Help with building trust with new to me packgoats

[Imcolej]

I recently acquired a goat pack string of 6. Some are older (between 5-8) with more experience and a few are younger (2 1/2-3 1/2) and more wary of me. 3 of the 6 are kikos who were dam raised. The 3 dam raised kikos are definitely not as friendly as the bottle raised goats I have (La Mancha's).

I just spent an hour trying to catch the younger 2 1/2 year old kiko in the national forest after a hike. I'm looking for advice on things I can do to build trust with these goats and have them not always want to be at arms length from me. They have much more of a llama vibe that way vs. the other 3 I have who truly fit the bill of friendly goats who come up and greet you when you enter the pasture. This was the appeal for me with goats in the first place and don't want to have to "catch" them every time I want to take them for a hike.

My plan as of right now is to always have the most wary ones always on a lead with me and my oldest son but that kind of defeats the purpose for me of having goats vs. llamas.

Any advice is welcome. Thanks

 

[wysongdog]

Treats. Apples, carrots, etc, has worked with my mules. Maybe will work with goats.

 

[go_deep]

Definitely just spend time in the pasture with them, just being around them will help, I'm sure some special treats that they have to take from your hand will help too

 

[GoatPackr]

It takes a lot of time. Sit and let them come to you eventually you will be able to touch them but don't move after them when they pull away.
Some treats are ok. One thing you never want to do is feed them from anything that crinkles. Think treats from a bag. What will happen is when you or a kid gets a snack out along the trail you will have 6 monsters climbing all over you.
Our goats have no idea what is in a plastic bag or candy wrapper.
We put treats in our pockets.

I'm curious where those Kikos came from?
Lesson to you and others. No dam raised goats for packing. Bottle goats are so much easier to work with.
Don't give up on goats just because you got ahold of a couple bad ones.
Kris

 

[Bachto]

It's already been mentioned but spending time with them in the pasture. You can also get them in a small enclosure so they don't have room to run around. I had a goat I was quite literally gifted and he wanted nothing to do with me. The lady that gave him to me swore he was so friendly. After about 6 months of being in my pasture he really started to warm up, now he's just as friendly as my others and we have less and less "goat rodeos" with him.

 

[TaperPin]

I don’t own goats, so take this for what it’s worth based on my limited interaction with both good and bad ones.

The funniest goat ever was so curious about what you were doing if you looked over a wood fence, he’d be right next to you looking over. If you pretended to look around a tree he would walk over and look around it with you. From a deer’s viewpoint he’d see a Hunter behind a rifle, and that damn goat looking over your head. Lol

One goat owner said he thinks of them somewhat like dogs and regular walks keep them more bonded to the group, and you, the goat in charge - and that points out strengths and weaknesses of each. Working goats are easier to deal with if they have the personality for it - maybe those two would be happier as pets or lazy farm goats. Of course that’s easier if you or your family arn’t emotionally attached to them.

Treats in your pockets are a great idea.

 

[Legend]

I recently acquired a goat pack string of 6. Some are older (between 5-8) with more experience and a few are younger (2 1/2-3 1/2) and more wary of me. 3 of the 6 are kikos who were dam raised. The 3 dam raised kikos are definitely not as friendly as the bottle raised goats I have (La Mancha's).

I just spent an hour trying to catch the younger 2 1/2 year old kiko in the national forest after a hike. I'm looking for advice on things I can do to build trust with these goats and have them not always want to be at arms length from me. They have much more of a llama vibe that way vs. the other 3 I have who truly fit the bill of friendly goats who come up and greet you when you enter the pasture. This was the appeal for me with goats in the first place and don't want to have to "catch" them every time I want to take them for a hike.

My plan as of right now is to always have the most wary ones always on a lead with me and my oldest son but that kind of defeats the purpose for me of having goats vs. llamas.

Any advice is welcome. Thanks

I would highly recommend not using a lead rope. That doesn't work longterm.

And honestly I would sell them and get bottle fed goats. Unless you can spend an hour a day every day forever. And even then they might become friendlier but only to that one person.

My 2 cents.

 

[Imcolej]

Thanks for all the feedback. I'm digesting it all. The guy that I got them from said out of all six the two older kikos were his best packers so I'm hesitant to sell them without trying to work with them a bit. I have a deposit down for four bottle fed kids for next spring so these six need to bridge the gap for the next couple of years is the plan.

What types of problems does using a lead rope create? Just a pain long term for the handler or something else?

I will try and see where the kikos came from but don't have that info now.

I will start trying some treats and seeing what work. Thanks again for the info.

 

[missjordan]

Just spend time with them. If you can put them in a smaller pen that would be preferred. Brush, scratch, and love on them. Treats work too. They should come around. I’d try and not catch them maybe 1 out of 4 times you spend time with them for a bit


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[Rookie season]

I've had my goats from babies, I recognize this is a slightly different situation. My goats favorite treat is salted peanuts, may be worth a try. Additionally, I think if you win over the alpha the others will come around!