Working A Goat Back Into The Herd

There's nothing like some new pasture to make a goat smile. And to make transitioning a goat into the herd much more civilized. Layla (front with horns) has been separated for a week after being away for seven weeks, and the first thing she wants to do is work her way to the top of the pecking order. We've been only allowing a bit of contact as they come in at night, and the first couple of nights were battles. When we moved the fences two nights ago, we let Layla follow us up the alley, and at first she was challenging anyone who looked at her, but especially Zola. Then as more new pasture was becoming available and most of the goats were gobbling away, Layla finally realized she was missing a good meal. You can see where the old fence line was in the above photo. Since then we have moved the fence again to keep everyone busy.Its been two days of civilized behavior, but we have yet to put her in the stall with the others at night. In that confined area, its a bit too difficult for the girls to get out of her way.

As you may notice above, Twee is starting to look a bit round. Another reason to take our time with combining the goats. Several of them are likely pregnant, and we don't need to have them rammed by a strong goat.