I have four goats,two of them are babies and are bottle fed, they have no problems running to me and trusting me, the other two are almost adults and males, I want them to trust me before they get their horns. How do I get them to trust me?
What kind of treats?Treats and patience. Goats are not easy to win over.
OK, a few things here... what breed are the goats, and what age is "almost adult"? Firstly, if they are almost adults (>1 year) and they don't have horns, they aren't going to have horns. It's referred to as being "polled". They may have nubs/bumps but they don't generally grow to more than an inch or so. Goats start growing their horns at days old. By 2-3 months of age, they are readily visible and unmistakable. Second, you say they are males... Are they neutered? If you have no intention of breeding with them, you should definitely consider neutering/castration. they will be much more mellow, and during the rut, much LESS stinky. There should also be a lot less fighting. Since you say they are almost adults, I might suggest vet interaction for this. Third, if the two "babies" are doelings/females, you must keep them separated from the bucks (non neutered) by the time they reach ~8 weeks as they can become fertile starting at that age (breed dependent). If you don't, you run the very real threat of your babies getting knocked up and having babies, which could kill them as they are too small/young. OK... that being said,the other two are almost adults and males, I want them to trust me before they get their horns.