Ditzy goat just "playing" dumb?

[CaliannG]

Last night, I decided that my "wannabe blonde" girl, Cypress, might just be PLAYING blonde.

She is always first in the milkstall. The routine works like so:

First, I go into the milking stall with my basket of supplies, close the gate behind me, and arrange my supplies on the shelf above the milking stand. Then, I fill the feeder on the stand with feed. After that, I open the gate, and Cypress comes in. I close the gate, go up to Cypress who is standing BESIDE the milkstand munching, push on her shoulder and say, "Up on the stand." She puts her front feet on the stand and continues munching, upon which I push her on the hip and say "All the WAY on the stand." Then she hops her back end on the stand, I clip her in, set her feet where I want them and commence with my milking routine.

Last night, I was having trouble with the gate latch, so after letting her in, I am fiddling with the latch, trying to get the gate secure when she goes up and starts munching feed from beside the milk stand. While still fiddling with the gate, about 10 feet away from her, I say, "Up on the stand." Up on the stand go her front feet. Then I say, "All the WAY on the stand." Up hops her back end on to the stand. I finish fiddling with the gate and walk over to clip her in.

That little stinker KNOWS she is supposed to get all the way on the stand! She's just been PLAYING dumb!

[Goat Servant]

Oh she's not playing dumb she's messing with the routine.

[Ford Zoo]

And people say they are dumb. She knows what she's doing-just trying to get a little bit more attention from the mama!

[CaliannG]

She is also the one that tends to head to the feed bin FIRST, and try to get the lid off of it. The feeder on the milkstand is FULL, with FAR more than she can eat, and she knows that she is going to have plenty of time to eat it, but instead of getting up on the milk stand and going to town, she has to try and get the lid off of the feed bin first.

Goats!

[Alice In TX/MO]

Oh, yes, they have routines.

I have twin Saanen/Alpine crosses that developed the SAME milk room exit strategy even though they were 700 miles apart as first fresheners. They each must have ONE cookie on the milk stand after I'm done, then must be lured all the way out of the milk house with the second cookie. NONE of the other goats go through this rigamarole.

[CJBegins]

Caliann, who has who trained?

Gotta love goats!

[Frosted Mini's]

I have a couple goats that have "pregnancy brain". They knew the routine before, but now they both have issues figuring out what to do (go to and get on the milkstand) when I let them into where I milk. They both kind of wander aimlessly. They really are kind of idiots. One, I have to go in the pen most of the time now to grab and bring out to the milkstand...and have to lead her up my ramp to the stand...the other is a little better, she usually is near the stand and I just have to shove her head through the hole. They were both fine until they were pregnant. LOL.

[CaliannG]

~laughs~ I can't blame Cypress's activity on pregnancy (Although there are others in my herd...), she just kidded in September and I haven't re-bred her.

*I* think she is putting on the ditzy ACT to try to fool me.

It's working...it's working.

[Backfourty,MI.]

Goats are creatures of Habit for sure! I think your girl was just trying to let you know she is really the 1 in charge.

[SilverFlame819]

Sounds to me like she likes the sound of your voice.