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When one goat chooses to attempt and impose control over another goat, this behavior is known as bullying.
Unfortunately, it happens quite frequently if you rear many goats.
It can happen due to male goats developing, particularly those not castrated.
On the other hand, not only males but also females are capable of displaying similar behavior.
It is feasible to stop it but in a complicated manner.
Changing the behavior of a goat is, at times, a challenging and time-consuming task.
The reality, however, is that what is happening most of the time is that a young goat is coming into sexual maturity.
And this often makes them less friendly to the other goats in the herd.
However, there are ways to deal with it, so let’s investigate those options together.
How to deal with goat bullying
Goat bullying can have great effects on your gentle goats.
Therefore, you must stop it as soon as possible.
In this article, we will discuss ways to deal with goat bullying.
Add a new goat slowly.
Goats may be territorial animals.
Before allowing goats to come into close touch with one another, give them a week or two.
This will allow them to get to know one another through the fence first.
When adding new goats to an existing herd, it is best practice to do so in groups of at least two animals.
This practice is better than adding a new goat at a time.
A lone goat is likely to be picked on by the entire herd.
Understand goat herd pecking order
When fresh goats are added to an existing herd, there is almost always an immediate outbreak of fighting.
Goats must create their dominant structure, also known as their pecking order.
It is generally safe to ignore minor head-butting, especially from goats with horns removed.
Nevertheless, maintain a watchful check on the recently brought goats, and separate them as necessary.
Feed with a trough, not a single round pan
Suppose you put all the goat feed into a single round pan and expect the goats to congregate around it and eat in peace.
This puts them in a position where they will have to bully one another to win the feed.
The end consequence will be a great deal of unrest, with the feed being poured away.
Use a long trough elevated off the ground so that goats must approach it and eat.
Eating this way will make their heads raise to shoulder level.
This will prevent them from tripping and falling.
All of your goats should be able to find a spot at the trough without elbowing anyone else out of the way.
Use good behavior management.
Patting your goats and speaking to them in a nice tone is a great way to deal with goat bullying.
This language will always encourage the behavior you want from them.
Quickly utter a resounding and emphatic “NO!” in response to unwelcome behavior.
When they are very young, start doing this with your goats.
They will quickly learn which actions are acceptable and which are not allowed.
Separate the aggressive goats
When you have a goat (kid or adult) low on the social hierarchy, put it in a separate pen.
If you keep them outside in a bigger area, you will need to offer at least two eating spots (one for the more dominant goats and one for the more subordinate).
It might be with the goat that is the next rung up on the ladder.
Certain goats are so subservient that they dread everyone and will not thrive no matter what you do.
Remove these goats from the herd since they are helpless and can be bullied.
If you want to keep him, you must make other arrangements.
Else, he will be bullied into having poor health due to stress.
Studies conducted by experts in the field have demonstrated that animals with social problems tend to be the least healthy members of a herd.
This is because their timidity prevents them from assertively obtaining sufficient sustenance, which leads to poor health.
Regular handling
Goats need to be handled frequently, or else they may become feral.
A goat in the wild will attempt to avoid you at all costs and flee in the opposite direction.
This kind of behavior provides a dilemma for you to deal with.
It happens when you need to groom it or perform basic maintenance and care.
When a goat is touched regularly, it is more likely to respond to its owner’s calls.
Keep the goat’s head up by placing one hand under the chin and the other on the top of the neck. Goats duck their heads to escape danger.
Take precautions to avoid suffocating your goat with the collar.
Grab the rear leg of a goat that’s trying to get away.
If you catch a goat by its front legs, you risk breaking that leg.
Use squirt water
When it comes to water, goats are similar to cats in that they detest being around it.
This indicates that the squirt bottle can be utilized as a simple training method.
Use an associated command in the beginning if you want a goat to stop doing something.
If they continue to ignore you, simply spritz them with the water from the bottle, and they will instantly run away.
They will eventually learn to connect the command with the element of water.
When it comes time to feed, for instance, is an excellent illustration of how to put this strategy to work.
When you have a large pile of hay in your hand, the goats will try to cluster around you and steal the hay from your hand.
This is because they want to eat it. If this is behavior that you do not want them to exhibit, all you have to do is issue a command such as “Get back” and then spritz them with water.
After enough practice, ultimately, all you will need to do to get your goats to stop crowding you is say that command, and they will behave as they did before.
What not to do when dealing with goat bullying
When training a goat, the number one rule is that you should never physically reprimand it by pushing it, hitting it, or striking it in any way.
Because they consider you one of them, you can expect a hostile response if you behave aggressively toward them.
Always remember, goats learn through a technique known as “learning as they go.”
The outcomes will develop without any hitches.
Therefore, ensure that you always have the squirt bottle nearby, and be consistent with your orders.
Conclusion
Training your goats early will stop them from being bullies.
As soon as you believe your goats are mature enough to be on their own, you can start training them.
You may begin teaching them some fundamental routines as soon as they can go away and do their own thing while not in their parent’s presence.
On the other hand, if you try to train a young goat and they resist it, you might want to hold off for a little while before trying again.
Don’t give up completely because some goats reach adulthood more quickly than others, which can be a significant challenge when teaching them.
