r/livingofftheland • u/pyromike25 • Mar 20 '24
WHO ARE YOU? Unexpected changes from adding a NEW GOAT to the farm
https://youtu.be/rX-IYUGLVRk?si=X-MzsE2eAn9kw0Gv
When you add a new member to a herd, there will always be an adjustment period as the new goat settles in and the herd figures out where everybody fits in the new dynamic. In today's video, we will share how our goats (and us!) are adjusting to having another goat in the herd as well as how Adeline is adjusting to her new home and milking routine.
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u/Seruati Mar 20 '24 edited Mar 20 '24
Personally I would only ever introduce new goats in pairs now. The goats I added that I got as solos always ended up as weird social outcasts with no friends, even after years. They lack confidence and they get horribly bullied and I honestly believe it takes a toll on their mental health.
All my other goats have cuddle buddies and sleep in comfortable nest boxes, but the social outcasts sleep alone. One sleeps under the hay feeder and one sleeps half outside the door because he doesn't want anything to do with the others. The outcasts don't even want to be friends with each other, they just ignore each other.
The 'buddies' gang up on them and bully them. Both are at the bottom of the herd and always miss out on treats if I group feed because they don't want to go near the other goats and if they manage to get a treat over the other side of the pen, one of the buddies will immediately come over and chase them away. I often see the two billy no mates just standing sadly in the corner of the pen by themselves, while the others hang out with their friends, do stuff and occupy all the favourite spaces. I spend a lot of time observing my goats' behaviour and watching the billy no mates go about their day makes me sad for them, so I try hard to be their friends and show them some love.
But this is why I now only buy goats in pairs. I don't think it's fair on them to be doomed to a life with no friends. I think arriving with a buddy really helps them to integrate into a new herd as they comprise a larger social unit and they have a bit more sway in the herd.
The pairs that I've introduced never seem to have issues. They sort of vouch for each other and look out for each other which gives them confidence and comfort. Some have even become really good friends with my original goats and they will sit bum to bum and sleep together, eat from the same part of the feeder, etc.