# Taming Pygmy Goats



## tduerson (Jul 24, 2004)

I have had 2, 3 month old Pygmy Doelings for about 1 month. They had not been handled except to be feed. I have been trying to get them to become more freindly without much luck. They will come you me when I have food and eat out of my hand, but dont like to be petted or touched. I have heard how Pygmy's will jump in our lap and loved human attention. How can I tame my 2 girls to be lovable. I have tried to just sit in the fence with them and let them get use to me. They usually just go off and browse around. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
Tina


----------



## missbecky (Jun 5, 2004)

Patience, patience patience. It takes patience. We had the same thing happen to us. They have never truly become overly " Lovey ". We got our girls one was 6 weeks old and the other 4 months. They are now about 2 and 2 and a half.
They have never been the cudly ones that we wanted but we have bread them and the babies have been handled A LOT since the day they were born. 
They are the one who are the cuddley ones. This is my experience others might have a better experience.
We tried sitting with them when they were younger and they sniffed but reallly they were kind of skiddish and still are. (the older ones.) Keep up with the just being with them. They might warm up to you.

Take care.
~ Becky


----------



## trixiwick (Jun 9, 2004)

Good advice from Miss Becky - just keep trying. It is possible, though, if these kids were imprinted on other goats rather than people, that they'll never be super-friendly. We have a doe who was clearly goat-imprinted and loves other goats but isn't crazy about being touched by us. She's not scared, and we can still sort of play with her, but she's just not all that interested in us. Unless we have food.

If it makes you feel better, the hyper-friendly two kids we have right now (who are from a friendly mom and were handled by us from day one) are getting a little on the annoying side. They aren't just lap goats, give them a chance and they'll be on your back, your shoulders, your head - and they're about 20 pounds now, so it isn't as cute as it was when they weighed 5 pounds. Plus, they baaa a LOT whenever they see us.

*Miss Becky*, our little doeling is named Becky and we often call her "miss becky". She's a piece of work!


----------



## mizattitude (Nov 10, 2003)

trixiwick said:


> If it makes you feel better, the hyper-friendly two kids we have right now (who are from a friendly mom and were handled by us from day one) are getting a little on the annoying side. They aren't just lap goats, give them a chance and they'll be on your back, your shoulders, your head - and they're about 20 pounds now, so it isn't as cute as it was when they weighed 5 pounds. Plus, they baaa a LOT whenever they see us.
> 
> [!



I agree..my bottlefed babies are annoying..they climb all over you..won't leave you alone..constantly in your face..but they are OH so cute.

I still prefer that to them running away when they see you


----------



## Night Owl (Jul 20, 2004)

One other interesting point, I think friendly mother goats teach their babies whether or not to trust people. The goats I have that were not born at my house are not what you'd call lap goats. They come to eat, and stand nicely to be patted when they are caught. But off they go after that. With the little ones born here, we have a better chance. By handling them every day, and being in the pens, they are used to us. If the momma goat comes up to me, the babies are better about it.
The bottle fed babies are the only ones that I have that chase me around. I like that though! 
Don't feel bad if you have to bribe your goatlings. You'll still have a good realtionship with them. 
fiasco farm has a page on taming you might want to read.
have fun!


----------



## Zuiko (Apr 24, 2004)

I have a similar deal, I just got 2 does that are a few years old, with doe kids nursing. A wether is a little older, and an unrelated buck is a little older then that. The 2 big does and the buck let me scratch/pet them, however the 3 smaller ones do not. I think they will get better as it goes. The buck will follow me around, whereas the others only do if I'm headed for grain. I'm hoping they will catch on, and see that 'mommy' lets me around her... I do not want anything overly friendly, like you said that becomes annoying. But I want to be able to put them on a collar, brush them, etc. I have a puppy to play with. I found with the buck, sometimes its hard to leave, because he follows me right to the door. Good Luck


----------



## Guest (Aug 3, 2004)

When we got our two goats we didn't know what we were in for. They were stand offish when we looked at them prior to being weaned. The one good thing is I have kids. They were so facinated by them it didn't take long for them to become friendly.

When we got the goats my kids were off for spring break. During this time my youngest would go out in the lot and just sit. He wouldn't try to take them anything and he wouldn't try to touch them. One was even to the point she wouldn't eat until we left the lot. He would just sit there. He would sit there for such long periods of time he had fallen asleep. While he was sleeping they took the time to get accquainted with him. He woke up being used as a pillow for these two goats. He still didn't pet them or offer to touch them he just talked to them. 

This continued for the entire week. It is funny how they get use to a schedule. When he would get in from school this is the first place he would go and spend time with them only talking to them. Now when we go in the lot with them we are almost knocked down by them pushing and butting each other trying to get in our laps. The one that was so stand offish now likes to be carried and to sit on your lap. The other one she is a hand full. She will get on my lap but on her terms, she has a thing for my hair if I bend over she comes running trying to pull it or if I sit down she will climb up trying to pull it. I went and had it cut off in an attempt to not have her so interested, it didn't work now she tries to climb up my back to get to it.

If you find something they like such as a box of raisins get the small snack size boxes once they realize they like this and see what sort of box it comes from they will be all over you to get to them. Mine know what a red box means. They even beg like a dog for their raisons.


----------



## Zuiko (Apr 24, 2004)

When I talked to the person with mini donkeys today (I'm buying 2 foals) he said the same thing. I've noticed this with dogs. I've been going through puppy classes and a lot of it makes sence for all animals (I'm testing it with my ducks) When they are little, they are afraid, and arent sure what your deal is. If you think about it, their goal in life is to reproduce, to reproduce, they need to eat... My puppy class teacher is big with rewarding with food, she also works with farm animals the same way. The only time the young goats let me touch them, or even get too close, is when theres sweet feed involved, or sometimes a tree branch. I have been giving my ducks, and all the poultry scraps of bread. A couple pieces per day. It seems to send them a different message then filling up their feeder (after all, that will be full all day, but these bread scraps go very fast). I am working on making pens in my barn, then I think dividing them up will help (the older does are very controlling of everybody else) Patience, aided with food, will go far.


----------

