever scince she had her baby she is ugly. She won't even allow Patches into their house anymore. So poor Patches has to sleep alone now. She allows her daughter in the house and to eat. I am lost.

 

[elevan]

Sounds like some herd rearranging is going on. She wants to put her baby at the top. It happened here too when Lilly had Maggie.

It should work itself out, but you want to separate or tie them so no one gets hurt and all can eat...at least until they figure out their new herd order.

 

[terrilhb]

That makes alot of sense. I just figured the baby would be at the bottom because she was last. Guess I was wrong. But heck what do I know. Everytime I think I have figured them out they surprise me and do something else. That is why I love them. Never boring.

 

[elevan]

Every time you bring in a new goat, lose a goat or have a little one born the herd order will get rearranged. Sometimes a little more aggressively than others. Lilly pushed Maggie clear up to #2 in our herd but Lilly fell almost to the bottom :/ And now that Maggie is a year old she's pushing for #1...but I don't think Daisy is ready to give that up any time soon.

 

[Queen Mum]

Same thing happens with my goats. Goat Peyton Place.

Mama is the queen. Carmel was next. Caramel had babies.
When Caramel had babies. She tried to push Mama around. It seems the one with babies gets some sort of goat status.
But since Mama was queen, Caramel sort of lost that battle. Mama got mad and Caramel and her babies got kicked out of the barn altogether, by Mama.

Then Caramel lost one of her babies (I had to bottle feed it.) Caramel was very sad. Mama let her back into the barn.
Mama had her babies and Caramel got kicked out of the barn again by Mama.

I had to start feeding Caramel's other baby because Caramel got mastitis. But both babies were in the barn with her. And Mama let her back in the barn.

Then Mama's babies got a Little older. Caramel got eaten by a bear. Mama started watching over Caramel's babies as part of the herd. Mama insisted that all the babies be in the barn on her side, with her.

Every time Mama kicked Caramel out of the barn, I would have to lock Mama out of the barn during feeding time, or tie her up during milking time so i could get Caramel into the barn. It is a bit of a balancing act because Mama is queen and I do not want to upset that balance.

So I let everyone know that I am in charge and they have to follow my schedule but they can choose who is in charge after that. Mama always got milked first, Caramel second. But Caramel was allowed in the barn if I was in there and she was NOT to be pushed around if I was feeding her. AND NO ONE WAS ALLOWED TO BE HEAD BUTTING when I AM AROUND OR THEY GOT KICKED OUT OF THE BARN AND HAD TO GO LAST!