Just like dogs, goats need to know who the top boss is. If you play with them, they think you're one of them, on the same level with them. I grew up with goats and ended up getting smashed around by horns a good many times because they didn't know I was the top dog. I was just a lowley goat.
Just like he said in the video, there's two parts to play, with the second part because horns/head smashing. If you do the first part (chasing, jumping), they expect the second part. They play with aggression.
My Grandma had a Billy that we used to play with. When he got big Grandma was in the pen milking a nanny and he rared up on her. At 97 years old she picked up a 2x4 and gave him a whack. Next day Dad had to sell him😥
Years ago I had huge Kensing Spanish buck turn aggressive. After he took me off my feet like a bowling pin a few times, I realized that the wasn't trying to hurt me, he was just incredibly bored. This is how I fixed him: STEP 1 I taught him that I would scratch wherever he scratched with his horns, if he would come to me when called by name. STEP 2 I taught him that my hands could scratch the corona band of his horns if I wanted to - up in the back where he couldn't reach in any way. STEP 3 I taught him I wouldn't scratch behind his horns unless he put his front feet on top of an object such as a board - log - or plastic tub. I did that by standing on the opposite side and calling him by name, and scratching just as soon as his feet were on the object. I used the verbal command, "Get up on the log". STEP 4 I taught him I would stop scratching any time either of his front feet came off the object. STEP 5 - I taught him that the scratching was over when I said, "Go Eat". This was what I called the "Pancho tax". Whenever I entered the pasture, I was expected to pay the Pancho tax, and he was expected to keep his horns to himself. It worked great, I just substituted something more enjoyable for the aggressive behavior. It got to where he would run for the log just as soon as I came through the gate.
@@segzeeman7356 They can't reach the place between their horns and their ears. I scratched a goat there once and the goat thought it was heaven. Imagine never being able to scratch a place right on your head like that.
@@alexcarter8807 It's actually the best training reward for them. The corona band at the base of the horn is like the cuticle of your finger nail - and it doesn't release from the horn very well. It gets super itchy, and they can't reach the back side at all. Once you teach them that you can scratch it, you're their crack dealer.
i think its always really interesting to listen to someone talk about something they love to do. Its like their love for it is shared with us, and someone whos talking about buckets (if they really loved them) could be interesting to see!
We've been raising goats for 20+ years. My billies are not allowed to butt me and all my girls follow me inside or outside the pen. They're all good girls. Kidding season now and the kids are a blessing and so much fun to watch. Good vid. Hello from Arizona.
Bucks are males. Does are females. The term Billie is sooooooooo out dated and a term goat breeders dont accept anymore.Its a very old term which needs to stay in the past
...but, but, but, it's so much fun... In all seriousness, I think I owe an apology to EVERY petting zoo I ever visited as a kid. Good to know you did it too, that you didn't know in the beginning either, makes me feel like less of a jerk.
@@kosquo4328 I'm not. We all start life not knowing anything and this is the first anyone told me, so not really my fault I didn't know. Still, I feel bad if I set an animal up for confusion down the road: it's not fair to the animal.
You are so correct about asserting “correct” interaction with your goats. I give mine plenty of attention and love but let them know how they can interact with me. They are very intelligent and learn easily. Thanks for your great tips!!
Juvenile kangaroos play fight too. Great watching your clips, because it’s sensible animal handling and not anthropomorphising which people do too much these days. People think they’re caring for animals by treating them like humans, when it just confuses them and intrenches bad habits.
Exactly! They are NOT human they have their own communication and have for centuries. Don’t get me started on humans treating animals as if they have human emotion and/or communications 😡.UGH!!! 😣
I feel so lucky that my little sheep is so sweet, but the only time we allow him to engage in head communication or play is if we are holding a specific squeaky toy. This helped to explain a lot to me, and filled in a lot of spaces that I need to work with him in!
Another good, informative video. My dog says thank you too. We rescued a pup that had been abused by being held down on the ground by her throat by a little kid. She's very intelligent (probably more so than we are) and yet has been super anxious and reactive when we try to move her away from us by her collar. I could go on, we've tried everything you can think of the dog trainers recommended. Her way of getting attention was mouthing with teeth and she's a big dog. You could see the anxiety and stress build instantly in her every freaking night. When we were ready to relax and just chill for the evening she got stressed. She wanted to know what was expected of her and we were struggling for months to let her know what was right or wrong. Flipping her wasn't an option. Just kidding. We turned our bodies fully away from her until she got her feet on the floor and stopped with the mouth stuff. We pulled her against us against our legs while we sat and rubbed her side and back.. She's now calm and we're adding head rubs slowly as we go. I know this is a goat forum and you've been great with the advice on my goats but wow, this applies to reactive dogs too lol
Interesting about your dog, "Terri L". Guess we have to find out what they are thinking, and interact accordingly. I can see how similar the understanding of goat behaviour is. The Goat Guy certainly knows what he's doing . Well done to persevere. Have you seen Caesar the dog trainer on t.v.? He gets good results with applied dog psychology. Best Wishes from England.xx
Terri L - You are absolutely correct. I was a dog trainer for around 15 years, specializing in aggression rehab. There are a LOT of similarities between dogs and horses as far as the training goes, and now I guess goats apparently too :) Behavioral Modification is very difficult in many cases, especially when the dog never learned how to be a dog with humans. Glad to hear of your success!
You are such a lovely men. We can see that you love animals, and they love you, and you have so positive energy about you and its so wonderfull to listen to you. All best from Serbia.
Story time: We had some nubians and an alpine growing up. The oldest doe (Lacy) we purchased at one year old and we got her with a couple of other unrelated doe kids (Kerry and Eliza the alpine). The Lacy was the only one we ever successfully bred and she had two kids, Carver Brown (who was ultimately whethered) and Helen. So, Lacy - the only one we didn't raise for the first year of her life - was easily the meanest goat we had. She was always trying to hurt people with her head. She was very heady in general but the only person she liked was my father so she would rub her head lovingly on him and then try to nail anyone else. I didn't know better than to touch their heads but none of the others ever tried to hurt anyone. Actually, Kerry and Carver Brown would regularly step in between Lacy when she tried to attack me. They would take the hit themselves and then start head butting with her. Often they would work together to hold her off me. So yeah, I'm convinced that some goats can tell the difference between playing and fighting. Maybe Lacy couldn't. Perhaps that was her problem but Kerry and Carver Brown were definitely keenly aware of her intentions.
Great job explaining goat behavior -- especially the continuum of play to assertiveness to aggression. People who interact with goats need this solid factual information -- especially to not anthropomorphize goats (or any other animals). It's important for them to understand that the real world is not a Disneyland fantasy or a petting zoo! Thank you for doing such an important service!
It makes sense the bottle babies who get more "play" time, seem to be more willing to want to rough house with the humans. Going to have to crack the wip and be a little tougher on my babies. Thanks for the info!
I worked at a petting zoo for two years. We had goats, rams and goat-ram hybrids. This video is great advice. They compete 24/7 for hierarchy. If you don't want to be competing with them, don't play their game.
I grew up around milk and meat goat. I never new that you could use them as pack goat tell I found this channel. I am very much enjoy watching and learning from you.
Hi Mark, One of the first things I teach my goats (apart from their name) is the word 'No'. Ive found that I can teach this at any age, even those semi-wild rescues that have had minimal human direct contact. Recently I've taken on a 4yr old Alpine, who is used to playing with his owner, however, I've found that the play can easily get out of control with humans (to the aggression stage) displaying not only the posturing but also the horn contact like when fighting another goat. I believe he is confused about play with humans and its a bit of a process teaching him that isnt the way you interact with us. I have been handling his head (head scratches etc) and each time I do this he does think it leads to play time again. So, given your video, I believe youre onto something there and I'll stop touching his head and focus on his back and rump. He does love rumpy scratches (like most of them do) and so that is my new game plan. He is also learning the verbal 'no' as well which I believe is the most useful command for them to learn. In my teachings 'no' is also coupled with the freeze action/stop dont move. My original goat Masport has been saved from many a situation by knowing 'no' equals freeze. Thanks again for your insight and broadening my knowledge too. Regards Caro & Masport (in NZ) :-)
Hello NZ! How did it go in the last three months? I was also scratching the head and around the horns, thinking he’s itchy as they grow so I help him out. Turned out the thin line from play to aggression was crossed daily. Tonight I’ve found this channel and the flipping technique so I’m looking forward to try it out. Hope it worked for you.
@@raintree3383 not so much. Often the Alfa is the most aggressive and will take on a predator but he’s mostly protecting himself. Adult goats will pound and sometimes kill baby goats.
This is very helpful! I have had disbudded dairy goats for 14 years, but I recently got into horned cashmere and Arapawas. Behaviors that are a minor nuisance with disbudded goats are really problematic with the horned goats. I have a big bruise on my belly from being clipped by a buck whose horns spiral out to the side. Another behavior I discourage is allowing babies to jump on your back - the whole goat yoga thing 😱 - what’s cute with a baby is not fun with a 80+ pound adult goat (I don’t actually find it fun with babies myself). Also standing back when I open the gate, not rushing out. I often buy goats and have to train that bad habit out of them.
Had a Boer billy a few years ago. He was bottle fed. When I took him out of his pen I would put a single strand of twine on him and he would go where ever I led him no matter what. He was an incredible breeder and just a big baby.
I didn't want to play with my buck because he was my guy but my friends wanted him to be this loveable character so they would try and play with him and they all got head butted all the time and I never did and he would only walk with me not anyone else and it was only because everyone else played with him. Goats are about the most mature natured animal you can interact with.
I just mentioned pack goats to my girlfriend and you popped up on my suggested lol. You've got these guys well trained! I have never seen anyone curb their aggression like a dog. Its cool to see these goats as working animals.
The algorithm brought me here ❤️ Don’t own goats, live in the city. My Brain: you will need this information one day. Keep watching. Don’t do the dishes. Don’t shower. Watch goat training videos.
@@0029cost I live and grew up in the city too. I've never seen a goat that wasn't curried. But one day when you least expect it, you're going to find yourself in a pen full of goats. Sure they'll look friendly... sure you'll want to have fun and play with them... But you must learn to resist that urge and not play with them!
Thanks for saying so, I’m glad you find it helpful. I wonder if you would like the goat club membership where you get to see me work with them on a daily basis troubleshooting common issues with goats?
@@PackGoatscom if I was lucky enough to actually be keeping goats where I live, oh yes I would. I worked on a goat farm at 16, some 35 years ago, so much fun milking 28 nannies morning and afternoon. I knew none of the rules you speak of when dealing with a pen of a good 30 or so undisciplined wethers. Funny boys, but quite rude at times. Lol. 😆
Very useful. My buck is 7.5 months now and this is our issue. I did the same thing when he was a young kid. Playing with him has caused him to turn into a bully. Even after tipping him, he'll get right back up and start again.
Learning a lot. Same things apply to dogs. Playing dogs are also playing to establish the order and it's often close to fighting. If I am playing with my dogs I am asking for trouble, but if you have them under control than that can be fun. Just be sure not to confuse them. Great job👍
I grew up on a farm when I was younger in Hanover, Jamaica n my gma had various livestock including pig, cows n goats n everything u shared was very accurate. U have to curb the behaviors of the rams because they can be very aggressive especially whenever their around the nanny goats. My gma never allowed me to play or interact with the rams until I was old enough to understand their temperament. Their great animals especially the kids so adorable when their very young. One just has to know their nature because each animal's way of being is vastly different from each other. Great video. I wish u well with your livestock ✌🏿🙏🏿🐐
Great point. I've not had goats, but trying to learn all I can about them. This is actually true with a lot of other domestic animals. The more you play or rough-house with them, the more prone they are to being physically aggressive.
I am a new goat owner and I actually never realised the potential dangers that me and my dog are in they’re only cute little kids at the moment No heavier than 10 kg Cheers for the heads up
My sheep breeding experience tells me the same. You avoid hand feeding rams or even giving them rubs, but sheep dont have horns mostly and mostly are more timid so hand feeding them and giving them back rub can make them much more relaxed and friendly to work with. Goats have more intelligence and with training (if you go in open pastures with lot of bushes) you can train them as a group or individually to come back to you for some treat or form a group and go back. They can learn their names unlike sheep.
Play/Aggression is common in most animals. Similar types of aggression is present in all but a few mammals, and as you mentioned, establishes pecking order.
Yep baby horses are the same, never play with them. Also, I have never let kittens play bite or scratch, they end up being adult cats that never even consider scratching or biting, makes every day things like brushing their teeth, clipping nails and veterinary care that much easier.
I was trying to fix a fence to keep our goats from our neighbor's (luscious) yard and one of ours got frustrated and reared up ready to challenge me with the horns. I leaned forward, drew back my fist and said "Yeah?" She backed down fast. You can play with them, just don't let them get the upper hand.
I have had goats for years, I'm not sure I totally agree, although the gentleman evidently has a wealth of good knowledge. I think it's quite feasible to train and tame them in such a way that you can still communicate with them head on and still have them disciplined
I was taught this about alpha dogs and quickly applied this with horses a few years later. There are plenty people who will attempt to shout us down but all animals respect and will positively react to the alpha. (The human, for the daft) Nice message.
Awesome information! Just watched your video on taming a scared goat as well. We are brand new to goats and have one that is really scared. It didn’t help that she had a scary incident happen with the electric fence when we brought them home. Now she’s associating me with the fence, poor little thing. Your video has given me hope that we can mend our relationship with her. Definitely will be subscribing 😀
Correct on agression training. Can train alpines like a dog. I had a dairy herd of 20-40 alpines for 17 years. Not an expert, just had a lot of "learning opportunities". We kept ours dehorned with guineas, hogs and Shepard on guard for cyotes.
I really love these videos! Currently I am training a male gout that is very scared of people and these videos have really given me a lot of wonderful insight for him.
great, I'm so glad you find them helpful you will likely find a lot of benefit from this program on our site. packgoats.com/product/goat-club-membership/
Thanks, this follows on from a comment I read somewhere that most farmers seldom interact with goats several years old, because they're sold off into the meat trade before full maturity. She said most people have not dealt with full aged goats and that when they get past a few years of age they can be unreal, swift to violence etc
What is appropriate for aggression when new kids are born into the herd? My herd queen is attacking the new mother (they are sisters and generally not at odds) who had twins less than 24 hrs ago. I chose to separate the mother, a first time freshener, because I didn't know how the birth would go. I allowed brief interactions yesterday which was very gentle and loving. The herd queen and new mom are sisters. They brushed heads and licked each other. Then the herd queen ate all the grain I had out for her. Lol but that was it. Everyone else ignored her. I had the new mom and kids sleep in her birthing stall in the barn and everyone else slept outside (where there is a shelter) like normal. There is pretty heavy predator pressure here,, so until the dam stops bleeding, I just feel very cautious. This morning I felt like it would be fine and was OK with them sorting out pecking order (within reason); mohawks, fighting, gouging with horns and the babies got caught in the mix. There was no letting up and my herd queen had a rep for being a bully. After that, I pulled my other goats and put them out in the pasture. I'm not sure how to approach this. I don't want these tiny babies to get crushed to death, but am I making it worse by prolonging the pecking order behaviors?
And I have had goats like that before as well and I have culled them from my heard. Especially one that is breeding, she’s breeding more like her as a possibility and unless she was super valuable I would just get rid of her. You cannot manage goat on goat aggression. They are either that way or they aren’t, and I do believe they pass along those traits. Good luck
@@PackGoatscom Thanks. I knew that she would most likely be one of the first to go once I began culling/ growing the herd. Tough decisions. Sometimes it takes a minute to size up your animals with age/sexual maturity, experiences, and education. I certainly don't tolerate aggression (or bad behavior) in my other livestock, but I'm new to goats. So I didn't know if it was normal or a passing phase. Or maybe that I had done something wrong. One of my friends said it's because I had my dam kid in a birthing stall vs out in the yard with her herd. That just didn't seem right; but what do I know. 🤷♀️
I think this is a case by case basis. I had 2 billy goats when I was a kid. We always ran around and played with them. One of them was really calm and gentle, the other was really rough and "heady". I wish I knew what breed they were, they were one of the much smaller breeds. Either way, we never ran into any trouble with them, probably due to their small stature
Excellent advise. Management actual. People who can’t or won’t discern goat mind verses people mind may be setting animals up for trouble by engaging them with people logic. A neighbor’s dog was the boss over the people at their house. One day he decided to chase my chickens who were in a large yard but freaking out. I walked up to him with a leash saying NO and reenforced NO then showed him GOOD DOG behavior (in MY yard).
I had a Billy goat I played with when we were both kids, he grew up to be a real jerk.
Just like dogs, goats need to know who the top boss is. If you play with them, they think you're one of them, on the same level with them. I grew up with goats and ended up getting smashed around by horns a good many times because they didn't know I was the top dog. I was just a lowley goat.
Just like he said in the video, there's two parts to play, with the second part because horns/head smashing. If you do the first part (chasing, jumping), they expect the second part. They play with aggression.
My Grandma had a Billy that we used to play with. When he got big Grandma was in the pen milking a nanny and he rared up on her. At 97 years old she picked up a 2x4 and gave him a whack. Next day Dad had to sell him😥
@@rjay7019 Poor goat was confused.
@@aniyahlyszt3531 I think so too 😣 I was still sad he had to go.
I've never owned goats but I'm taking notes, because... Hey, this is UA-cam
LoL! That's almost poetry! 😁
i’m was watching how CPU chips are made and then this goat video shows up in my feed. I’m still wondering why I watched it?
@@josephscottadams39 - I was wondering why you were watching how CPU chips are made. I can see why you'd switch to a goat video 🤣.
They climb ladders and eat poison ivy.
Same🤣 mental notes about the goats
Love the random hen that just struts into the goat pen all like "Don't mind me just going to chickenbomb your video"
Note taken, I will stop head butting my goats 🐐 😤
Years ago I had huge Kensing Spanish buck turn aggressive. After he took me off my feet like a bowling pin a few times, I realized that the wasn't trying to hurt me, he was just incredibly bored. This is how I fixed him: STEP 1 I taught him that I would scratch wherever he scratched with his horns, if he would come to me when called by name. STEP 2 I taught him that my hands could scratch the corona band of his horns if I wanted to - up in the back where he couldn't reach in any way. STEP 3 I taught him I wouldn't scratch behind his horns unless he put his front feet on top of an object such as a board - log - or plastic tub. I did that by standing on the opposite side and calling him by name, and scratching just as soon as his feet were on the object. I used the verbal command, "Get up on the log". STEP 4 I taught him I would stop scratching any time either of his front feet came off the object. STEP 5 - I taught him that the scratching was over when I said, "Go Eat". This was what I called the "Pancho tax". Whenever I entered the pasture, I was expected to pay the Pancho tax, and he was expected to keep his horns to himself. It worked great, I just substituted something more enjoyable for the aggressive behavior. It got to where he would run for the log just as soon as I came through the gate.
Bob Hotchkiss, you are awesome!
This is adorable
For some reason I really enjoy how they scratch their back with their horns
Scratching something without lifting a finger?
super cool~
So, do they only get itchy where their horns reach? 😂
@@segzeeman7356 Yes, obviously, it's evolution.
@@segzeeman7356 They can't reach the place between their horns and their ears. I scratched a goat there once and the goat thought it was heaven. Imagine never being able to scratch a place right on your head like that.
@@alexcarter8807 It's actually the best training reward for them. The corona band at the base of the horn is like the cuticle of your finger nail - and it doesn't release from the horn very well. It gets super itchy, and they can't reach the back side at all. Once you teach them that you can scratch it, you're their crack dealer.
omg I didn't know goats wagged their tails when they're happy, that's precious
You should see baby goats being fed with milk
Holly crap they are only 8 months old?? They are huge.
Ya we grow some big boys.
How large do they get and how long does it take for meat goats?
I was thinking the same! What kind of goats are they?
@@danthadon87 i think they are Alpine or Alpine crosses. Mainly dairy goats, not meat goats
@@gracenjuguna7292 I think they are Alpine crosses
I have dairy goats. I am learning so much that I can use in my homesteading situation. Thanks!
Super awesome. Makes my heart happy.
U should make a video!!!
Upload a video
Same here... learning as much as I can before my first goats at my place! I want Dary/ poison oak/ brush clearing goats!
Check out Justin Rhodes's channel. He has his entire family homesteading and it's beautiful.
I had no idea that I was so interested in goats 🐐
Furry confirmed
Our neighbours owned a herd, I can't stand the smell. I think watching them on video is the maximum I can handle. The algorithm decided I needed to.
@@SamTahbou oh dear, you have been thoroughly "refined and indoctrinated" you can't stand nature unless it pleases your nostrils and eyes
i think its always really interesting to listen to someone talk about something they love to do.
Its like their love for it is shared with us, and someone whos talking about buckets (if they really loved them) could be interesting to see!
We've been raising goats for 20+ years.
My billies are not allowed to butt me and all my girls follow me inside or outside the pen.
They're all good girls.
Kidding season now and the kids are a blessing and so much fun to watch.
Good vid.
Hello from Arizona.
Bucks are males. Does are females. The term Billie is sooooooooo out dated and a term goat breeders dont accept anymore.Its a very old term which needs to stay in the past
@@keetajo4437 why does it need to stay in the past? i dont know. educate me
@@keetajo4437 I'm curious too. whats wrong with billies?
@@keetajo4437 Lel why so pressed?
...but, but, but, it's so much fun...
In all seriousness, I think I owe an apology to EVERY petting zoo I ever visited as a kid. Good to know you did it too, that you didn't know in the beginning either, makes me feel like less of a jerk.
@@kosquo4328 I'm not. We all start life not knowing anything and this is the first anyone told me, so not really my fault I didn't know. Still, I feel bad if I set an animal up for confusion down the road: it's not fair to the animal.
If you're a child in a petting zoo playing with the goats that is a whole different matter.
Great that you had fun with those goats!
You are so correct about asserting “correct” interaction with your goats. I give mine plenty of attention and love but let them know how they can interact with me. They are very intelligent and learn easily. Thanks for your great tips!!
Thanks! Thanks for watching.
Juvenile kangaroos play fight too.
Great watching your clips, because it’s sensible animal handling and not anthropomorphising which people do too much these days. People think they’re caring for animals by treating them like humans, when it just confuses them and intrenches bad habits.
Exactly! They are NOT human they have their own communication and have for centuries. Don’t get me started on humans treating animals as if they have human emotion and/or communications 😡.UGH!!! 😣
I feel so lucky that my little sheep is so sweet, but the only time we allow him to engage in head communication or play is if we are holding a specific squeaky toy. This helped to explain a lot to me, and filled in a lot of spaces that I need to work with him in!
Another good, informative video. My dog says thank you too. We rescued a pup that had been abused by being held down on the ground by her throat by a little kid. She's very intelligent (probably more so than we are) and yet has been super anxious and reactive when we try to move her away from us by her collar. I could go on, we've tried everything you can think of the dog trainers recommended. Her way of getting attention was mouthing with teeth and she's a big dog. You could see the anxiety and stress build instantly in her every freaking night. When we were ready to relax and just chill for the evening she got stressed. She wanted to know what was expected of her and we were struggling for months to let her know what was right or wrong. Flipping her wasn't an option. Just kidding. We turned our bodies fully away from her until she got her feet on the floor and stopped with the mouth stuff. We pulled her against us against our legs while we sat and rubbed her side and back.. She's now calm and we're adding head rubs slowly as we go. I know this is a goat forum and you've been great with the advice on my goats but wow, this applies to reactive dogs too lol
❤️❤️ What a neat story, thanks for sharing
Interesting about your dog, "Terri L". Guess we have to find out what they are thinking, and interact accordingly.
I can see how similar the understanding of goat behaviour is. The Goat Guy certainly knows what he's doing .
Well done to persevere.
Have you seen Caesar the dog trainer on t.v.? He gets good results with applied dog psychology.
Best Wishes from England.xx
Terri L - You are absolutely correct. I was a dog trainer for around 15 years, specializing in aggression rehab. There are a LOT of similarities between dogs and horses as far as the training goes, and now I guess goats apparently too :)
Behavioral Modification is very difficult in many cases, especially when the dog never learned how to be a dog with humans. Glad to hear of your success!
You are such a lovely men. We can see that you love animals, and they love you, and you have so positive energy about you and its so wonderfull to listen to you. All best from Serbia.
Dingle’s tail wagging is the cutest thing ever!
Story time: We had some nubians and an alpine growing up. The oldest doe (Lacy) we purchased at one year old and we got her with a couple of other unrelated doe kids (Kerry and Eliza the alpine). The Lacy was the only one we ever successfully bred and she had two kids, Carver Brown (who was ultimately whethered) and Helen. So, Lacy - the only one we didn't raise for the first year of her life - was easily the meanest goat we had. She was always trying to hurt people with her head. She was very heady in general but the only person she liked was my father so she would rub her head lovingly on him and then try to nail anyone else. I didn't know better than to touch their heads but none of the others ever tried to hurt anyone. Actually, Kerry and Carver Brown would regularly step in between Lacy when she tried to attack me. They would take the hit themselves and then start head butting with her. Often they would work together to hold her off me. So yeah, I'm convinced that some goats can tell the difference between playing and fighting. Maybe Lacy couldn't. Perhaps that was her problem but Kerry and Carver Brown were definitely keenly aware of her intentions.
Dem thinking goats
Some goats are like geese. They love one person, and HATE HATE HATE everyone else
Very interesting!
Great job explaining goat behavior -- especially the continuum of play to assertiveness to aggression. People who interact with goats need this solid factual information -- especially to not anthropomorphize goats (or any other animals). It's important for them to understand that the real world is not a Disneyland fantasy or a petting zoo! Thank you for doing such an important service!
The whole time the goat is thinking would you just scratch this damn spot on my ear STEVE! SHEEEEESH
Sheeesh lol
It makes sense the bottle babies who get more "play" time, seem to be more willing to want to rough house with the humans. Going to have to crack the wip and be a little tougher on my babies. Thanks for the info!
Laura G. 👍👍
I worked at a petting zoo for two years. We had goats, rams and goat-ram hybrids. This video is great advice. They compete 24/7 for hierarchy. If you don't want to be competing with them, don't play their game.
"We give our goats love at the back end"
heh, hah, ahem.
What's wrong with us if that's all we took from this 5 minutes effort?!
That's what farmers do.
What happens on the farm stays on the farm...LOL
Something something Welsh ancestry.
@@flamenco1961 you just ended in the clowns section of UA-cam
This is something I had to learn on my own. They speak with their heads if you let them.
I grew up around milk and meat goat. I never new that you could use them as pack goat tell I found this channel. I am very much enjoy watching and learning from you.
3:54 - HE LOVES YOU SO MUCH! Even after you scold him he can't help but wag his tail lol.
Hi Mark, One of the first things I teach my goats (apart from their name) is the word 'No'. Ive found that I can teach this at any age, even those semi-wild rescues that have had minimal human direct contact. Recently I've taken on a 4yr old Alpine, who is used to playing with his owner, however, I've found that the play can easily get out of control with humans (to the aggression stage) displaying not only the posturing but also the horn contact like when fighting another goat. I believe he is confused about play with humans and its a bit of a process teaching him that isnt the way you interact with us. I have been handling his head (head scratches etc) and each time I do this he does think it leads to play time again. So, given your video, I believe youre onto something there and I'll stop touching his head and focus on his back and rump. He does love rumpy scratches (like most of them do) and so that is my new game plan. He is also learning the verbal 'no' as well which I believe is the most useful command for them to learn. In my teachings 'no' is also coupled with the freeze action/stop dont move. My original goat Masport has been saved from many a situation by knowing 'no' equals freeze. Thanks again for your insight and broadening my knowledge too. Regards Caro & Masport (in NZ) :-)
Masport the Arapawa Goat thanks for all the info. Cheers!
Hello NZ! How did it go in the last three months? I was also scratching the head and around the horns, thinking he’s itchy as they grow so I help him out. Turned out the thin line from play to aggression was crossed daily. Tonight I’ve found this channel and the flipping technique so I’m looking forward to try it out. Hope it worked for you.
@@PackGoatscom Hi I cannot find an answer to my question and really hope you can help me ! Do Male Goats protect their babies ?
@@raintree3383 not so much. Often the Alfa is the most aggressive and will take on a predator but he’s mostly protecting himself. Adult goats will pound and sometimes kill baby goats.
@@PackGoatscom Oh..okay LOL.....Thank you so much for clarifying and Hello from Alberta Canada !!!!
4:19 I tried saying that to my wife... She just slapped me.
Loving these educational videos. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience with us!
Holy cow! Look at those horns! Respect.
This guy is my #1 source for goat information . . . also my only source for goat information
Thank you, Marc Warnke!🤗
I’m just ready to get a goat on my birthday!🤗
I didn’t really know this fact.😯
But with help from you I know what to do!😋👍😁🤳
This is very helpful! I have had disbudded dairy goats for 14 years, but I recently got into horned cashmere and Arapawas. Behaviors that are a minor nuisance with disbudded goats are really problematic with the horned goats. I have a big bruise on my belly from being clipped by a buck whose horns spiral out to the side.
Another behavior I discourage is allowing babies to jump on your back - the whole goat yoga thing 😱 - what’s cute with a baby is not fun with a 80+ pound adult goat (I don’t actually find it fun with babies myself). Also standing back when I open the gate, not rushing out. I often buy goats and have to train that bad habit out of them.
Had a Boer billy a few years ago.
He was bottle fed.
When I took him out of his pen I would put a single strand of twine on him and he would go where ever I led him no matter what.
He was an incredible breeder and just a big baby.
I didn't want to play with my buck because he was my guy but my friends wanted him to be this loveable character so they would try and play with him and they all got head butted all the time and I never did and he would only walk with me not anyone else and it was only because everyone else played with him. Goats are about the most mature natured animal you can interact with.
I’ve always wanted goats, and your videos are great information to set people up for success with goats. Thank you!
1:40 the goat was like: Yeah yeah whatever just give me some rubbing
I just mentioned pack goats to my girlfriend and you popped up on my suggested lol. You've got these guys well trained! I have never seen anyone curb their aggression like a dog. Its cool to see these goats as working animals.
Growing up on a ranch, goats were my favorite animals. So much fun! Especially, the kids.
Wow never thought I would be into a goat UA-cam channel but here I am! 👍
I love goats so much! The one on the top is eating his jacket at 0: 42 lmao!! They're awesome.
I thought we were going to see him being attacked by all the goats. "...and that's why you shouldn't play with them." :)
Me too
The algorithm brought me here ❤️
Don’t own goats, live in the city.
My Brain: you will need this information one day. Keep watching. Don’t do the dishes. Don’t shower. Watch goat training videos.
@@0029cost I live and grew up in the city too. I've never seen a goat that wasn't curried. But one day when you least expect it, you're going to find yourself in a pen full of goats. Sure they'll look friendly... sure you'll want to have fun and play with them... But you must learn to resist that urge and not play with them!
I'm intrested in getting goats for milk and poison oak/ brush control. Good to see this kind of much needed goat handling advice!
would the poison oak chemicals get into the milk? asking because I don't know
I love how you have a doorway in the fence for the wandering chickens!
Key takeaway from this video - we get love at the back end.
2:42 - OMG. I love the little chicken door and how it just strolled on over.
Why should I play with my goats?
Edit: Oh okay, I now understand why I should play with my goats. Thank you for this informational video
"We give loooove at the back end". Oh yeah
No head, homie don't go there.
*Giggity!*
Yep! There it is...I came here just to find this comment 🤣 🤣 🤣
🤣🤣
Y’all lil kids so lame lol
I love this channel 🖤 I having an existential crisis atm, and these videos give me life. 🙂 I love goats.
You give such nice clear advice, it's really helpful stuff.
Thanks for saying so, I’m glad you find it helpful. I wonder if you would like the goat club membership where you get to see me work with them on a daily basis troubleshooting common issues with goats?
@@PackGoatscom if I was lucky enough to actually be keeping goats where I live, oh yes I would. I worked on a goat farm at 16, some 35 years ago, so much fun milking 28 nannies morning and afternoon.
I knew none of the rules you speak of when dealing with a pen of a good 30 or so undisciplined wethers. Funny boys, but quite rude at times. Lol. 😆
Yep had to put mine on his back a few times, they are very smart curious animals they will learn if we learn how to talk to them right❤️
Thanks Marc! You are spot on!
Randy Mangum 👊
@@PackGoatscom how much do cost for goats? Cuase i need em for my religion
Very useful. My buck is 7.5 months now and this is our issue. I did the same thing when he was a young kid. Playing with him has caused him to turn into a bully. Even after tipping him, he'll get right back up and start again.
Learning a lot. Same things apply to dogs. Playing dogs are also playing to establish the order and it's often close to fighting. If I am playing with my dogs I am asking for trouble, but if you have them under control than that can be fun. Just be sure not to confuse them. Great job👍
I grew up on a farm when I was younger in Hanover, Jamaica n my gma had various livestock including pig, cows n goats n everything u shared was very accurate. U have to curb the behaviors of the rams because they can be very aggressive especially whenever their around the nanny goats. My gma never allowed me to play or interact with the rams until I was old enough to understand their temperament. Their great animals especially the kids so adorable when their very young. One just has to know their nature because each animal's way of being is vastly different from each other. Great video. I wish u well with your livestock ✌🏿🙏🏿🐐
And this explains where I messed up with my bottle-fed Nigerian buck 🤦🏼♀️
" we give love from the back end" I'm sorry that made me laugh lol.
Great point. I've not had goats, but trying to learn all I can about them. This is actually true with a lot of other domestic animals. The more you play or rough-house with them, the more prone they are to being physically aggressive.
Very helpful! Thanks Mark!
Travis Miller welcome!
I am a new goat owner and I actually never realised the potential dangers that me and my dog are in they’re only cute little kids at the moment
No heavier than 10 kg Cheers for the heads up
Thanks for all your helpful info Marc. Much appreciated.
You bet! Cheers
My sheep breeding experience tells me the same. You avoid hand feeding rams or even giving them rubs, but sheep dont have horns mostly and mostly are more timid so hand feeding them and giving them back rub can make them much more relaxed and friendly to work with. Goats have more intelligence and with training (if you go in open pastures with lot of bushes) you can train them as a group or individually to come back to you for some treat or form a group and go back. They can learn their names unlike sheep.
Play/Aggression is common in most animals. Similar types of aggression is present in all but a few mammals, and as you mentioned, establishes pecking order.
Yep baby horses are the same, never play with them. Also, I have never let kittens play bite or scratch, they end up being adult cats that never even consider scratching or biting, makes every day things like brushing their teeth, clipping nails and veterinary care that much easier.
i love your videos. subbed. i dont have goats, i just like seeing them. thank you for loving and caring for them.
Marc is the goat whisper!
Fascinating. Somehow my YT algorithm pulled this up.. 🐐!
I was trying to fix a fence to keep our goats from our neighbor's (luscious) yard and one of ours got frustrated and reared up ready to challenge me with the horns. I leaned forward, drew back my fist and said "Yeah?" She backed down fast. You can play with them, just don't let them get the upper hand.
I don’t have goats, but I’ve been to a goat farm recently and i fell in love with these animals
I have had goats for years, I'm not sure I totally agree, although the gentleman evidently has a wealth of good knowledge.
I think it's quite feasible to train and tame them in such a way that you can still communicate with them head on and still have them disciplined
I was taught this about alpha dogs and quickly applied this with horses a few years later. There are plenty people who will attempt to shout us down but all animals respect and will positively react to the alpha. (The human, for the daft) Nice message.
Probably the most useful video I've seen on UA-cam. Thanks.
Yeah that makes sense. Thanks!
Awesome information! Just watched your video on taming a scared goat as well. We are brand new to goats and have one that is really scared. It didn’t help that she had a scary incident happen with the electric fence when we brought them home. Now she’s associating me with the fence, poor little thing. Your video has given me hope that we can mend our relationship with her. Definitely will be subscribing 😀
He named his breeding male goat "Dangle." I love this guy!
Correct on agression training. Can train alpines like a dog.
I had a dairy herd of 20-40 alpines for 17 years. Not an expert, just had a lot of "learning opportunities". We kept ours dehorned with guineas, hogs and Shepard on guard for cyotes.
Thanks for the valuable information.
We love our goats, but are not familiar with how to make our lives blend. Thank you for your help!!
If I lived in America I would love to go on one of your courses, if only for the experience. Very informative great work!
Great tips! I love your videos! 😁
Lisa Aguilar thanks! Glad you like them.
I really love these videos! Currently I am training a male gout that is very scared of people and these videos have really given me a lot of wonderful insight for him.
great, I'm so glad you find them helpful you will likely find a lot of benefit from this program on our site. packgoats.com/product/goat-club-membership/
Thanks, this follows on from a comment I read somewhere that most farmers seldom interact with goats several years old, because they're sold off into the meat trade before full maturity. She said most people have not dealt with full aged goats and that when they get past a few years of age they can be unreal, swift to violence etc
Our male Boer is 8 months old and so rough - thanks for the great tips 👌 they will really help us with him ...
3:37 the fella comes in like saying " you have my seal of approval".
when do you cut? do you do it yourself? how do you decide who gets cut and who breeds? great vid. cheers
Beautiful creatures. 👏🌱🌳💚
What is appropriate for aggression when new kids are born into the herd?
My herd queen is attacking the new mother (they are sisters and generally not at odds) who had twins less than 24 hrs ago.
I chose to separate the mother, a first time freshener, because I didn't know how the birth would go. I allowed brief interactions yesterday which was very gentle and loving. The herd queen and new mom are sisters. They brushed heads and licked each other. Then the herd queen ate all the grain I had out for her. Lol but that was it. Everyone else ignored her.
I had the new mom and kids sleep in her birthing stall in the barn and everyone else slept outside (where there is a shelter) like normal. There is pretty heavy predator pressure here,, so until the dam stops bleeding, I just feel very cautious. This morning I felt like it would be fine and was OK with them sorting out pecking order (within reason); mohawks, fighting, gouging with horns and the babies got caught in the mix. There was no letting up and my herd queen had a rep for being a bully. After that, I pulled my other goats and put them out in the pasture.
I'm not sure how to approach this. I don't want these tiny babies to get crushed to death, but am I making it worse by prolonging the pecking order behaviors?
And I have had goats like that before as well and I have culled them from my heard. Especially one that is breeding, she’s breeding more like her as a possibility and unless she was super valuable I would just get rid of her. You cannot manage goat on goat aggression. They are either that way or they aren’t, and I do believe they pass along those traits. Good luck
@@PackGoatscom
Thanks.
I knew that she would most likely be one of the first to go once I began culling/ growing the herd. Tough decisions. Sometimes it takes a minute to size up your animals with age/sexual maturity, experiences, and education.
I certainly don't tolerate aggression (or bad behavior) in my other livestock, but I'm new to goats. So I didn't know if it was normal or a passing phase. Or maybe that I had done something wrong.
One of my friends said it's because I had my dam kid in a birthing stall vs out in the yard with her herd. That just didn't seem right; but what do I know. 🤷♀️
Its too late to see this,I have already been playing with my gost's head too much 😂
Just say nooooooooo
@@SomeBuddy777 my goat dont care "no"😂,she's the boss,visit her in my channel😁
Super Smart 😎 Love ❤️ this stuff
Beautiful goats
thanks
I needed to hear this. Now I know. Thank you.
I think this is a case by case basis. I had 2 billy goats when I was a kid. We always ran around and played with them. One of them was really calm and gentle, the other was really rough and "heady". I wish I knew what breed they were, they were one of the much smaller breeds. Either way, we never ran into any trouble with them, probably due to their small stature
Such useful information thanks
I don't have any goats but this video made me suddenly feel like I want one
Excellent advise. Management actual. People who can’t or won’t discern goat mind verses people mind may be setting animals up for trouble by engaging them with people logic. A neighbor’s dog was the boss over the people at their house. One day he decided to chase my chickens who were in a large yard but freaking out. I walked up to him with a leash saying NO and reenforced NO then showed him GOOD DOG behavior (in MY yard).
One million supporters for this youtuber.
Very helpful advice! 🙂
oceanblue glad you think so. Cheers.
This has been very helpful
This is great thanks marc
Definitely helpful information. I don’t play with my stallion or my bull for the same reason. Thanks for another good video.