Goat training question

[Sherry]

I have a pygmy goat (doeling) that was a week old on Monday. I go out everyday before and after work and just sit and play with her. She is very sweet, and loves to jump on and off my lap and sometimes lays down to nap.

My question is this, should I go ahead and put a collar on her and when can I begin training her to lead?

Thank you.

 

[helmstead]

I would give her a month being a kid before you start leash training her.

We don't put collars on babies. They're dangerous enough on adult goats (getting hung, strangulation, etc) and kids, being so rambunctious, can get into trouble in a hurry.

 

[FeatheredFriends1]

I have Pygmy Goats and I usually train them to lead around a month old. Any younger and they just dont catch on. Most of my goats have been really easy to train but I have a couple that are more difficult because I did not work with them until they were much older.

I used to keep colars on all my goats but now I only keep one on my "queen" goat because the others were always getting caught somehow.

 

[Chatychick]

I agree with Kate there as they are so accident prone and always getting into something. When you do start training to the leach always remove the collar after the training session. You dont want to go out to find her hung. It does happen alot, and on things you wouldnt think it would happen on. Dont mean to sound awful but I have raise goats for years and so has Kate. You dont want it to happen so be like you are taking care of a real human baby as that is how some or most act. Good luck

 

[Sherry]

Thanks. Last year I bought 3 pygmies, a Mama and her twin girls, from a friend. His goats were kept in a herd and not "played" with. I have sat in the pen with them, fed them Teddy Grahams and tried to pet them with no luck. I want their babies to be friendlier.

As of now, one baby is 10 days old, the other born yesterday. The 10 day old jumps in my lap as soon as I sit down. What a joy she is.

I just want to do it right with the little ones.

 

[Chatychick]

You sound like you got lucky with the baby as usually if the momma is wild so will the babies and if its that type of thing usually I pull either 1 or both the babies and bottle feed cows or goats milk and then they grow up to be Really big pests...

But I only have 2 that were dam raised that are still skittish. Maybe the momma isnt too bad at running and she is letteing the baby come over to you. Some as they get older learn from momma to run from people so keep at her so she dont get that way. Good Luck

 

[Nupine]

As for collars getting stuck, use the plastic chain collars from Hoegger or Caprine Supply, they are cheap [a buck or two each], come in many colors, can fit any size adult goat, don't get snagly like nylon ones, are very attractive, and if the goat gets stuck they break away. I love them so much, and would NEVER EVER use anything else. If a goat gets caught in something, they just break away. But, I don't recommend putting them on a kid as a small kid may be too light to make them break away. [When they break they are not actually broken BTW.] I wait till 6 months old to put them on. But if you are patient and sweet to her there is nothing wrong with training her now. I dam raise most of my dairy goats and the 3 dam raised ones are just as sweet as my bottle raised one. I can't say this enough, JUST SPEND TIME WITH THEM!! It is a complete myth that all dam raised kids are skittish. Some are, but those need to be spent time with. Good luck!!!
Ashlyn