Chat
11-07-2019, 07:10 AM
I wouldn't worry about getting a male. He might actually make things worse this time of year. It's an encouraging sign that your doe is mostly aggressive about food and about human attention. My goat was aggressive for no good reason and would actively hunt down and target other goats even though they had a huge pen and plenty of separate shelters with 24/7 access to pasture (in other words, no resources to fight over). Mine just enjoyed bullying others, including my livestock guardian dog, and would go out of her way to hit them. I frequently watched her chase after animals that were 30 feet away and minding their own business! She thought terrorizing the dog and the other goats was a funny game.
Adding sheets of plywood that your goats can't see over is a good idea for keeping peace at the hay feeders, but you have to be careful not to accidentally create corners where a goat could get trapped by the bully. As for bullying others away from human attention--this you can control! Bring a water bottle with you and start petting the other goats. When your bully comes up nicely for attention, pet her with the others. But when she starts hitting other goats or pushing them away from you, spray her with water and give a verbal reprimand. Make her stay away while you pet the others. She needs to know she can't monopolize your attention, nor can she abuse the other goats in your presence. Keep your bully away until she adjusts her attitude. If you don't want to use a spray bottle because of extreme cold, I recommend a riding crop. It's a flexible whip about 2 feet long with a wide leather popper on the end. The popper makes a nice smacking noise. I've had a lot of success keeping order around the feed racks using a riding crop and a verbal command to get back. I also use it on goats that are inclined to bully others in front of me.
Hopefully your doe will settle down, but keep a close eye on her attitude through the winter. If she continues to be aggressive she will be a danger to your other goats as they get into the second half of their pregnancies. If your aggressive doe is pregnant she may settle down as her pregnancy progresses, or she may get worse. Pregnancy hormones sometimes have a dramatic effect on attitude and this could be a good or bad thing.
Adding sheets of plywood that your goats can't see over is a good idea for keeping peace at the hay feeders, but you have to be careful not to accidentally create corners where a goat could get trapped by the bully. As for bullying others away from human attention--this you can control! Bring a water bottle with you and start petting the other goats. When your bully comes up nicely for attention, pet her with the others. But when she starts hitting other goats or pushing them away from you, spray her with water and give a verbal reprimand. Make her stay away while you pet the others. She needs to know she can't monopolize your attention, nor can she abuse the other goats in your presence. Keep your bully away until she adjusts her attitude. If you don't want to use a spray bottle because of extreme cold, I recommend a riding crop. It's a flexible whip about 2 feet long with a wide leather popper on the end. The popper makes a nice smacking noise. I've had a lot of success keeping order around the feed racks using a riding crop and a verbal command to get back. I also use it on goats that are inclined to bully others in front of me.
Hopefully your doe will settle down, but keep a close eye on her attitude through the winter. If she continues to be aggressive she will be a danger to your other goats as they get into the second half of their pregnancies. If your aggressive doe is pregnant she may settle down as her pregnancy progresses, or she may get worse. Pregnancy hormones sometimes have a dramatic effect on attitude and this could be a good or bad thing.