My dumb smart goat

[citymeetscountry]

Scared the crap out of me tonight as I was doing my evening rounds. I had already locked the ducks and chickens up for the night and was walking into the shop to put their feeders away. I was started by a sound and then saw Obi jump out of the feed container and semi run off (well he started to, but instead just stood and looked at me). He’s an escape artist so it’s no surprise. It also wasn’t the first time he’s gotten in to the feed. He had been standing with Maul in their pen when I first started the lock up process. It’s been a whole (like 2 weeks ) since he last escaped. But darn it, he somehow realized the shop (garage) door was open. What I would like to know is how he consistently knows which feed container to get into. (They’re lined up-goat, chicken, duck). We had to start putting the chicken feeder into the top of their tractor so he couldn’t get to it when they’re out foraging and he sneaks out. Anyway, thanks for listening. The joys of goat ownership…

I’m just so grateful he didn’t tear up/eat the “castle walls” I had on the floor drying.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

I startled one of my goats when he got into our feed bin, when I left the door to our shed open, too. Spooked him so much he fainted! (We'd only recently learned he was a fainting goat, in another startling incident. He came to us as a rescue with no breed or background information at all.) Funny how they believe they are entitled to whatever the heck they want.

I'm surprised you had time to get the photo of the little sneak!

 

[Callender Girl]

Dumb-smart is a great description of goats!

And, yes, they are all entitled; you can tell by the look in their beautiful goat eyes.

 

[citymeetscountry]

I startled one of my goats when he got into our feed bin, when I left the door to our shed open, too. Spooked him so much he fainted! (We'd only recently learned he was a fainting goat, in another startling incident. He came to us as a rescue with no breed or background information at all.) Funny how they believe they are entitled to whatever the heck they want.

I'm surprised you had time to get the photo of the little sneak!

Maul is our fainting goat so he doesn’t typically escape. One time he did manage to unlatch our big gate and he knew he was in trouble when he saw me…he fainted on the spot

The most hilarious time was when there was a deer in our yard. The ducks went to investigate. When they decided it was all clear, they “flew” overhead back to the pond, right over the goat. He fainted to the side, got up, and fainted the other direction.

 

[citymeetscountry]

Dumb-smart is a great description of goats!

And, yes, they are all entitled; you can tell by the look in their beautiful goat eyes.

I thought he was just dumb escaping (brushing against the fence and falling under), now I realize he’s part evil genius. Besides realizing the shop was open to get feed, he usually puts himself back into the lower part of our yard and waits for us to open the gate back for him.

 

[sourland]

Goats will find a way to get into trouble. It's in their rule book.

 

[Callender Girl]

When I got Jezebel, I renamed her Contessa, or Tessa for short. I should have called her Houdini. It wasn't unusual to come home and see her standing in the driveway, taunting me again.

No goat or sheep has ever escaped more times than she has. But, never when I was watching her.

A few years back, it was happening so regularly that I resorted to hiding in a chicken coop to see how she was managing. I had already wrapped all the fence line trees in chicken wire so she could no longer scale them. I added rigid cattle panels to all the places where I could see the woven wire was worn and weakened. I moved everything and anything that she might be able to climb and propel herself over the fence.

Turns out, she'd found one weak spot at the bottom of some remaining wire fencing and was using her horns to deftly lift the fence just enough that she could crawl underneath it.
It's truly humbling to be outwitted by a goat.

 

[citymeetscountry]

When I got Jezebel, I renamed her Contessa, or Tessa for short. I should have called her Houdini. It wasn't unusual to come home and see her standing in the driveway, taunting me again.

No goat or sheep has ever escaped more times than she has. But, never when I was watching her.

A few years back, it was happening so regularly that I resorted to hiding in a chicken coop to see how she was managing. I had already wrapped all the fence line trees in chicken wire so she could no longer scale them. I added rigid cattle panels to all the places where I could see the woven wire was worn and weakened. I moved everything and anything that she might be able to climb and propel herself over the fence.

Turns out, she'd found one weak spot at the bottom of some remaining wire fencing and was using her horns to deftly lift the fence just enough that she could crawl underneath it.
It's truly humbling to be outwitted by a goat.

Yep. We have reinforced with Rabar, blocked with rocks, pulled the fence taught. But he gets out. And since this I have lost count to is week. He either does is relentlessly or not at all. No rhyme or reason. Gotta love ‘em though