Taming goats

[Ozarkhomesteader]

Hello, so i recently add three goats to my little homestead! One is a super sweet and friendly LaMancha/Nubian mix who is pregnant and due in about a month. She follows us around the yard, and loves to be petted by everyone. She doesnt like her udder to be touched though, so we need to work on that. The others are a 6 year old registered american alpine and her almost 2 month old baby doe. The baby is very shy. She will come up to us and mouth our hands, but if we move she will bolt another way. Her mom is calm and "tame" but somewhat standoffish. She is fine at milking time (and give us over a half gallon a day!) and we can approach her easily, but she won't come to us and dosen't really care to be petted.

I love both of them no matter what, but it would be fun to have some more friendly goats, since they are pets as much as they are milk animals. The baby especially needs to get used to being handled.

So, my question...any tips on taming them? What are your personal experiences? I am a total newbie with goats, so any help is greatly appreciated.

Oh, also, what are some yummy treats (other than the feed they get at milking time) that we can use for them when we go out there?

 

[cassie]

First of all, if you haven't already done so, buy a book on goats. Storey's Guide to Raising Goats is a good place to start. As for treats, try some peppermint horse chews. You can find them in the horse aisle of the feed store. Purina makes them and there are other brands also. Most goats love them. I mean REALLY love them. Some people feed things like animal crackers, raisins, dried fruit, and trail mix.

 

[Ozarkhomesteader]

First of all, if you haven't already done so, buy a book on goats. Storey's Guide to Raising Goats is a good place to start. As for treats, try some peppermint horse chews. You can find them in the horse aisle of the feed store. Purina makes them and there are other brands also. Most goats love them. I mean REALLY love them. Some people feed things like animal crackers, raisins, dried fruit, and trail mix.

Thanks for the response! I have bought a few books on goats, and i love Storey's Guide. Lots of good info there. Thanks for the suggestion!
I will try those! Thanks You!