Socializing and Training Goats
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Socializing babies
Socializing your goat kids will make life much easier in general for everyone. If you are thinking of showing your goats, it's an absolute must. However, a well socialized goat will make on-going chores like milking, traveling to visit a buck or trimming hooves much easier.
When to begin socializing
One of the best ways to do this is never let your kids get wild. A few hours after they are born and they have imprinted with their mother you can should begin petting them and picking them up - it's almost irresistible not to do so anyhow. It's important to do this frequently - even one day without physical interaction will cause the babies to become wild.
When to begin socializing
One of the best ways to do this is never let your kids get wild. A few hours after they are born and they have imprinted with their mother you can should begin petting them and picking them up - it's almost irresistible not to do so anyhow. It's important to do this frequently - even one day without physical interaction will cause the babies to become wild.
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When to begin socializing
One of the best ways to do this is never let your kids get wild. A few hours after they are born and they have imprinted with their mother you can should begin petting them and picking them up - it's almost irresistible not to do so anyhow. It's important to do this frequently - even one day without physical interaction will cause the babies to become wild. Treats and feeding make a great bonding opportunity When you separate your babies from the mom's whether just at night or permanently - spend a lot of time with the babies. Bottle feeding is one of the best ways to have them bond to you. As you begin to switch them over to feed, put a it of sweet feed in your hand or a little bit of treat like a banana. Within a couple of days they will start looking for you and wag their little tails and run over whenever they see you. |
Bottle feeding is a great way to have babies bond to humans
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Training Goats
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Collar and leash training
We put collars on our babies within the first few days. It makes them easier to handle and identify. Once the babies see you as their source of food and security, you can begin to put collars and leashes on them and teach them to walk on a leash. At first just get them accustomed to putting on the leash and then lead them to a desirable place, such as a bowl with treats or a field full of nice browsing. Within a few walks your goats will be happy to see you arrive with the leash and can even be taught to walk at "heel", like a dog. You'll find this skill invaluable through out the ownership of your goat. Milk Stand Training Take advantage of goats' natural desire to jump by having them learn to jump onto the milk stand. Once the babies begin consuming solid foods, simply place a bit of feed into the feed bin used for milking. The allow the kids to jump up to access the feed. At first just put the feed bin on the floor of the milking stand, as they will be too small to get through the stanchion and reward themselves. They will quickly associate the milk stand with a positive experience. As they grow you can move the feed bin back to its normal placement and then guide their heads into place and gently place the holding bar into place. Do not allow the youngsters to be clever and access the food from the side of the milk stand. That 's just setting yourself up for bad habits you will have to later break. |
 Leash training |
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