Have a buck goat who is more wild than tame, any suggestions??

986 Views 9 Replies 9 Participants Last post by muleskinner2, May 5, 2020

Barb L

Discussion Starter · May 2, 2020

Hi there,
I am somewhat new to having goats and have had my 2 female Nigerian Dwarf goats since last year. They have been a joy as I let them free range on the acre I have. I'm in the process of building their own area so I can have a garden since they eat everything in sight. My daughter and I have been talking about kid goats for some time. I was gonna find a buck to mate with one of my girls but then saw this ad on craigslist for this 2 year old buck Nigerian Dwarf Jester who was so handsome. I met him and with many conversations decided to get him. The owner informed me he was a sweetheart but skittish. When I picked him up last night, it was like a rodeo getting him in the trailer. He was taken away from his 3 girls, 2 kids and 4 horses he was corralled up with. We got home and let him out while he checked the place out. He eventually saw my 2 girls and it was game on. One of my girls let him approached until he started getting rough, stomping his feet making huffing noises. The other girl just runs not letting him near. We eventually introduced him to our dog who is just as tall as him weighing 120 lbs, well Jester took on my dog Moose and after that would be huffing and stomping his feet at Moose even when not looking at Jester. I felt Jester was doing the same to me. Now I am nervous as he is showing his dominance. I need to finish the fencing today. Does anyone have any suggestions about how to handle this guy? This may have been premature of me to get him, I really did think he was more tame than he actually is.

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Alice In TX/MO

· #2 · May 2, 2020

You took him from his family. He is frightened and angry. You forced him into a strange environment with predators in it.

Finish the fence. Lure him in the pen with food and water. Set the food and water up so that no one has to go in the pen to feed and water him.

Go to his pen four times a day at least. Spend a half an hour AT LEAST each time. Bring him browse, oak branches, or something for a snack. Talk to him. Read him a book.

Do this DAILY. For a couple of weeks. Apologize to him.

After he calms down some, go to the pen and go just inside the gate. Stand there. Talk to him.

You took him from his safe home and traumatized him. Help him learn this is a safe place. If you have small children, do NOT EVER leave them in an area with ANY goat buck.

Straight talk. I have a tendency to do that.

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mzgarden

· #3 · May 2, 2020

@Barb L = Alice has it absolutely right. Put yourself in his place and consider how you might feel and then be kind to him. He has been uprooted entirely. All his familiarity is gone. He is terrified. He is challenging everything because everything looks like danger to him. Be patient, be kind, give him a safe space to settle into. Intact males are naturally dominant animals - pretty much why folks typically neuter their male cats & dogs. You need him intact, so you need to let him learn that he is in a safe place.

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Michael W. Smith

· #4 · May 3, 2020

Snacks work too. Crackers, bread, etc. While he might not eat out of your hand at first - he should eventually get to that point. And depending on how tame he was at the other place - once he gets used to his new home should help as well.

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Burntfinger

· #5 · May 3, 2020

Barb L said:
Hi there,
Does anyone have any suggestions about how to handle this guy? This may have been premature of me to get him, I really did think he was more tame than he actually is.

Chili

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GTX63

· #6 · May 3, 2020

Synopsis-
Spend time with him.
Real life animal husbandry is a bit more than checkout line magazines and tv segments make it.
Spend time with him.

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motdaugrnds

· #7 · May 3, 2020

You're getting good suggestions. Any animal taken away from what he knows and just turned loose into a strange environment would react in a similar manner. Even a human being might show anxiety/fear/anger.

This reminds me of the first Toggenburg I got back in 1996 when I first started raising dairy goats. She had obviously been hurt as her body was malformed and she walked on her pasterns. I treated her like the other 2 does I had purchased at that time but she always tried to bite me when on the milking stand. And in the barn with the other goats she would stand just outside watching them eat, then make a mad rush to grab a bite and leave again. It was obvious she was frightened and angry. She was about 4 yrs old. What I did was put a collar on her, leave her with the other two as they were not mean at all to her. And when I put hay in their feeder I would take her by the collar, lead her to the feeder and stand between her and the others. It was not long before she learned I would protect her and the others would not harm her; then she started going in to eat on her own. At the milking stand, each time she tried to bite me I would kiss her on the nose. This doe turned out to be one of my favorites because, despite her physical condition and past experiences she was very protective of me and was an excellent mother, even teaching her kids to stand on their hind legs to butt heads.

So time and a calm demeanor with kindness should work wonders. Goats have a great memory; so that buck will take it all in and figure out for himself his new home is a safe one.

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