# Teaching Goats Manners



## swgoats (May 21, 2010)

I think my goats need a lesson in manners. My horses are trained to wait til I put the feed in the trough before they dive in. My dogs are trained to wait til I put the feed in the bowls before they dive in. My chickens are even trained to stay out of my way. But I guess I have failed to teach my goats the same lesson. Now that it is so cold, and I'm cramming them all in the barn, I'm realizing this is not just irritating - it is dangerous and hard on my fences and gates. 800 lbs of goats pushing on the gate when I try to enter their pen. 800 lbs of goats crushing around me, pushing into my knees. Trying to get their heads in the bucket before I can empty it into the troughs, spilling the feed, putting their heads in the way of my pouring the feed. Does anyone have any strategies for teaching manners? I tried bringing my herd dog in to get them out of the way, but she seems just as intimidated as I am. All I've come up with is swinging a riding crop and saying get back - this was moderately effective, but I'm concerned about making them head shy. I can't really change my infrastructure, like feeding outside the fence, and I don't want to get into feeding individually. I really think they should be able to learn to respect my space. They behave this way all the time, not just at feeding time. Friendly is nice, but being mowed over is not.>. I really don't feel like I can send my 8 and 7 year olds in with the older does, cause they are just too pushy.


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## informative (Aug 24, 2012)

I have this same problem. After setting up a milking stand I noted that I can put some feed in that and the matriarch jumps in there which takes the frenzy and aggression down a notch for the others (having her out of the way for the feeding). In the end I expect the only way is to have them away - like maybe migrating them to the dogs pen while putting out feed - they are pretty easy to herd about when hungry..


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## [email protected] (Sep 18, 2008)

Snap them to the fence. It's the only thing I've found that makes them understand: "WAIT!".


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

That drives me nuts so I have a system where I feed from the other side of their eating area in the barn. So they get their feed in a place that is away from the gate, but they still climb and lean on the gate if I try to go in when it is not feeding time.
It is mostly my rotten bottle baby teenage goat girls that are so annoying. There must be a way to teach them though. Seriously. I saw a video where a goat was walking a tight rope. If they can learn that, then surely they can learn other stuff! LOL


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## swgoats (May 21, 2010)

That's right Michelle! We are letting them get away with it. They are so smart; there's no reason they can't learn like other animals to respect space. I'm going to figure it out one way or another. I notice my bucks are actually better than my does, because I have always driven them back when I enter their pens so my clothes don't get stinky.


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

Yep! My bucks know to stand back when I come in and out. They don't fight me when I trim their hooves either. I probably have a much more no-nonsense attitude with them because I know how strong they can get and they pick up on that. 
Keep us updated on what techniques you try and how it goes with them.


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

I just use sticks to wack them out of my way, mostly it just takes the whipping sound to keep them back...but goats really don't seem to respect space at all. For example, when I walk down the hill to bring them to the pasture, they come with me and usually several are glued to my legs, I'm worried I am going to take a tumble and get trampled one of these days! My poor daughter has been ran over hwen she was standing too close to a gate I was getting ready to open!

I don't really think goats ever really become all that headshy...and it doesn't bother me too much if they are a little bit...because I at least have one way to get them to back off!


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

Ahem.


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

That feeding time picture had me really laughing! That IS what it feels like!


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

One of the things that drives me absolutely bonkers is how the bottle babies run up to me and then cut me off by stopping right in front. It's the move they pull to get their moms to stop so they can nurse but when 4 nine month olds are doing it I wanna scream!


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## Starla (Aug 29, 2013)

doublebowgoats said:


> One of the things that drives me absolutely bonkers is how the bottle babies run up to me and then cut me off by stopping right in front. It's the move they pull to get their moms to stop so they can nurse but when 4 nine month olds are doing it I wanna scream!


I didn't know that was what they were doing! I always wondered why my young girls "cut me off" hmmm.....

And I have the same problem as all of you! I can't feed my girls outside of the fence, because of the type of fencing we have, the squares are too small. I try to sneak in and pour the feed before they know Im in there, but if that doesn't work, I can barely get in the gate!!! drives me crazy! and trying to walk with them ALL around me, is almost impossible!!

I will be checking back on this post!


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## NWgoats (Jul 17, 2008)

A squirt bottle full of water. ALL of my goats just hate being squirted in the
face. After a few good shots, I just have to pick the thing up and wave it
at them. If you do it right, they don't know it came from you. Better than a
stick, which never seems to work anyway for me.


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## dragonlair (Mar 24, 2009)

A spray bottle with water in the face will work to an extent.

I am in a brace for a torn ACL/MCL and it never fails, one of them (or more) bump or push against that leg and it about brings me to my knees with pain. I went to once a day graining because that cut the pain in half. I feed hay outside (in the decent weather anyway), so it's just the grain time.

I have an empty horse stall, so I feed the 3 bottom goats in there. I open the goat stall door and they race out and into the horse stall. That's 3 less missiles aiming for my knee. Then I let 2 more out of the pen and hook them to a picket line and so on until they are all out of the pen except for the 2 coming yearlings. The yearlings get fed in the pen. Since all my does are dry, I feed one on the milk stand and 1 in a bowl on the floor. When they are done, they get hooked up again and the next 2 are freed and fed. Meanwhile, when the yearlings are done, I put hay in the feeder, they go out to eat and I collect the feeder. I leave the door open and liberate the 3 bottom goats form the horse stall. They go in and start on the hay. When the last dry doe is done, I let them loose 2 at a time and chase them into the pen, as some go right in and some wander. When I do it this way, they aren't as apt to crash into my knee.

However, with this bitterly cold weather, I have the barn shut up and they have to be fed hay inside. I have 6 small hay racks in their pen which I have to go into to fill. I've pretty much given up on the once a day graining now, so it's back to 2 times a day because they get warm soaked beet pulp mixed with their grain. (makes me feel better anyway, maybe not them!).

I found that when I screamed in pain after someone slammed against my knee, they all beat feet to the other side of the pen.. I tried screeching like a Banshee when they started to crowd and that helped for a couple of days. Now they are back to being obnoxious. Once the weather is not so bitterly cold, i am going to bring out the spray bottle and spray them when they crowd me. My knee will be forever weak now, and I don't need to have it re-injured again and again because of my nasty, pushy, brain dead, hard headed goats.


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## swgoats (May 21, 2010)

Well, the riding crop is working. It has a little lash, and just the sound is making most of them get back now. I have to say the bottle babies are the worst offenders. I like the water bottle idea!


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

Thanks for sharing! I had formerly given up on teaching my girls manners, but after you posted I started working on them again. I have been attempting to thump the bottle-babies/now teenagers on the nose to keep them down and back. Not working so far. My bucks are being good boys and I don't need to do anything with them.
So...I don't have a riding crop. Maybe a folded leash? I have a hard time maneuvering a squirt bottle while carrying food. As soon as I put it down to pour the food they run back over.


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## swgoats (May 21, 2010)

A folded leash might work, just watch the snap. I started with that, but I'm clumsy and the snap would get away from me. I whack pretty hard (for me, I'm wimpy), they don't seem too disturbed. I suppose it is nothing like a head butt. I like the longer crop like you use for dressage. They are pretty cheap at TSC. I've wondered about those shepherds crooks they sell. What's the deal with the cattle show sticks? Do they shock? 

Now when I shake the stick, they follow behind me. I do have to make sure I walk in a predictable pattern/circle. If I put out food then, turn around, it is sort of unfair cause they are all behind me. I can't be pokey. They aren't to the point of sitting and waiting like a dog. But I can at least fill a bowl and get out of the way before they attack. I'm really amazed at how quickly they are learning.


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

That is great! Smart goats!


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