Goat Rolling her neck around - just playing?

[winterduchess]

I have a 6 month old baby who seems healthy in every way. She has plenty of energy, eats just fine, and is obnoxiously loud when she wants attention. Her and her mother are the first goats I've ever had, so I'm brand new at all of this.

The only thing mildly concerning me right now is a behavior that she has, that I haven't seen from the mother. The baby ("Chaos" is her name, and it's very appropriate) will frequently roll her head back, in a circle, far enough back that the top of her head almost touches her shoulders. I know that this can be a very scary symptoms in young goats, who are lethargic and not holding on to life too well. But Chaos is otherwise quite healthy-seeming. She will do it quickly, much like a human will roll their head and neck around to stretch it, or as if she is sniffing a large circle in the sky. She does it very frequently - whenever I'm around her, she'll do it every few minutes. It almost seems like she's just being goofy, either amusing herself by looking at things upside-down, or purposefully making herself dizzy. And I "think" she does it only when people are out with her - when I've spied on her from inside the house, I haven't noticed her doing it. That would make me think she's just being a weirdo, or trying to get attention from the humans. But, I am worried that maybe she does do it even when I'm not around, and that it's a symptom of something.

Any opinions? Anyone else notice their goats doing it? If I had seen Momma goat doing it too I would just assume it's a normal goat behavior, but so far I've only noticed it from Chaos.

Thanks!

 

[ksalvagno]

I have a goat that rolls her head often when I'm out. Her sire does it too. So unless there are some other symptoms that would indicate an illness, it is probably just something that she does.

 

[Livinwright Farm]

All of my goats do this from time to time. It is just something they do. I think they are just making a quick observation of what is above and directly behind them, or trying to scritch an itch at their withers(shoulders) with their horns... either that or they are just stretching their neck, like we humans do at times(remember how they used to have you roll your neck around in gym class?)

 

[redtailgal]

My Socrates does this.

Freaked me out at first too.

 

[winterduchess]

Awesome, thanks guys. I feel better.

It is pretty amusing to see, now that I know it's not a sign of a disease. She is such a weirdo! Boots (the mom) is a very stern and mellow goat, but Chaos is...chaotic. She runs and leaps and twists and likes to chase the cats and tries to climb on my back. It's hysterical. I am very much loving being a goat-owner!

 

[jimhammer1]

I was relieved to see these comments. My almost six month old wether and doe-ling do the head rolling, also. The wether was first to adopt this about a month ago and now his sister is doing it. They mostly do it when they are in the open so I assumed they to doing a recon. Glad to hear it is not a malady of some sort.

 

[SheepGirl]

My friend's Alpine doe does this.

 

[mama24]

My goats have horns, and they do this to scratch their backs. Maybe when they are polled, this instinct is still there?

 

[wannacow]

My young ones do it too. I would have freaked out a little if it hadn't been for the picture of Socrates that RTG posted.

 

[Mamaboid]

If you check out my goat cam often enough, you will see Elsie do it quite often. Freaked me out when we first got her but it seems to be just a habit.