How do ya'all catch your goats when they escape? I had Roy, my African pygmy buck off by himself in a 10 x 10 x 6 foot tall chain link dog kennel since he was trying to mount Nanny who is very pregnant and Minnie Mouse who is only 3 months old. Anyway, he rammed the gate long enough and hard enough that he twisted the latch enough to where it would open. And after he pushed his way into the other pen with the wethers he was happy. Then he decided he wanted out after a few days and pushed his way out under their fence (and now had to catch 3 goats). The wethers came right up to me to see if I had any treats, so that was easy enough. But after chasing Roy around for 2 hours and actually getting a hold of him once and wrestling him to the pen only to have him twist free at the last moment, I had to resort to bribing him. So I put a scoop of sweet feed in the pen, and as soon as he saw me approaching the pen he would bolt. So I said, OK. Feed isn't working, so let's tie Nanny out in the pen and see what he does. Same thing, as soon as he saw me, he'd bolt. So I had to tie a rope to the door, and stand back 20 feet and trip the trap so to speak.

I've since fortified the latch with 2 seperate loops of chain and spring loaded clamps, 1 high and 1 low, and all has been quiet for the last 2 days. But my wife is still laughing at me and comparing me to Bill Murray in "Caddy Shack"... AAAAaaaaaaaaaaccckkkkkkk!

-- Eric in TN (eric_m_stone@yahoo.com), December 03, 2001

Answers

Reminds me of the time my buck went through his chain link gate in Texas--I began to imagine what he'd look like on the action floor.haha. Good hubby came in and reinforced that gate so that nothing could get through it, and made me a very handy welded latch 'Rusty' couldn't anyway open. Another time, Rusty went through the back fence to the neighbor's, and bred maybe 6 or 8 does before we could get him home!! Fortunately, the neighbor had scrub goats, and it was an upgrade!lol, so neighbor wasn't mad about that, but made sure we knew that we were expected to fix the hole in the fence!! Fortunately, he only went visiting the one time. I've decided the best thing is to teach them to collar lead when they are little, and spend a lot of time teaching them. Those ornery guys(and does), you just gotta have good fences and gates for, and try to make them stick to a routine. I'm sure my neighbors and family have gotten a laugh out of me chasing goats more than once!! Goats just don't understand herding, do they(like chasing chickens!!)?;)

-- mary (mlg@aol.com), December 03, 2001.

The only way I know is to get the grain bucket, then walk away slowly. They can't stand it. I also make sure everyone has a collar with a small length of rope on them. I have a friend who leads her buck by his beard, but I can't stand the thought of it, knowing what he does to that beard.

-- melina b. (goatgalmjb1@hotmail.com), December 03, 2001.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When I had an escaping goat, I could only catch her after cornering her in the bathroom! She went to that great goat barn in the sky!

My new girls adjusted to the electric fence quite well and are very behaved. I would not, could not have a billy goat, not here, not there, not anywhere.

-- Laura (LadybugWrangler@hotmail.com), December 03, 2001.

Training! If you wait until an incident occurs, it'll be hard to catch them. Train them that when they come when called, they'll be rewarded. Call them the same way every time, and try to be on familiar terms with every goat, wild goats are a real pain if they get out.

Were you angry? Yelling? Goats are not dumb! They know when they're 'gonna get it'!! In a scenario like yours here is what I'd have done. Tie the doe in the pen and leave the gate open. Put nice tempting feed where the doe can reach it. Rattle some grain in a can tantalizingly, and then give it to the doe and walk out of the pen, and far enough away from the gate that the buck will not be afrai to go in. They really do not enjoy being alone, their natural inclination is to be with the other goats. The minute he runs into the pen, slam the gate quick!!!If he doesn't go into the pen soon enough to suit you, get behind him and walk slowly, don't jump and shout, he'll panic and go who knows where. He'll get nervous about you being behind him, and go where he feels safest- the barn and the other goats.

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), December 04, 2001.

The best way to catch your goats (or any animal) is to whistle (in my case sing, I can't whistle) each time you feed them. They will learn in time that when you whistle it means food. If they get out, get a pail of corn or whatever you feed them and start whistling. They'll come on the run unless they've gotten into the corn field and then you're in trouble. I used to sing Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head and those girls always came on the run when they heard me. Friends thought it was hilarious.....I was never sure if it was because they came or of my singing.

The easiest way though is to buy fainting goats. When they get out and you chase them they get scared and fall over. So easy to catch then when they're laying on their sides. LOL

-- Anna in Iowa (countryanna54@hotmail.com), December 04, 2001.

After the pond freezes, you cut a big hole in the ice. You open a can of peas and place them in a ring aroung the hole. Then when the goat comes up to take a pea, you kick him in the icehole.

-- William in WI (gnarledmaw@lycos.com), December 07, 2001.

I did not want to contribute an answer but I wanted to get some anecdotes about Mohair Goats, Spanish Goats and Fainters.

I would appreciate any tips.

Thanks.

-- Jaime Alejandro Rios (JRios@Pearsall.k12.tx.us), February 21, 2002.

LOL Welcome me to the world of great goat escapes too! I have several Nubian does and couple saanens and up until a couple nights ago a wonderful mixture or colorful mixed goats-all that Id raised from day 1/2. Well thanks to a pack of dogs-been after my livestock since Jan and animal control will do nothing constructive except to tell me to shoot them (they are too quick and sneaky for that-Ive tried)I was reduced to just my big girls and 1 lucky mixed small doe (not tame) and one lucky pygmy bucky-a youngin. So after putting the gals in the barn and nursing their torn legs and flanks I promised them Id get em "a real man". Not being able to find a Nubian buck I purchaced a huge reg. Boer billy. Got him home and he seemed pleased as did the girls, But he came from running a herd of 50 to my small residential farm. Hes not tame but not aggressive either and if your quick you can walk up to him and pat him on the head and grab a "handle"-he also sports a new spiked collar. Well night 2 all was well and I went to work and came home to find a note from the sheriff on my gate saying "joe" had been picked up from Buddy Freddys resterant and put back in the barn-they hoped thats where he belonged. Now Anna came instantly in heat and yesterday they spent the day putting on a show for the neighbors with him now on a long chain-=and in the barn at night. But someone please tell me (Im new to goat breeding-theyve only been pets till now) can I expect Joe to go wandering when there is nothing "to do"-I mean I cant believe with all my good looking "gals" on night 2 he decided to jump his pen and take off to a RESTERANT. (My horses went there once before too-seems to be a regular stop for my critters!! LOL) Im hoping he breed my other big gals but except for the one no one has shown any "interest" yet. Is wandering is a regular habit for billys with their own small herd of "gals"?????

-- Cynthia (MyPonysCar@aol.com), June 10, 2002.

i find that it is easy er to grab them by the back leg if you can get close enough. a little grain helps.

-- Emma in montana (ratismaster@lycos.com), June 25, 2002.