The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: Lesley Silvester on May 28, 2014, 11:17:08 pm
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I have probably left it a bit late but Cloud needs some training. I thought she would calm down once she had had kids but no such luck. At feeding times, as soon as I open the yard gate she barges through. She only ends up in an enclosed patio area so can't escape and she soon comes back but she barges anyone who is in the way. She nearly had me over this morning. It was only the gate that stopped my fall. She then rushes back into the yard and barges me as I take the buckets into the shed. It's all so she can get her head in the bucket. She is a very greedy goat.
As she is part Boer, so sturdily built, and I am not steady on my feet, especially when I don't use my sticks -impossible while I'm carrying buckets - she is quite a risk factor. At non-feeding times she is fine (other than trying to get out of the yard but I can persuade her to go back it by threatening her with the hose).
Does anyone have any ideas how to stop her?
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Water pistol? Seriously, goats do hate getting wet. If you could go through minus buckets, but armed with a water pistol a few times, she'd start to hesitate I think.
My dad has a little tennis-racket-thing which is battery powered and designed for swatting flies. It gives a tiny electric shock - nothing dreadful, you can touch it with your finger. But he says batting a bolshy tup on the end of his nose a couple of times with it, is sufficient to give them better manners.
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water pistol for sure. Definitely worth a go with a bolshy goat.
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I'll try the water pistol first but I like the idea of the fly swatter. She's trying to dominate me, of course, but I'm not having it. She doesn't butt me any more since she discovered she gets a sharp slap on the sid eof her face when she does. Didn't have to do that many times.
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Go in without the bucket, tie her up somewhere safe, and give her food while she is tied up. It may be difficult to stop a hungry goat... whatever training method you try.
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I don't know why she is always so hungry. I think it's more greed than hunger. They always have full hay-racks. OH is out now trying to buy a water pistol but I'll also try the tying up method.
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I LOVE my water pistol. :love: :love: :love: Cloud doesn't. :roflanim:
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Excellent ;)
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I agree with tying up the goat first. All mine are tied up in their own positions along hurdles before I bring the buckets in or one goat would eat the lot and I'd be on the floor!