Joined
·
1,208 Posts
I have 3 does now. Ruby is the oldest at 2.5 years old. the others are 1.5 and .5 years old. Ruby is my new herd queen now that I sold Ginger. She's a nervous nelly! She started her queenly rein by constantly screaming toward the house any time I was not out with them (she never did this before when there was a herd queen to boss her around). I ignored her because I have a million other things to do and she can't become a house goat over a lack of fear or self confidence. She has stopped the screaming now.
She also started by beating the other 2 does while I was out there, which has never been acceptable to me because I don't want to be caught in the middle of it. I started carrying my water squirt bottle to spray her when she reared up at them to make her stop fighting and spray again to make her move away from me while her hackles were still raised. She has mostly stopped hitting the other 2 does while I am around now, but her hackles are still always raised while I am around. I can't tell if it is because she's defensive around food, or if it's aggression towards me. She has not reared up at me or tilted her non-existent horns toward me.
I have not been able to spend much time with them lately because I was heavily pregnant, and now have a 3 month old human infant with a health issue taking up my time. Usually I would just put my baby in an infant carrier and go about my chores and hang out with the goats with the baby, but while Ruby has been aggressive with the other goats and is still going around with her hackles raised, I don't want the baby with me in case I get hit/tripped by all the drama and fall and/or drop the baby.
of course, now it is fall and they are having some intense heats on top of all the rest of the drama.
Ruby and I have been friends and cuddle buddies since she was a tiny doeling. I don't quite know what to do with her right now. I know she's probably freaking out because I've been acting differently, and because the herd dynamic has changed. In the long run I still want to keep her and be friends with her. She's a good momma and milker. As she is acting right now, though, I'm pretty fed up with her.
How do I re-teach her some manners? Make her keep her distance while she has her hackles raised, even if that means no cuddles for a few months? Pet her while her hackles are raised so long as she isn't tilting her head or giving the hairy eye? Goat whisperers, talk to me!
She also started by beating the other 2 does while I was out there, which has never been acceptable to me because I don't want to be caught in the middle of it. I started carrying my water squirt bottle to spray her when she reared up at them to make her stop fighting and spray again to make her move away from me while her hackles were still raised. She has mostly stopped hitting the other 2 does while I am around now, but her hackles are still always raised while I am around. I can't tell if it is because she's defensive around food, or if it's aggression towards me. She has not reared up at me or tilted her non-existent horns toward me.
I have not been able to spend much time with them lately because I was heavily pregnant, and now have a 3 month old human infant with a health issue taking up my time. Usually I would just put my baby in an infant carrier and go about my chores and hang out with the goats with the baby, but while Ruby has been aggressive with the other goats and is still going around with her hackles raised, I don't want the baby with me in case I get hit/tripped by all the drama and fall and/or drop the baby.
of course, now it is fall and they are having some intense heats on top of all the rest of the drama.
Ruby and I have been friends and cuddle buddies since she was a tiny doeling. I don't quite know what to do with her right now. I know she's probably freaking out because I've been acting differently, and because the herd dynamic has changed. In the long run I still want to keep her and be friends with her. She's a good momma and milker. As she is acting right now, though, I'm pretty fed up with her.
How do I re-teach her some manners? Make her keep her distance while she has her hackles raised, even if that means no cuddles for a few months? Pet her while her hackles are raised so long as she isn't tilting her head or giving the hairy eye? Goat whisperers, talk to me!