Referring to goats as the "ultimate individuals" is very opposite my experience. I currently own 2 alpines and 2 Nubians. Not a big herd but I spend a lot of time with them. They are a cohesive group. They never separate, doing everything together. If one gets stuck or outside my fencing, the others cry until they are re-united. While goats may be selfish at feeding time, they are very social animals, dependent on their herd/families. A lone goat is a very sad animal.
Re:For the Love of Goats
by GlenTheMachine on Friday May 24, 2019 @08:23PM
(#20006357)
This is a good point.
Let’s not rush into careless generalizations. I have few alpine goats and they are gentle and kind. Never had sheep for comparison.
My dad grew up on a goat farm.
He has a strong dislike for goats as well.
> There is a good reason why sheep are associated with righteousness and goats with wickedness in the Bible.
I think this got mentioned as well.
Edit: also some of them are extreme when it comes to escaping, would jump cross a two meter high fence uphill.
High vs Low trust cultures in a nutshell.
I hope your wife is okay! If I’d see that happen, guess it’s goat stew for dinner.
Yeah, our goats were cute but jerks. The sheep were only annoying when they decided to ignore all attempts to herd them.
What kind of goats did you have? I have a few friends with Nubians who have nothing but praise for them, and they’re a breed I contemplate keeping down the line.
Re:For the Love of Goats
by GlenTheMachine on Friday May 24, 2019 @12:23PM
(#20003093)
Boers. Your standard meat goat.
I have been around Nubians. They seem sane.
My nubians (and nubian/alpine crosses) are much more personable and sociable. I attribute it to the breed being selected for these traits, so that they will be gentle and docile on the milking stand. They're gentle and sweet.
My boers, on the other hand, don't care much for this type of relationship with people. They'll swarm you for food, sure, but they seem much more interested in goats than in people. I don't think any of them particularly like me.
I love my two nubians, they have great personalities and are very sweet but they are also known for being very vocal/loud. There have been a few Saturday mornings where I wanted to strangle them, but if loud goats isn't an issue for you, nubians are awesome.
But this was just the last event in a long line of offenses. There is a good reason why sheep are associated with righteousness and goats with wickedness in the Bible. Sheep treat each other with much more kindness than goats. When you feed grain to the sheep, the first sheep sees you, baa's, and the rest of the herd comes running. They jostle each other at the grain feeder but fundamentally everyone gets to eat. When you feed goats, on the other hand, the first goat who sees you will try to sneak into the barnyard without making a sound, the better to eat all the grain herself. If two (or more) goats see you, they will proceed to fight in order to decide who gets to eat first. They will do this every single day, without fail, the same fight over and over and over.
Sheep have a sociality. When it's time to leave the barn in the morning, everyone lines up single file, with the head ewe in front and the ram, if there is one, in the very back. The head ewe will take a few steps, stop, look and smell. Everyone behind her will stop and wait. She'll take a few more steps and repeat. The ram makes sure nobody gets left behind. Going a hundred yards into the pasture can take ten minutes.
We never found any sociality in goats. Sheep are members of a tribe. Goats are the ultimate individuals.