Training a goat to lead?

[Cara]

I have a three month old doe kid that is completely insane. I honestly think she's wilder than a deer. While trying to catch her out of the pen this afternoon she cleared a 6' fence, and it took me three hours to get her caught. The plan was to teach her to lead and hopefully get her used to being handled and possibly easier to sell. She is just awful. She jumps in the air and throws herself down flat on her side repeatedly. I was so worried she'd kill herself that I had to give up. Help, please!!!!

 

[Skyesrocket]

It sounds like you need to get her used to people before you try lead training.

 

[cassie]

Is this kid mother raised? What breed is she? You have a bigger problem than just teaching her to lead. If I were you, I would take her out of the pen and tie her up short in the barn or a stall or something. So she has enough rope to stand and lie down but not enough to hurt herself. Then just work with her every day.

 

[citrusdreams]

Yeah, she's a wild one

You just need to work with her a bit every day. I personally wouldn't tie her up unattended - at all. But I would definitely put her in a small area, like a dog kennel. She just needs to learn to get to know you and trust you. She'll come around if you have patience with her. Good luck

I have a hard time with dam-raised kids as well, until they are food motivated. Then it gets a tad easier.

 

[Cara]

Yes she's dam raised. She's a Sable. Her brother is just fine with me and quite friendly, as is her mother. She is a misfit. If I corner her she runs up the wall and jumps over my shoulder

 

[citrusdreams]

Dam-raised are sometimes harder to handle. And of course, if you have to do any maintenance like vaccines, or worming or coccidia prevention, they all get all wild. At least mine do.

She'll calm down the more she's handled.

 

[Cara]

It's about weaning time, would putting her and her brother in a small pen together be a good idea? Perhaps if I hold the feed bucket so she has to come close to me?

 

[citrusdreams]

I don't know anything about sables. But I do know that boers, alpines, nubians, saanens, la manchas, ant toggs can breed at that age, which would be very bad for her. You want to wait until she is either 80lbs or 8months old before she is bred. I know, crazy, but true. They can and will breed at three months...

Not that you need another headache, but another little girl companion would be good. I didn't realize you have her by herself. Goats don't do well by themselves at all. If you have her by herself she'll be miserable. Can she at least see the other goat? That sometimes helps...

 

[Cara]

I don't have her by herself, she's in a pen with her mother and her brother. There's another doe and two kids that were born on Friday in the next pen, so she can see those too.

 

[Skyesrocket]

Maybe spend a lot of time just hanging out in the pen. If she runs around like a nut when you go in then go in a sit so you are at her level. Take some treats and give them to mom and brother. Don't give her any until she starts approaching you. Any step in your direction from her and toss her a treat.
It's kind of like approach and retreat, which is used with spooky horses. Go into the pen ignoring her. Her anxiety level will go up. But each time you do it her anxiety level should be less.
Since goats are so food motivated she may start approaching you to get her fair share of goodies. It has to be something she knows is a treat. Don't ask too much of her...just to approach you, don't try to touch her right away.
Good Luck.