Introducing Delila to the others

[SkyWarrior]

I've got a small conundrum going with Delila. She's my littlest goat, being only 3 months old and a very small Alpine at that. She's a sweetheart and friendly. I would love to put her in with the bigger goats, but I'm running into an odd problem. It seems she doesn't want to be with them.

They're not mean. If anything, they're curious. Only one doe, Annie, might cause her some grief, and even then, Delila could get away from her. The times I've put her in the pen with them, she's hung out in the houses for safety, but as I said, no one is really being nasty.

So, I'm wondering should I keep her separated until she gets bigger? Should I move in one of my goats as a buddy to hang with her? She doesn't seem to want to be with anyone except me, oddly enough. She's in an indoor pen in the daytime and runs loose when I do my chores. At night, she is in an extra large dog crate. She is growing, but she still is very small. Thoughts?

 

[Queen Mum]

I think it would make sense to pen her with another goat and see if they "take" to one another. Then introduce her. Her attachment to you is where the problem gets dicey. She needs to bond with another goat and that's why it would be good if she has a buddy.

 

[bonbean01]

I agree with Queen Mum...when we introduced a young ewe lamb to the herd (after being separated, but could see and hear them through the fence and touch noses) it was awful at first...couldn't let that continue...so, put our sweetest adult ewe in with the new one in a very small pen for about a week. After that, let them out and the adult ewe protected the new one. Didn't take long for her to become part of the herd.

Good luck!!!!

 

[SkyWarrior]

I was wondering about that. I think that maybe if I have her bond with the herd queen, life will get better. Heidi has shown some very positive behavior toward Delilia.