# How do you teach a noisy goat to be quiet?



## Junkscouts

Do any of you know any tricks to teach a noisy goat to be quiet? I have a doe that starts yelling a couple hours before feeding time and pretty much anytime she sees me in the kitchen window. Who knew their eyesight was so good. I’ve tried not feeding until she was quiet but it is hard to do because she is incessant. I probably just move her to our other pen which is out of earshot but it would be nice if I could keep her with the other milkers and get her to be quiet. Thanks.


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## Tallabred

:rofl :rofl :rofl

OK, sorry, but if you figure out something - PLEASE post it!!!

If you want a competing companion - I have one all ready to go


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## IXEL

I don't know, all of my goats settel down and are really quite by the 9 month period. With a few exceptions, Jade (my hormonal teenager of a goat), but that is only when I go to give them their hay when I am in the barn. Otherwise they are really quite.


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## Caprine Beings

I don't think there is a way. My way of handling this is sell or eat. One of the many things I cull for.
Tam


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## Sharpgoat

Some have tried a no bark collar from what I remember the two goats it was used on one stop and the other did not. :really
Fran


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## Ozark Lady

Mine are halfway quiet until they see me, whether milking time or not!
Mine are La Mancha... I think there is a Nubian gene in there somewhere! ha ha

I would be happy with just a different tone to the hollering! Maybe a melody? Ha ha


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## adillenal

Take her to a show and park her in a pen next to a screaming Nubian (unless she is also a screaming Nubian) and when she comes home, she will be quiet as a mouse. Worked for me.


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## Squires

I wonder if you could clicker-train a goat to be quiet. You use a little noise-maker or clicker -- makes a metallic noise to quickly mark a desired behavior and promises that a treat will follow. :

You will be teaching your goat a trick: the trick is to be quiet for progressively longer periods of time. :yes

Here are the ground rules:
First, get some treat she really likes (raisins or pieces of carrot or a tiny tiny bit of grain) and let her get hungry. You need to let her know that the clicker sound means "Very Good! Food will follow shortly!" :yes 

Technically the click also marks the end of a task or trick or behavior, so technically she is in her rights to make a noise again after you clicked and treated her, but, with some luck, she will NOT make more noise, because she is hoping that you will find another reason to treat her -- the trick here is to get her to be silent in anticipation of more clicks and more treats.

Note that you can treat without a click, but, IF you click, you really have promised that a treat will follow soon. Do not break the trust of your goat - if you click, give her the treat! :naughty

Note that you can occasionally give a "jackpot" of a big bunch of treats for no reason -- the randomness gives her something to look forward to. Ideally after she did something good and got a click. But try to keep most treats small (a single raisin or slice of carrot) to keep her hungry and anxious.

Try spending ten or 15 minutes at a time training with the clicker, between resting your ears and taking your aspirin in a dark room with an ice pack on your head -- pushing too fast or too long will be detrimental to your relationship with the goat. :bang

Here's the lesson plan:
So you click, and give her a treat. Repeat many times. That is lesson one. :tapfoot
Repeat lesson one if necessary until she starts looking forward to the click. You can take several sessions doing this, or just one - all depends on the goat.

Lesson two. You sit there VERY CLOSE to her mouth and ONLY click when she is quiet for a moment and IMMEDIATELY click while shoving a treat into her mouth before she can make another noise! Do this for a while. She gets the idea that quiet moments are rewarded with something good. Maybe a single plump raisin (must be a small treat that is desired). That is lesson two. 

Usually things progress from here -- but be ready to stretch this into several repeat sessions, or possibly, go right on to the next lesson! 

Lesson three is harder on you. Only click if you can get her to be quiet for a few seconds -- try not to click when she is starting to make noise again or you will be reinforcing the wrong behavior! Do whatever works for you, but be consistent. Maybe you can get her to be quiet for five seconds. If she is impatient and you aren't getting anywhere, set a lower goal for her -- such as two seconds -- and work up from there when she seems to have got the concept. Look at a clock or watch to be consistent. :tearhair

Gradually lengthen the amount of time she must be silent before you click-treat her. Again, if she earns no treats at all, you may be pushing her too hard, but for a fast learner, you might find that she will be REALLY good for a long time waiting for you to click and reward. Work up to several minutes, a half hour, or longer. Whenever she is REAL good for a particular stage of learning, reward her with "jackpots" (several treats at once) and then go back to just a single treat. Keep the treats random and don't click for misbehaving. 

A lot of this training is based on training YOURSELF on timing and observation -- coordinating your eye, ear and clicker-hand. :duh

The idea is that the goat becomes quiet in hopes of you clicking and treating her. This could take several sessions of you sitting there extending the amount of time she has to be quiet before you will treat. DO NOT reward her (click at her) for getting noisy before the time you have set for her to earn a treat (take a watch with a second-timer with you at all times).

I think this might work to train a goat to be quiet while waiting for you to click/treat. Some people will then want to teach the goat to accept a click as a reward and then wait expectantly for a treat afterwards -- to phase out treats. Maybe to stay silent through a few reinforcing clicks over a few minutes time. You may find your goat waiting for you, silent and expectant. Be sure to occasionally give her a treat or praise or something.

THIS IS THE TIME AT WHICH YOU WANT TO BE RANDOM, rather than consistent. As time goes by, you can extend the time between treats. You may be able to go all day with the goat silently waiting for praise and a treat. Make sure to give her something at some point. If she was quiet while you put out dinner, reinforce now and then with a raisin or something and tell her -- quietly - -what a good goat she is! :handclap

Skeptical? Remember: There are people who clicker-train CHICKENS. I think goats are a lot more responsive than chickens.  

Chris


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## dragonlair

Clicker training is a great tool if you have the time to do it. It's also something they remember for a long, long time!


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## Sondra

Do as I did and sell her to Jana  No really about the only thing you can do is move her so she doesn't see you or go sit with her.


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## carlidoe

lol I like Sondra's solution the best "sell em or eat em". Too funny.


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## Junkscouts

Thanks for all the suggestions. She is a La Mancha and she came “free” when we bought a more expensive show goat. Unfortunately eating or selling her isn’t an option (we promised) although normally I’d be right there with ya. It’s not the normal yelling that most goats do at feeding time; it’s the screaming bloody murder like I’m disbudding a 3 day old kid except she does it for hours. It really is funny sometimes.

I do have some dog vibration/shock collars (for walking the dogs off leash out here in the boonies, they tend to run after coyotes if they see them) I’ll try the vibration mode and see if it does any good. Not going to any shows anytime soon so putting her next to a louder goat than herself isn’t an option but if the chance presents itself I will try it.

Clicker training is a great idea. My girlfriend has done it with a couple of our horses and she is really good at it. She is going to give it a try, we’ll see how it goes. Thanks again for all the suggestions.


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## BrokenHalterFarm

Im the one who used a shock collar on two noisey does.
Doe 1 started screaming the day we bought her and everyday it got worse. It was to the point where we dreaded leaving the house because any movement outside would set her off and she was BAD. Her screams were so bad she was going to be euthed. But I was willing to try a shock collar that vibrated then shocked at increasing levels if they didnt stop. Her screams became less and less and now she no longer needs the collar.

Doe 2 started screaming after kidding. She is a particulerly hard headed doe who is only here because the person who surrendered her to us happens to give us allot of free meat. Shes the kinda wild goat that gives goats a bad name... She would scream if her kids were 5 feet away and instead of walking to them she screamed them back. Put the collar on her and she only stopped while being shocked. The second the shock was gone she was back to bellowing.

It's hit or miss , I got mine on eBay really cheap. Tried it on myself and only the highest level had any sting to it.


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## prairie nights

Do as I did and sell her to Jana 

LOL, thanks a lot, Sondra ! Actually , she is as quiet as a mouse, Miss Serenity really. The initial first weeks were bad but I think they are just officially complaining every time they see you to immediately take them back where they came from or at least bring some food. I do have a couple more on the annoying list that are going to go unless they settle down after kidding. 

Jana


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## Ashley

Jodi was this way but after a few months she became quite like the others. I just ignored it completely.


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## Anita Martin

I only have one doe that does this. There is no cure, although I like the idea of a shock collar, and just may try it. The goat is beautiful and so sweet and friendly and well-mannered on the milkstand. I think she is the goat rep. for the herd. I believe it's her "job" to holler at me at milking time, hurrying me along. After milking, she's quiet as a mouse for another 12 hours.


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## NPgoats

Tammy :rofl 
but wise advise!

Linda


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## NubianSoaps.com

She is a La Mancha and she came “free” when we bought a more expensive show goat.
........................

A free goat


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## Laverne

I had a loud goat and had her vocal cords removed surgically.


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## Caprine Beings

Seriously, noisy goat in the city is a liability to the herd. So if you make more noise than normal its off with you to somewhere other than the barn yard. Freezer just happens to be very permanent!
Tam


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## Oat Bucket Farm

I agree Tam, if your noisy around here, you go. And being free doesn't mean anything as far as her being loud.


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## NubianSoaps.com

A free goat always comes with a problem, usually more than one, otherwise she wouldn't be free!


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## prairie nights

No kidding, and if screaming is all she came with, you are pretty lucky 

Jana


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## Caprine Beings

:yeahthat


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## Feral Nature

I have culled the loud goats out of the herd too. We now have LaManchas instead of the really loud Nubians we had many years ago. And then, any loud LaManchas were gone from here quickly. My Boer line is quiet. Any loud Boers were culled too. I sold some nice Boer does because they hollered all day. Now the three I have are quiet and well mannered. Right now, the only loud goat is a 5 month old MiniMancha doeling who is simply a drama queen who is constantly lost from the herd all day long, or thinks she is, as they browse in the deep weeds.

Yep, sell them or eat them....and change to LaManchas.


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## Sondra

wonder if these would work they do work for barking dogs. and are not expensive at all
http://www.barkoffwithmike.com/


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## BrokenHalterFarm

^ I got mine off of eBay for $10.

The only issue with it was if a rooster crowed near her or it was thundering she would get shocked. I just made sure to take it off during storms.


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## Feral Nature

Ours have nothing to holler about right now. My husband opens the gate to all the doe pens in the morning before work and they browse all day on 16 acres near the house. They have access to more acreage but to not use it. They stay out of their pens all day and then get full of weeds and tired and usually put their own selves up at night so we just have to close the gates. I never hear a peep out of them except for the drama queen MM doeling and I do look out the windows now and then to check on the herd. The dogs keep them safe.

Goats have less stress and make less noise when they can "be goats". They need exercise and do not do as well when they stand in small pens all day waiting for food and human interaction. They get bored and ornery and are prone to mental disorders. If you can do it, let them out each day for an hour or two to run and browse. You may not be able to leave them out all day but even a short walk each day does wonders for their health and temperment. Stay out with them if there are dangers. Just keep in mind that they are not meant to stay in dirt pens and that is one reason they holler.


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## mylalaisa

A simple solution is to bite their ear when they do this. You have to bite it not just pinch it or grab it.


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## Feral Nature

Yea, people think I have LaManchas...but I have Nubians who's ears I have bitten off :rofl


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## IXEL

Mmmmmmm, jurky!


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## Feral Nature

IXEL said:


> Mmmmmmm, jurky!


 :rofl :rofl :rofl


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## cariboujaguar

Junkscouts said:


> Thanks for all the suggestions. She is a La Mancha and she came "free" when we bought a more expensive show goat. Unfortunately eating or selling her isn't an option (we promised) although normally I'd be right there with ya.


So let me get this straight? She was a "Hey here's a deal for ya! Buy this expensive show goat and I'll throw in this sweet milk doe for free as a companion!" kinda deal? Now did they tell you she screams OBSESSIVELY and that they are giving her away because they can't take another second of her?

I think you got a raw deal, I'd be inclined to call/email them and explain that you are just not about to allow a goat to interupt the (probably already lacking) peace in your life but you would be happy to: Give her back, sell her and split $ with them, donate her to a 4H group... ???

I got some goats from a woman when I was starting out, paid good money for some and got others for free, there were issues with some papers but they'd be straightened out in a few months, far before kidding season... I was honest and explained that I wanted show goats but didn't really understand conformation etc, she assured me they were all from top show lines with national champions etc in their lines! (I didn't know how to read a pedigree either) 
Long story short I had 2 generations of unregistered kids and the whole first generation that I initially bought, not to mention my fanancial expense, time, emotion etc etc by the time I learned enough to know they were NOT nice does, they did NOT have the lines she said they did and I was NOT getting my papers. So I said 'do ahead and whine but I'm not sinking another coin into this line, I'm selling them and you ought to be ashamed' never had it come back to bite me LOL


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## Junkscouts

I put the quotes around “free” as a joke, I’m not bitter or angry or anything, we love her as much as the rest. Actually she came with an extra teat which is why she is paperless and free. She got sick when she was very young and would not nurse or bottle feed so the lady’s daughter hand raised her and taught her to drink milk out of a bowl. They didn’t realize she had an extra teat until much later and by then they were very attached to her. 

So long story short she couldn’t keep her because 60+ goats and no room for a mouth to feed that will only produce meat goats. They were very attached to her and didn’t want to sell her for meat so she gave her to us because we don’t mind the extra teat since we have a small herd and don’t mind a paperless milker and we really liked her. She has good lines and is very very sweet and well mannered on the milk stand and has a big personality if she would just shut up.


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