[alwaystj9]

I had to pull Em3 (weird name, I know) out of the herd for the 3rd time in 2 months. She's always been a passive, back of the herd kind of doe but she has lately become EVERYBODY'S punching bag. She's a 6 yr.old pygmy, I don't think she's bred OR she lost it and I missed the event. I have her yearling daughter in the herd - who misses her mom when she's not trying to butt her. I don't know what changed since Thanksgiving, everything was fine then. I pulled Tick (the buck) out and the whole herd has been whipping on Em ever since. Even the polled yearlings are after her. Healthwise, I cannot find anything different. The first time I pulled her out she had been knocked down and was being pile-driven by 2 other goats (owww), I separated her, then turned her back in a week later, after she wasn't sore anymore. Everything was fine for a couple of weeks but then she got cornered and got a bloody nose/mouth which got her a wheat bread/soaked pellet diet for a while. I put her back in Sunday and pulled her back out last night when she was being chased by her daughter(!) and 4 other goats. I guess I'll keep her by herself until I can tell for sure if she's bred, then I'll try to move her to a yard pet situation or something. Any ideas what's going on? I need a goat psychologist. I have never seen a healthy goat act this way.

 

[MissMiniNubian]

That is so sad!

 

[MidnightRavenFarm]

Do u have a wether u could put with her so she has company? This is so sad. I wouldn’t cull. I know you have to do what you think it’s best but the way I see things, she has just as much a reason to live as anyone of us. My wethers get along pretty well with a rescue goat that I took in and the herd queen and the other does would constantly pick on him.

 

[GoofyGoat]

Poor thing..ow you might have to rehome her if this keeps up for her safety. In the mean time try the wether if you have the extra space.

 

[alwaystj9]

Her pen is against the pasture and the hayrack splits the 2. It allows some contact. No wethers. By cull I mean sell not kill. She actually was talking to her feed bowl when I hayed a few minutes ago. That was weird.

 

[ksalvagno]

Sounds like you may need to re-home her.

 

[Damfino]

I wonder if she's cystic. The reason I say this is because if she's frequently coming into strong heat cycles (which don't necessarily look like heat cycles in a cystic doe), it can be a cause of lots of weird drama. I had a cystic doe once and she was on the bottom of the pecking order, but when she would cycle (which was almost half the time), everyone would go after her more than usual (although to be fair she was also going after everyone else during those strange cycles). I think rehoming her is not a bad solution if this doesn't work out soon after the rut is well and fully over in another month or so. Does she get along well with your buck? If so, he might be a good companion for her. Good luck!

 

[alwaystj9]

I wonder if she's cystic. The reason I say this is because if she's frequently coming into strong heat cycles (which don't necessarily look like heat cycles in a cystic doe), it can be a cause of lots of weird drama.
I never thought of cystic. I had a cystic mare years ago, had to keep her on Regumate. Putting her with the buck is not an option right now, just turning 3 he's not behaving too well. The pen she's in is the one he totalled out. She can't take another beat down. Tickfaw is still in rut and currently on a yard tether, beating up a tire swing.

 

[SalteyLove]

It's so hard to guess what's going on with herd dynamics but I will say - trust those goats. If they say something is wrong with her, there is. It may not be apparent yet. So far in my goat journey I've seen two examples. An elderly formerly-queen doe was rejected so harshly she was not only not allowed in the barn, but not the adjacent pen either, the whole herd shunned her to the next pasture. She went down with Meningeal worm (best guess) several weeks later and did not survive. Another time, there was a mouth injury in an adult high ranking doe who was suddenly shunned. The injury was not bloody or apparent and it took me a few weeks to find the issue.

 

[alwaystj9]

The doe's hanging out in a separate pen, when I take her out, she just wants to graze and shows no desire for the rest of the herd. I guess she's for sale...

 

[alwaystj9]

Guess who, with no signs of anything, just popped out a big fat pair of babies! Her bag just blew up, too, looks more than adequate. I have handled this doe 2-3 times a day since last Wednesday and thought she had slipped/never got bred. Amazing.

 

[SalteyLove]

Wow thank goodness the herd bullying didn't harm the kids! Congrats

 

[GoofyGoat]

Congratulations on the kids. I’m glad things got figured out.

 

[JML Farms]

Guess that explains her actions as of late! Congratulations! Did she earn her right to stay on your farm?

 

[alwaystj9]

I will probably look for a retirement/pet goat situation for her after the babies get weaned. I will probably try her in the momma/baby herd (in a couple of weeks), we'll see how she does. I do have another retiree doe this year...anyone near South Louisiana interested? Looking for people interested in pets, not breeders or milkers.

 

[toth boer goats]

Congrats.