untame doe

[hardworkingwoman]

Hi all,
This is my first post. I bought a boer doe 2 months ago. She is almost 2 years old and has not been handled much. She will let me touch her briefly and it is a real chore to catch her. Is it possible to train her to be friendly? I did have her in her own pen away from the other goats to think that she would become more dependent on me instead of the other goats. I could only do it for a week because she was displaying some behaviors that I din't want her to aquire. Does anyone have any tips? I was thinking about breeding her, actually that was why I got her. I thought that if she had babies that it might make her more friendly since I would have to deal with the babies. I wouldn't want them to be wild. Thanks!

[Goat Servant]

Good thing you put her back with the main herd as it may have just made her more standoffish.
My first Boer does were from a large herd. It took one of them almost a year before she would come up to me on her own asking for a neck skritch. She now walks up & leans into me, wanting full body massages.
She will realize before too long that you are the food person. If you go out & just sit she will eventually walk up to you.
When she kids she will probably change her attitude toward you especially if she is in a kidding stall for a few days. And you have the scent of her kids on you!
Just have patience with her. When you have to catch her for vacs & what not give her a little grain as a reward. I tell all my girls how good they are during foot trims, even when they were being pills.
She'll come around!

And welcome to HT!!

[HappyFarmer]

My 4 wild purchased goats eventually got used to us-but only with grain. They are very food motivated animals. We've had them for 2 & 3 years now, and once caught will lead on a leash, but won't come to say hi without grain. I imagine you might get farther with only 1 wild one, I had 4 & wasn't able to give the individual attention to overcome their wiliness.

The dam raised kids from them are tempered somewhere in between-not quite so wild but not tame, either.
HF

[madness]

We bought 5 yearling does last year and they were all very skittish. None of them would let you touch them. We gave them treats and they eventually got to the point where they would stand NEAR you. Still hard to catch them though. We were with them when they kidded though and I think that was the bonding time. Four of the does had babies and they are all very friendly. The 5th doe wasn't bred and she is STILL skittish. So I actually think that her having babies might really help!

[hoofinitnorth]

No experience with boers but I have "tamed" a wild child or two (or three or four, lol). All NDs. I have had two that didn't come completely around - a buck and a doe, but I've had several that did a complete 180 with me after only a few months. With one, it was a night and day change after I was there with her when she freshened.

The two that didn't come completely around - the buck was pretty much left alone and not handled at all the first two years of his life at his breeder's farm. He was with me for about 10 months I think and then went on to a homestead breeding operation. He is much calmer now that he has a wether as a buddy instead of other bucks. I suspect he will calm down a lot more now. The doe is still here and is settling a lot but is still not friendly. Her personality just seems less friendly. We'll see how she does when I freshen her next year...