Author Topic: Recommended housing set up for managing bullying? (Read 2493 times)

Violetsprite · « **on:** May 08, 2013, 10:28:58 am »

We are about to organise new housing for our 7 goats / 2 sheep. To date they have been happy living in 3 sheds but since the arrival of the last 2 goats things have changed. The younger of the two is a horned Old English who is pretty nervous of being handled and may have been bullied herself as she has a weakness in one of her rear legs that means she drags it occasionally. Very slowlyshe is coming round to being touched (not yet to being handled) by us. When they arrived this particular one made it apparent that she wasn't going to take 2nd place to any of my existing herd and having seen this before i wasn't worried by a bit of butting to establish the new pecking order. However she has been here for about 4 or 5 weeks now and almost all of the existing 5 on one day or another have been appearing in the morning with a limp or lameness. I suspect because our existing sheds are not especially roomy that she may be cornering them. So we are thinking that a single large shelter may be best with 2 doorways and the option to pen with hurdles should we need to separate any. Just wondered if that sounds like the best option or if anyone has any other suggestions for managing the problem - sadly she is starting to change the dynamics of the group so that my 2 most affectionate are becoming edgy - can't help feeling a sense of regret

BTW - one that she has bullied now has a knee that cracks - anyone think that needs vet attention? Thanks

ScotsGirl · « **Reply #1 on:** May 08, 2013, 12:49:54 pm »

It is very difficult introducing new members. Someone with more goat experience will probably recommend a good setup but I had an 18'x10' shelter which I close off one entrance then inside made 4 stalls with hurdles. I used this to pen up per-kidding but once they were all finished I left one section closed as my youngest AN x gets bullied and she jumps in there where she is safe. Maybe you have to create 2 groups so bullies are not shut in with the softies.

Anke · « **Reply #2 on:** May 08, 2013, 02:05:50 pm »

If the bully girl arrived with her friend and they get on I would leave them together in a shed of their own. If that's not possible I would pen the bully on her own, but within sight of the rest of them (as in pen in the corner of the shed.
If the bully won't settle in you may have to think about what to do with her in the long-term.... $:-\$
I currently still have a couple of my goatlings grazing at different times to the main flock, as they are still the horrible teenagers trying to mess about with everybody else... and while 5 of the older ones were in-kid I wasn't risking anyone being hit. Will need to slowly re-introduce the goatlings though... am expecting bloody heads $:-\$

Violetsprite · « **Reply #3 on:** May 08, 2013, 02:14:19 pm »

Thanks for the advice - at the moment i don't close the doors on any of the goats - they free roam in about 6 acres with open doors on all sheds. The younger one bullies the older one she came in with but gets tolerated - although we've never had bloody heads

. I prefer not to pen them up and like Anke i would be concerned about reintroductions every day if they were separated at night.

Anke · « **Reply #4 on:** May 08, 2013, 02:55:56 pm »

Quote from: violetsprite on May 08, 2013, 02:14:19 pm

Thanks for the advice - at the moment i don't close the doors on any of the goats - they free roam in about 6 acres with open doors on all sheds. The younger one bullies the older one she came in with but gets tolerated - although we've never had bloody heads . I prefer not to pen them up and like Anke i would be concerned about reintroductions every day if they were separated at night.

I find one of the 10 adults/goatlings inevitably will have a scur on her head, that's causing the blood rather than proper headbutting... These scurs come and go..