Oh I have been Ba-a-a-a-a-d (Pics!)

[KimM]

Hubby went to the Football Hall Of Fame in Canton all day yesterday with his brother and while he was gone, I just couldn't help myself... ....I bought a pair of tiny little Pygmy goats!
They're 3 months old (and I will be separating them PDQ). I'm thinking the doe I will name "Carmelita" but haven't thought of the buck's name yet. ("Agoatie" maybe? ) Please tell me what you think of them as I just learning about Pygmies. Also, they're not very tame, what can I do to win them over?
This is the buckling:



And the doeling:

And then both of them:

[Kittikity]

Wish I could be baaaaad like that but my husband doesn't travel anywhere.. We're pretty much homebodies.. But those are some really cute kids.. Congrats and good luck with them..

[Idahoe]

I too bought not-so-tame does about a month ago. It wasn't until I had them clipped by the collar in the stanchion and getting grain that I could really get my hands on them.

I had to do some serious hoof trimming, so the nursing/not-milking does got extra grain and couldn't get away from me. They discovered I could scratch their cheeks in a most heavenly way. Plus, I have all the food and treats!

So having the "special" grain, and perhaps only giving it while I am handling them made a huge difference. I've had them over a month, and all but one stand near to get scritched. When I had to grab them, I did it like I meant business, and since they are Lamanchas, they didn't fight me too much. They respect me as the boss, and that helped them trust me more.

My "contrast case" is a bottle-baby first freshener who moons after me and washes my face and scalp every morning after I milk her. I doubt my other girls (less than 2 yrs old) will be that tame . . . not sure if I could take seven face washings every time I milk . . . anyway, she is SO tame I learned where goats like to be scratched and petted. So far, only one doe is really shy but lets me reach out and touch her briefly.

[cowgirlracer]

When I have goats that are stand-off-ish I go sit in their pen and have treats ready. Goats are very curious creatures, especially if you are ignoring them. It won't take long and they'll be climbing all over you. :baby04:

Our very first goat was a Nubian/Pygmy cross, named Carmalita. We joked that she was a Mexican Hat Dancing Goat. We have since changed her name (for very obvious reasons) to Snoopy, as she is the first one to get into trouble and is very nosey. We have also found out that the Nubian/Pygmy cross is a Kinder. She is a very prolific goat, she dilivered a set a quads in mid December, and then a set of twins in June. Dang that buck!!!! Can't keep him away.

You have a beutiful set of babies there - I think in honor of the day you should name them after football players -lol

Enjoy!
Anne
Cowgirlracer

[mygoat]

to tame them, don't EVER chase them even when you need to work with them. If you chase them even once, everytime you reach to grab them they'll take off. Take lots of treats into thier pen and start out by just sitting there and letting them get used to you. When you feed them, stand over thier dish and make them walk up and eat out of the dish that is right next to you. pet and rub them all over when they're eating.
That buckling is a beauty. Love his color. Thats the reason I love unregistered pygmies, is because there is no restraints on what colors you can get! Are you gonna keep him as a buck, or wether him? He's a silver caramel, or at least that's what I'd call him... Now I can add that to my color list on my pygmy website!! lol

[Dee]

Are these kids related? I hope not for your sake. Make a nice pair.

I get my kids friendly with food also, of course. I like to get them to put thier heads in the bucket and pet them. When they pull back, I stop. After a while, they want the food and don't mind if I'm touching them while they are eating. As time goes on, they will run to you for food. Just remember, they are little so don't over feed them. BOSS (black oil sunflower seeds) are good to add to the food.

I brought home some pigs once and my husband didn't talk to me for three days....

[suburbanite]

I love how these animals just inexplicably follow people home.

They are so CUTE!

[KimM]

They aren't related and yup I will keep him a buck! I've been sitting in the pen with them but they want no part of me. The doe is REAL skittish. Guess it'll just take a while.

[GoldenWood Farm]

With mine if they are really skiddish I catch them and handle them. Sounds mean and like it would scare the pants off of them. But I have found that if I just catch them and stroke them for a tiny bit then let them be they get tamer faster . I bought a yearling milker who was WILD as all get out. I would catch her everyday and handle her aside from milking time.

It does help that she was in a herd of very friendly goats. But I feel they need to know that if and when you do touch them it isn't to do something to them. They need to know that its ok to be touched even if it means catching them. Also just sitting and reading a book in their pen while holding maybe their favorite treat in your lap helps. Right now part of them being so skiddish is because they haven't been handled much AND they are moved to a new place with a new person. I say catch them and just stroke them once in a while. I have even gone and just cornered a kid and then pet it. I mean trapping him so he can't get away but I am not restricting him and just gently stroking him and talking to him gently. The biggest thing is when "catching" them you MUST talk to them very gently the whole time. They get more scared when you don't say anything than when you do as a predator will not make any sounds.

Ok now people can shoot me for suggestion catching them . I feel that how can you ever tame them down if they don't even know that letting you touch them can be a good thing ?

MotherClucker
ps: They are sure cute! But beware of that little boy trying to breed the girl. Pygmys can breed quite early and are in rut all year long like nigerians.

[GoldenWood Farm]

PS: You said you have been sitting in the pen with them. Do you maybe have any smaller goats that are really friendly? I noticed that your avatar is a boer. Any chance you have a really tame people friendly boer who wouldn't mind shacking up with the two? You would be suprised how much that can help. As it shows the two little ones that people can be good things and not bad.

MotherClucker

[KimM]

I don't know, my smallest Boer baby is about 75 pounds. I mean they are TINY. Now they do see me in the next stall with the big kids wallering all over me. Maybe they'll pick up on that.
Well, I caught them today, held and pet them until they relaxed, trimmed their hooves while on my lap...the buckling fell asleep, the doe was close to sleeping until hubby came in the barn and I had to let her go (I had to go help him). It's a start! I can't figure what treats to give them, they don't seem to know what anything is. I tried apple pieces today...a couple sniffs, I put a couple small sugar maple branches in there....sniff and walk away, oh and they sort their grain, won't eat any pelleted pieces. I have some forage replacer pellets I use for treats that the other goats go completely bonkers for. I'll try those tomorrow. I read on here give them raisins....will try them too.
I've decided to name the doe Pixie and the buck Merlin.

Originally Posted by MotherClucker

PS: You said you have been sitting in the pen with them. Do you maybe have any smaller goats that are really friendly? I noticed that your avatar is a boer. Any chance you have a really tame people friendly boer who wouldn't mind shacking up with the two? You would be suprised how much that can help. As it shows the two little ones that people can be good things and not bad.

MotherClucker

[GoldenWood Farm]

Try pretzel sticks. Mine love anything salty (dunno why but the go bananas over salty things). Sounds like you are making progress with them. When they get older you probably could but them with the boers. I have 2 nigerian dwarf bucklings who are real tiny and they live with my full size La Mancha bucks. They do fine (but then again my La Mancha bucks are very gentle and easy going).

MotherClucker

[GoldenWood Farm]

Hey Kim how are they doing? Any friendlier?

MotherClucker

[Sweet Goats]

My daughter got a doe that was in a pasture and never touched. She was three years old (goat). Everytime she went into the pen she had a treat for them. It was like peanuts, sunflower seeds, bread, pretzels, raisens. She finally slowley came up to my daughter and trusted her. The main thing is, let them eat the treats several times before you try to reach out and touch them. Slowley bring the treat closer to you, until they are taking it from you right in front of you. I am sure you know all this but I thought I would tell you anyway. Her doe became so friendly that she was kind of a pain. But we loved her. We had to sell her, she was the first goat we ever sold.
By the way, the are SSSOOOO adorable

[lgslgs]

Have you tried a soft brush on them when you are holding them.

It took ours a while to catch on to it - they have to develop trust for it and associate it with pleasurable brushing - but once they make the connection brushes and combs are real winners.

It's useful to introduce them to brushing as a reward. We use brushing instead of food as bait for hoof trimming. Instead of going into a feeding frenzy, they go into a really relaxed, cud chewing, eyes closed happy state. They take turns easing in for their turns - much better then being mugged for a corn kernel while trying to trim a hoof!

Lynda

[moosemaniac]

That'll teach the DH to go to Akron!

Ruth