How to care for goats you can't catch ?

[NChemungGuy]

I have two pygmy's, one used to be pretty tame and the other the opposite. The one that's never been tame is pretty low maintinance ( never needs so much as a hoof trim ) but the other needs her hooves trimmed about twice a year.( That's where she got her dislike of me I think.) Her I have been trying to coax in with food, and can get her within arms length to taste what I'm offering and she bolts. I decided to withold grain until she wants it so bad she'll come closer and I can get hold of her.

Any other ideas ? Short of a tranquilizer gun, I have no idea how to manage these goats when they need simple things like a hoof trim. I had an ad out to sell them to a good home with only one response and that didn't work out. Heck, now I'd give them away if a person could catch them. Frankly I'd like to start over with younger stock that has been bottle fed and would get on a stand for me to groom.

So if you're near Elmira NY and would like a couple goats, e mail me. You'll have to supply the tranquilizer gun though.

[shiandpete.1]

Maybe you could make a smaller pen in their pen and start feeding them in it and eventually trap them in it so you can wrangle the wild things to do your maintenance. Good Luck!

[Bearfootfarm]

Small pens are what you need.
Lure them in with food and push them up against the wall

[dm9960]

also, time and patience works wonders for me. Most of my goats started out that way, I would just walk around them and talk to them most of the time, no pressure, now most of them come to me for scratches, still can be tough to actually get hold of them, but not nearly as bad

[NChemungGuy]

Thanks for the idea. I have some extra fencing, probably enough to section off a small area where I'll put all their food and get them in there that way. At least then I can do some hoof care until I find a good home for them. I prefer my animals a little less feral, and now that my really tame one died of old age (I had these two to keep her company.) all I'm doing is feeding pets I can't even pet.

[mygoat]

Another thing you could do is breed these does, then pull kids after they get their dam's colostrum and bottle raise the kids. Butcher the does, and then you have tame stock without having to buy them. Of course, you'll need to rent a buck. I suggest hand breeding them, too, so you can trap your feral does when they're due to kid (I'd put them in the barn) so you can assist birthing and pull kids at 24 hrs or so.

[Minelson]

Maybe after you make friends with them you will decide to keep them !

[NChemungGuy]

I'm seriously hoping to find a new home for them, ideally where they wouldn't be butchered. ( Don't ask me why, I really don't know, it just makes me uncomfortable. ) They'd do great as breeders for someone I'm sure. From there I'd like to start fresh with some weaned, bottle fed kids. We'll see.

As for "making friends", the one doe has never liked me from day one when I unloaded her off the truck. The other doe used to be very docile, but somewhere along the line she became more feral too, despite trying to win her over. I'm sure it has a lot to do with her not liking her hooves trimmed.

The third doe, the one who died of old age was as sweet and tame as any pet could be. Old girl died on me a couple weeks ago.

[wintrrwolf]

I did get a pygmy that was herd raised and had very little human contact. I spent nice weather days outside just sitting in the pasture with em and tossing a treat when she came close to me. I have also started feeding in a pen now, now its getting where they beat me to the pen waiting for their bit of grain. Most time when I would catch her I didnt go right to all the stuff they hate, I would pet, scratch and brush she was getting pretty tame where I could hug her and pet her all I wanted. I am going to have to work with her again she has gone a bit wild since she got attacked and I had to do a bunch of stuff she didnt like.
On the other hand Inga came from a good place had been handled often enough, and she still shies from me, I am able to pet her nose and then moves away if I try for more. It does take patience but it is well rewarded when you finally get to pet them and you know they are enjoying your touch.

[NChemungGuy]

Both of these does were herd raised too.

I guess Emily's hooves aren't THAT bad, she certainly has no problem running from me, so she's not lame. I'll build a pen within the pen and start seeing if I can get her a little tamer. Worst case scenario is I can't tame her down and then I'll just find someone who wants her.

As for Rascal, there's no hope. LOL

We'll see how it goes I guess. Thanks everyone !

Chris

[fishhead]

I have a boer cross wether that used to fight me whenever I tried to trim his hooves. I gave him crackers and he would stand there until I ran out. Then I found that by putting a collar on him and tying him to a wall whenever I trimmed his hooves helped. Now I make sure to rub him and scratch his jaw before and after I do the trimming. He's gotten to the point where he will stand by the fence and let me rub his jaw.

The more I handle him the better. I'll bet your does would react the same.

[billooo2]

I have purchased a couple goats that were dam raised with little handling. over the long run........from the beginning when I want to catch them....I use livestock panels to make a temporary "catch pen." If they learn from the beginning that they can run from you when you want to catch them.....then it is very difficult.
On the other hand, if they learn that when you want to catch them, there is no escape, they seem to learn quicker that it is not a bad thing to be "caught.'.......especially when they are put on a milk stand and get grain right away!!!
I have found that if you do this for a few days in a row (goats love a routine), they are soon crowding at the gate to be the first one out to get their grain.
It may seem like some extra work at first, but it saves a lot of time and aggravation in the long run.
Just my opinion......
And once they get used to that routine of the milk stand and grain......you probably won't have to do it everyday.......goats seem to have a great memory when it comes to grain.

[Jay27]

Learn to rope! If that isn't a possibility, you can snare them using a slip knot and a feed pan. Put the loop on the ground next to a feed pan, wait for them to step in it and then snare a leg. This will only work so many times, though. A catch pen (small 3-sided pen within the pen) is much easier. My goats are tame, know how to lead and love to be scratched but they know when I am trying to catch them to do some evil deed like trim their hooves.

[NChemungGuy]

Thanks again for the advice everyone. On second look, I decided her hooves couldn't wait til we made nice, so I got her to come close enough with some grain to grab her and get them trimmed. Now I will take much of your advice and put it to use, build a pen within the pen, as well as working on taming her. She actually did well, didn't struggle much and my wife helped hold her and petted her throughout.

Thanks again!

Chris

[dm9960]

I'm glad it worked! It can be very difficult getting the things done that are needed for their well being. too bad you can't just say 'it'll be done before you know it' and have them say 'oh ok, let's do it'.